A SAXOPHONE player is hoping to blow the minds of music fans with her Ibiza-inspired debut single.

Renfrew woman April Dowling has big ambitions, including to perform at Scottish music festivals.

The 20-year-old’s debut single ‘Sax It Up,’ which is now available on most music streaming platforms, features the alto saxophone being played over electronic beats.

April said she is “really excited” about her first release, which aims to bring Ibiza’s clubbing scene back home to Renfrewshire.

She told The Gazette: “Until now, I’ve been covering other people’s songs, so I’m over the moon about releasing my own music.

“The single might take some people by surprise but a lot of people have been telling me it has got very catchy hooks.

“It definitely gives you a wee slice of the summer.”

April’s saxophone skills were put on display during the first coronavirus lockdown, when she began sharing videos online of her performing a mixture of well-known songs and anthems.

Once Covid restrictions had been eased, the former Renfrew High pupil started busking in Glasgow city centre, with a Facebook video of her performing Madness song One Step Beyond receiving more than 90,000 views.

Since then, April has been performing music inspired by the likes of Motown and ska at garden parties, weddings and other events in Renfrewshire and further afield.

She believes that the rise in demand for live saxophone music can be partially attributed to the popularity of Lovely Laura, whose energetic Ibiza performances have been shared widely online.

April said: “All of this has taken me completely by surprise and this was not the position I thought I would be in five years ago.

The Gazette:

“I think there’s such a demand for this type of music right now because a lot of people see Lovely Laura in Ibiza and they want to bring it home, especially when they couldn’t go away on holiday during the lockdowns.

“The saxophone also seems to just bring pure enjoyment to a lot of people.”

April, who is currently in her third year of studying commercial music, is now planning to release the rest of her Ibiza Sax Party album later this summer.

She added: “I would really like to go and play abroad at some point, whether that be as a resident sax player or maybe a nightclub somewhere.

“I also want to continue releasing music and would like to play at Scottish festivals in the future.”

For more information, visit www.facebook.com/AprilDowlingSaxophone.