Music's not an industry for the faint of heart...

Singer-songwriter Victoria Canal reflects on having Coldplay's Chris Martin as a mentor and exploring new avenues on her debut album.

- By NAOMI CLARKE

"It's really inspiring to see someone so many years into their career be just as excited to make music as they were at the beginning," she says.

TO SAY the last few years have been a whirlwind for singer-songwriter Victoria Canal would be a gross understatement.

From joining Coldplay on stage during their 2024 Glastonbury headline set to winning the Ivor Novello rising star award and touring with Hozier, she has experienced moments many artists dream of. But it has not all come without its challenges. "My overall journey? It's been everything," says Victoria, 26. "It's been incredibly exciting and inspiring. It's been overwhelming, fatiguing and exhausting and definitely a lot of burnout moments -but also full of wonder." The Spanish-American singer identifies as a "third culture kid" having grown up in cities across the world, including Shanghai, Tokyo, Amsterdam, London, Dubai and the US. She started taking classical piano lessons as a child, developing her ability over the years.

But she had to overcome more obstacles than most as she was born without her right forearm and hand, because of a condition called amniotic band syndrome. Establishing herself as an artist did not come easily either, as she had no connections with the industry.