Katie Gregson-Macleod, a singer and songwriter who hails from Inverness in Scotland, went viral on TikTok earlier this year with a 45-second clip of her song “Complex.” The track quickly amassed 4m views, thanks in part to

artists like Camila Cabello, King Princess and Madison
Beer, who offered their own takes of the song. The buzz caught the attention of the A&R team at Columbia U.K., who traveled up to Scotland to meet Gregson-Macleod on her day off from working at a coffee and donut shop.

A deal was done in short order. Columbia U.K. President Ferdy Unger-Hamilton says: “It was lucky that we were just early enough that we got good time with her, we got on well and we shared the same long-term vision that she and her management had.” So what makes her special? “Katie is from a very musical community and was a regular at local folk nights in Inverness,” replies Unger-Hamilton, who at press time announced he’d be moving on from the label. “She is a strong pianist and guitarist and has a fabulous voice, but I think if there is anything that defines her, it is her songwriting and in particular her lyrics—it was definitely this that caught the attention on ‘Complex’.”

To date, “Complex” has amassed over 7.5m streams worldwide and has had extensive playlist support from Spotify in the U.K. and Europe. In addition, Gregson-Macleod has been featured on the BBC and in the New York Times, The Times of London and more. Going forward, Unger-Hamilton points to “huge domestic and global ambitions” for her. “Her streaming has been incredibly strong in several key markets, most notably the U.S., where ‘Complex’ has debuted in the Top 100,” he adds. “She has loads more great music to come, and we believe that we have a special artist with a long-term career ahead of her.”

STATS

• “Complex” reached over 20m worldwide streams with over 1m on first day of release, including 500k+ in the U.S.
• Spotify adds to 30 New Music Friday playlists
• On launch, the track entered Spotify’s daily charts in eight markets outside of the U.K.
• TikTok UGCs now over 21k

TEAM

• Management: Dougie Brown
• Label: Ferdy Unger-Hamilton and Martin Dell, Columbia U.K.
• Live: Lucy Dickins, WME
• Publishing: Alison Donald, Kobalt