Connect with us

Maine

Commentary: Perspectives on LA wildfires from Maine and Alabama

Published

1 year ago

on

Commentary: Perspectives on LA wildfires from Maine and Alabama


Amy Miller and Guy Trammell Jr.
 |  Color Us Connected

This column appears every other week in Foster’s Daily Democrat and the Tuskegee News. This week, Guy Trammell, an African American man from Tuskegee, Ala., and Amy Miller, a white woman from South Berwick, Maine, write a column about the wildfires in the West.

By Amy Miller

When Hurricane Sandy flooded streets in lower Manhattan in 2012, my parents on 55th Street barely felt a ripple beyond what they read in the news. The realities of how climate was affecting thousands of people was not their reality on the 21st floor of a building five miles away.

Advertisement

Today, from my perch in Maine, I hear about the wildfires in California and the news seems surreal. I feel like I am reading a book in that new genre called Cli-Fi. Except that I am not. Except I read that same book last year, and the year before, and it is not fiction at all.

Except I have cousins and friends in southern California who live and work in schools and offices where they are breathing the smoke and wondering if they too will have to leave their homes.

A local planner told me southern Maine is one of the places attracting climate refugees, people who want to live somewhere with less chance of a heat emergency, drought or wildfire. My corner of the world remains more protected than places like New Orleans, which sits below sea level, or Kiribati, a Pacific nation of 100,000 people and coral islands that have already begun to disappear.

But even here we have seen the writing on the wall. 

Maine’s coastal zones flooded last year, causing millions of dollars in damage and proving we are not immune. My insurance company told me I had to buy flood insurance for the first time for an inland camp on a lake near Bangor.Rotary International, a devoutly non-political organization with 1.4 million members in 200 countries, recently adopted climate change and the environment as one of its seven focus areas, along with fighting disease, maternal health and water hygiene. The organization, not prone to controversial issues, added this focus change as part of its mission in 2020.

Advertisement

“Rotarians understand that the whole world is their backyard,” says the organization’s website. “They can see the effects of climate change in communities they care about, and they haven’t waited to take action.”

Former International Rotary President Barry Rassin has said about 95% of the membership support the decision.

“As a humanitarian organization, we’re obligated to talk about it,” said Rassin, whose own island nation of the Bahamas is vulnerable.

“I’m not talking politics; I’m talking about our world and how to make it a better place,” Rassin has said. “We’re in a position where, with all the people Rotary has around the world, we can make a difference. If Rotary is going to be relevant, then we’ve got to be looking at the environment.”

Advertisement

By Guy Trammell Jr.

In 1895, fire destroyed Tuskegee Institute’s dairy barn, along with its herd of cows. After that, school architect Robert R. Taylor created fireproof buildings, using less ornamental wood and more earthen brick.

In 1917, two brick barns were constructed, each with steel windows. Another campus fire in 1918 destroyed the Slater Armstrong Boys Trades building. It was rebuilt and became Margaret Murray Washington Hall for girls’ trades. All the 1928 Wilcox Boys Trades buildings were mostly masonry.

Fire needs three things to exist: heat, oxygen and fuel. Take away one of these and the fire is gone. 

The current California wildfires have wreaked disabling devastation on an unbelievably massive scale. Neighborhoods with 50 or more years of residents’ investment – raising families and making precious memories – were horribly decimated in an instant, leaving shock, despair and debilitating sorrow.

Advertisement

All the neighbors and friends who normally pitch in to help each other are left powerless because they face the same losses. The magnitude of destruction is overwhelming. 

Wildfires are natural in North America, and are required for certain trees to germinate. They also are a clearing mechanism for dominant plants, allowing other species to emerge and feed specific animal life. The Mvskoki Nation deliberately used wildfires to clear underbrush for hunting. 

Discarded cigarettes, arson or downed power lines cause 25% of wildfires. However, more wildfires and more destructive wildfires are fueled by human-caused climate change that generates hotter temperatures, creates drought, and produces more dry, dead vegetation. 

In 2022 and 2023, Los Angeles had extraordinary rainfall, reaching over 52 inches downtown. 2024 had eight months of drought. 

2021 – 2,568,948 acres destroyed by wildfires

Advertisement

2022 – 362,455 acres destroyed by wildfires

2023 – 324,917 acres destroyed by wildfires

2024 – 1,050,012 acres destroyed by wildfires 

Los Angeles’ ferocious 80 to 100 mph Santa Ana winds send clouds of burning embers for miles, igniting more blazes. These hurricane-strength winds prevent use of water dropping helicopters to douse large areas of fire, and neither firefighters nor urban water infrastructures are adequate to attack vast acres of wildfire.

One man saved his home and others with a 2-inch hose pump, his pool, and fire retardant gel he spread over exterior walls. Others had fireproof exterior walls and vegetation-free barriers around their homes. Farmers hire out ruminant goats that make land fireproof simply by eating. 

Advertisement

We have created our own environmental crisis, but if we stop and think, solutions can be found.



Source link

Related Topics:
Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Maine

Maine lawmakers named in latest batch of Epstein files documents

Published

11 hours ago

on

February 2, 2026

By

Maine lawmakers named in latest batch of Epstein files documents


PORTLAND (WGME) – The names of multiple Maine lawmakers, both past and present, appear in the 3 million pages of Epstein files documents released Friday by the Justice Department.

Governor Janet Mills’ name appears three times.

Her name appears twice in connection to an email to the Southern District of New York’s U.S. Attorney’s Office.

It was sent in June of 2020, and the sender’s name is redacted.

Advertisement

In that email, a tipster claimed the governor was “instrumental in the crimes against my daughter and I” and also claimed the governor was involved in drug trafficking.

Friday’s document dump includes a large number of uncorroborated tips to law enforcement involving a host of individuals, and there is no other mention of this type regarding the governor.

The third time her name appears is in relation to a news brief summarizing a bill proposal in the state back in 2023.

Others, including former Governor Paul LePage are also named in similar style news briefs.

Former Senator from Maine George Mitchell’s name also appeared in the latest batch of Epstein documents.

Advertisement
Comment with Bubbles

JOIN THE CONVERSATION (8)

CBS13 reached out to the Governor’s Office for comment and additional context, and they declined to comment.



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Maine

32 Maine influencers you should be following

Published

23 hours ago

on

February 2, 2026

By

32 Maine influencers you should be following


Jody Hartman’s two dogs Stella, right, and Mabel sit in the leaf pile at their home in Freeport. (Brianna Soukup/Staff Photographer)

Mainers are not easily influenced.

People here take pride in not following all the latest trends and in the fact that we get most of the fads and new stores after they’ve already made it to the rest of the country. That said, Mainers are always interested in what their fellow Mainers have to say.

That’s probably why there are so many Maine-based influencers, for lack of a better word, folks with creative and extensive social media accounts who add their own voices to the varied and vibrant conversation about Maine life. They range from funny takes on the Maine accent or shoveling snow or doing the groceries, to dining reviews, holistic health tips and adorable photos of cats and dogs.

Advertisement

Here are a few suggestions for fun, thought-provoking, informative or creative Mainers — including some non-human ones — with social media accounts to follow and what you might expect from them.

Alexander Widener

@alexander_widener on Instagram (158K) and TikTok (129.5K)

Widener worked in New York City, in fashion and home decor, before moving to Wiscasset and opening an interiors shop, Widener Company. In videos he offers info on specific antiques, including on Staffordshire dog figurines from England. He also shows off and explains various antique “hauls” he made recently.

Amy Stacey Curtis

@amystaceycurtis on Instagram (3K) and @amystaceycurtis on TikTok (37.4K)

Since 2022, Lewiston-based installation artist Amy Stacey Curtis has been using music to help recover from a serious medical condition. On Instagram and TikTok, she’s shared hundreds of videos of herself playing ukulele and singing well-known songs like “Purple Rain,” “I Won’t Back Down” and “Rebel Yell.” She’s a wonderful singer, and describes what she’s doing as “self-prescribed occupational therapy” to heal her brain, and, in turn, her speech. In 2017, Curtis believed that a demon in her head was telling her to take her own life. The condition also impacted her ability to speak and walk. It took a year of doctors appointments to land on a Lyme disease diagnosis.

Advertisement

Autumn Acord

@autumn.acord on Instagram (94.5K) and @autumnacord (295K) on TikTok

This account follows a 20-something Maine native who went to Maine Maritime Academy in Castine and then went to work in finance. Videos show her putting makeup on, making dinner, making her bed or showing off some pottery. She says she does not want to identify cool, out of the way local spots in her posts, so they won’t “blow up” with too many visitors.

Meredith Steele offers her take on Maine life on Babiesofsteele. (Photo courtesy of Meredith Steele.)

Babies of Steele

@babiesofsteele on Instagram (426K) and TikTok (1.1M)

Meredith Steele is a Midcoast resident, and mother, with some pretty strong and funny opinions. Her videos range from fairly serious ones lately on ICE, to a take on why it’s not worth your energy to argue with some people on social media.

Chef Adam Libby

@chefadamlibby on Instagram (580K), Chef Adam Libby on Facebook (454K) and @chefadamlibby on TikTok (2.6M)

Advertisement

Put a little love in your heart, and learn how to cook some tasty dishes with Lincoln-based superstar chef Adam Libby, who has Down Syndrome. His instructional videos include cheesy corn dip, game day cookies, pizza bites, pumpkin pie and several other mouthwatering comfort foods. Libby is a young man with a passion for food and cooking — and a catch-phrase (“Holy Crow, Man”).

Daniel and Bigfoot

@shopperstv on Instagram (7,056) and @shoppers_hardware on TikTok (79K)

Two cats are living the best of all nine lives at Shoppers True Value in South Portland. Daniel and Bigfoot love to nap all over the store, including a favorite bed in the paint department. Daniel arrived in 2022 and Bigfoot moved in a year later. One post shows Daniel in a Cat Noodles bed, another shows Bigfoot curled up on a pile of bath mats. There are also whimsical videos of the shop cats. Both are certifiable legends, and are so popular there’s a line of Daniel and Bigfoot-themed merchandise at the registers.

Daphne Michelle Designs

@daphnemichelledesigns on Instagram (9 K) and TikTok (2.5K )

Portland-based designer Daphne Michelle Murphy makes clothing from used materials, and is particularly adept at turning kitschy pro sports teams blankets into hip outwear. Her posts show some before- and after-shots of New England Patriots’ blankets that she made into pretty stylish jackets. She demonstrates in one video how she made a Sabrina Carpenter Halloween costume from stuff she found at her local Goodwill.

Advertisement

Dog Named Stella

@dognamedstella on Instagram (1M) and @dognamedstella on TikTok (823.2K)

In 2015, Freeport resident Jody Hartman starting posting videos of his Labrador retriever Stella blissfully running head first into gigantic leaf piles. The clips caught on, and Stella, bless her, is still at it. In 2023, the Hartman family welcomed another Labrador named Mabel into their fold, and she too adores the leaves. In some posts, you’ll see Stella’s alter ego Judith, donning butterfly wings and racing around without a care in the world. On both Instagram and TikTok, you’ll see nothing but joy.

Downeast Cowboy

@downeastcowboy on Instagram (43.9K), @thedowneastcowboy on TikTok (185.7K)

Fisherman Kelly Hinkle is known online as The Downeast Cowboy. Originally from Addison, Hinkle lives near Pleasant River in Columbia Falls. Hinkle fishes mostly for lobster in Eastern Harbor, and often broadcasts the hauling of lobsters live on TikTok. Sometimes a landlubber, Hinkle also shares footage of other travels around the state.

Eating Portland Alive

@eatingportlandalive on Instagram (16K) and Threads (2.7K)

Advertisement

This account is a visual feast of Portland food and drinks, with locations and other info, so you can then go out an have an actual feast. The Instagram page begins with “Warning: gratuitous foodity” and it can be shockingly addictive.

Fresh Eggs Daily

@fresheggsdaily on Instagram (121K).

Lisa Steele’s Instagram bio describes her as a “5th generation chicken expert, cook/baker, TV host and author of the upcoming book “Gardening with Chickens.” She’s been raising chickens and ducks for more than 15 years, and dispenses advice on how to keep them healthy and happy. Her Instagram account is packed with a range of related photos and videos, including visiting her many chickens and ducks on a sunny morning when it’s 7 degrees below zero. Another sweet clip shows several ducks snacking from a store-bought veggie platter. Broccoli was the biggest hit.

Lobster fisherman Jacob Knowles.
Photo courtesy of Jacob Knowles

Jacob Knowles

@jknowles831 on Instagram (968K) , jacob_knowles on TikTok (3.3M) and @jacobknowles5421 on YouTube (2.54M)

Advertisement

Jacob Knowles is a fifth-generation lobster fisherman based in Winter Harbor. On social media, he shares videos about his work that are both educational and entertaining. Knowles often offers encouraging words to lobsters that aren’t legal to catch, then sends them back into the ocean with a snack. He also will take the time to remove pesky barnacles from lobsters in a process called the “claw spa treatment.”

Jeremy Miranda

@jeremy_miranda_ on Instagram (249K)

Jeremy Miranda is a Maine-based painter with just under a quarter of a million followers on Instagram. Using acrylic paints, his works are visually stunning and feature scenes like wintry landscapes and sunsets. One post is a video set to music of Miranda mixing paints and then adding to a painting. A recent post features a bonfire painting that Miranda is auctioning off to benefit the Women’s Foundation of Minnesota.

Katie Zarrilli

@katiezarrilli on Instagram (20.5K); @katie.zarrilli on TikTok (14.4K)

Zarrilli, a former TV newscaster who lives in Gorham, has a knack for quick, funny takes on Maine life. While reeling off “Things mainers do/say that would confuse people from elsewhere,” she blurts out “I haven’t seen traffic like that since the Phish concert” and “No, I way prefer the Westbrook Hannaford.” And she produces fast-paced videos where she plays the personalities of all 16 counties.

Karl Ramsdell

@karl.ramsdell on Instagram (82.8K)

Advertisement

Photographer Karl Ramsdell is a paddleboarder and surfer, and uses his intimate knowledge of Maine’s ocean waters to fill his Instagram page with images of nature, especially seals. He often photographs seals from his paddleboard, so as not to scare them. He’s also captured foxes, birds, deer and otters for his posts.

Seals being watched over by an eagle at Halfway Island lighthouse off Yarmouth. (Photo by Karl Ramsdell)

The Leighton Show

@the_leighton_show on Instagram (773K) and @the_leighton_show on TikTok (629.7K)

Cape Elizabeth resident Chip Leighton started posting clips on TikTok five years ago. At the heart of his online presence is a series called “Teenager Texts.” Leighton’s face is shown with the texts scrolling above, usually with a popular song playing in the background. The Best of 2025 post included zingers like “Do you think kidnapping a deer for 48 hours is insane?,” “My car is saying something in Spanish: Door ajar” and “I need an authentic Swedish dessert for school tomorrow.” Texts are submitted from all over.

@the_leighton_show My new book is available for pre-order! Link in bio. Comes out April 21st #teenager #text #funny #dad #dadcanyounot ♬ Rio (2009 Remaster) – Duran Duran

The Maine Foodies

@themainefoodies on Instagram (107K) and Threads (13.1K)

A Portland couple, Lexi and Erik Dirkmaat, do their best to discover “hidden gems, inspiring stays and the best bites” around Maine and share them with their followers. A typical video combines shots of the Old Port or Portland Headlight with shots of lemon being dribble over oysters and foaming coffee drinks, backed by the song “Home” by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros.

Advertisement

Mainely Emma

@mainlyemma on Instagram (94.5K) and TikTok (23.9K)

Emma Hughes, a self-described “professional baby whisperer” from Brunswick worked as a full-time nanny and is a postpartum doula. Her posts include holistic health and wellness discussions, including some personal ones about how hard it is to find love or getting a tattoo.

Margaret Skiff

@margaretskiff on Instagram (50.3K) and TikTok (112.2K)

Skiff, of Portland, lets people follow along with renovations of a 100-year-old duplex, and also posts about related adventures. Recent posts include finding a wedding dress at an estate sale, thrifting, vintage shopping and some wisdom about Maine life, like how you’re being “selfish” if you don’t brush the snow off your car before driving off.

@margaretskiff Estate sales are always so bittersweet #estatesale #comethriftingwithme #vlog #weddingdress ♬ Coffe and Jazz – Baby thug

Mister Mainer

@mistermainer1 on Instagram (2M) and mistermainer on TikTok (20.9 M)

Biscuit and Joy, an English Bull terrier mix and an English Bull terrier, have been the stars of these accounts created by Mainer Dmitry Pepper since 2021. Some videos show one of the dog’s adopting the persona of real estate agent Karen Bark, sometimes the dogs are shown just living their best doggie lives. Posts also talk about the importance of adopting dogs.

Advertisement

Molly in Maine

@mollyinmaine on Instagram (108K)

Molly Walpuck of St. George is a lifestyle blogger and home decorator with more then 100K followers on Instagram. She likes in an idyllic seaside home with her husband John and springer spaniels Maddie and Cisco. Walpuck’s vibrant posts show her home through the seasons, along with images from her travel adventures. A recent post features a gallery of photos, including a cozy, plant-filled sitting area and a kitchen counter with a simple floral arrangement and lit candle, with the caption “Small joys, during a time in our country that often feels unbelievably heavy.”

Moustache Nugget Mews

@moustachemews on Instagram (3K)

There are lots of dog-focused influencers out there, but here’s another one for the cat lovers among us. This fluffy black and white kitty, nicknamed “Nuggy,” has what appears to be a white mustache under his nose on an otherwise black face. The posts mostly show the cat being adorable, stuffing himself into small space or turning his belly skyward.

My Maine

@my_maine on Instagram (26.7K)

Digital creator Katherine Mills lives in western Maine, but her travels bring her all over the state. For about the past eight years, she’s been documenting where she goes, and what she sees and does on the Instagram page My Maine. Her focus is on the outdoors, and posts are often packed with useful information. In one about winter hiking in Maine, Mills lists essential clothing and gear, including merino wool socks, waterproof hiking pants and insulated boots with traction.

Advertisement

Nostalgia Maine

@nostalgiamaine on Instagram (12.7K)

Who doesn’t love old photos? People who’ve lived in Maine forever will look at these photos and videos and say “I remember that” or “Portland was so much better then.” But new residents can also get a sense of what their city or town used to look like. There’s a cool 1958 shot of L.L. Bean when the retailer was just one of the stores in Freeport, and had yet to take over the whole town.

Plates of Portland Maine

@platesofportlandmaine on Instagram (110K)

For an inside scoop on Portland’s food and hospitality happenings, give Plates of Portland Maine a follow. The account was launched in August 2022 by Freeport-based food blogger Jordan Brocklesby. Vivid photos and clips will tantalize your taste buds, and will suggest an array of cocktails, sweets and meals.

Portland Food Map

@portlandfoodmap on Instagram (85.5K)

Advertisement

Portland Food Map has its finger on the pulse of the restaurant and food scene in and around Portland. On Instagram, they serve up photos with corresponding updates on openings and closings, and other food-related news. It’s a handy resource when you can’t decide where to eat.

Ryan Adams

@ryanwritesonthings on Instagram (16.4K)

Ryan Adams finishes his mural on a wall at Arabic Market in downtown Westbrook. (Staff Writer Robert Lowell)

Ryan Adams is a Portland-based artist who works out of the Over Here Studio at Thompson’s Point with his wife and fellow artist Rachel Adams. Both show their work in galleries and museums. Ryan got his start as a graffiti artist, then moved into creating commissioned murals on buildings and businesses in Maine and other states. His Instagram page is the perfect place to view some of his work, including murals, digital prints, skateboard deck art, T-shirts and more.

Sam Ramsdell

@samramsdell5 on Instagram (599K) and @samramsdell5 on TikTok (3.9M)

Sam Ramsdell laughs while making videos with her partner James Reimer on Nov. 10, 2025, at their home in Falmouth. (Derek Davis/Staff Photographer)

Scarborough-born Falmouth resident Sam Ramsdell is internet famous for an unusual reason. When videos of her eating during the pandemic started going viral, she was contacted by Guinness World Records, who wondered if her mouth size might be a record holder. She does indeed hold the record for widest female mouth gape. While some of her posts are about fitting things like a giant croissant in her mouth, others are hilarious clips of Ramsdell in her 1820 farmhouse, sometimes dressing the part in “Little House on the Prairie” type outfits. Her language however is a bit more salty that Ma and Pa Ingalls, so consider yourself warned.

Advertisement

Tatum Talks

@hi.this.is.tatum on Instagram (688K), @hi.this.is.tatum on TikTok and @TatumTalks on YouTube (54.1K)

Bangor-based Tatum is a medium-sized rescue dog from Macon, Georgia whose breed is unknown by his human parents, Charles and Nicole Lever. He’s a huge online star because of the sarcastic, side-splitting commentary he dishes out. Yes, this dog “talks,” and he always has something sassy or silly to say to his parents. In one particularly funny clip, Tatum is in a car driving by a field dotted with wild turkeys. He whispers out the window: “Hey ladies, you gotta go home. Tomorrow’s Thanksgiving, I don’t know if you knows this, but you’re turkeys. Get out of here, I won’t tell no one I saw you.”

Teagan Wright

@teaganwright on Instagram (24.2K) and @teaganwrightcomedy on TikTok (12.2)

A Maine-based comedian and content creator, Wright’s lobsterman persona videos are funny and helpful. He explains oft-used phrases and Maine towns most of us pronounce incorrectly. One video shows that a crusty Maine lobsterman is immune to the personality-changing qualities of a Snickers. He also hosts an online dating show, “Love or Lobsters.”

Traveling Mainers

@travelingmainers on Instagram (123K)

James Barrett and Elizabeth Clark are a Portland-based couple who are all about exploring Maine and New England. They document their travels with detail-packed photos and videos. Recent posts show the Asticou Hotel in Northeast Harbor and the Riverhouse Footbridge in Camden.

Advertisement

Vanity of Maine

@vanity_of_maine on Instagram (34.6K)

This page posts Maine vanity license plates, on cars and trucks, with no explantation of what they mean. But it’s fun to guess. Some are pretty obvious, and some are profane. A few examples include: “FORK ME,” “WHY YOU,” “OMGCATS” and “YAYCAKE.”





Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Maine

Maine’s Amy Allen wins second songwriter Grammy

Published

1 day ago

on

February 1, 2026

By

Maine’s Amy Allen wins second songwriter Grammy


Maine songwriter Amy Allen poses for a portrait in 2024. (Jae C. Hong/Associated Press)

Maine native Amy Allen won her second consecutive songwriter of the year Grammy on Sunday afternoon.

Allen could still win two more awards later Sunday during the prime time Grammy show on CBS. She is nominated in the song of the year category for her work on “APT.” by ROSE´ and Bruno Mars and “Manchild” by Sabrina Carpenter. She’s nominated for album of the year for co-writing songs on “Man’s Best Friend” by Carpenter.

Advertisement

“This award belongs to every single songwriter out there,” Allen said, after accepting the songwriter Grammy Sunday. “To all the songwriters out there continuing to fight the good fight, thank you for teaching me and inspiring me.”

Allen also thanked the artists she’s worked with, her parents, her sisters, her manager and her boyfriend.

Allen’s nomination for the songwriter Grammy was based on her body of work over the past year, including as co-writer of Carpenter’s album, and for songs recorded by Jessie Murph, Tate McRae, Jon Bellion, Shaboozy and Sierra Ferrell, among others.

The songwriter of the year award was presented in Los Angeles on Sunday afternoon, during the Grammys Premiere Ceremony, which was streamed on live.Grammy.com and included a majority of the Grammy awards. The rest will be given out live on CBS Sunday night, beginning at 8 p.m.

Allen has become one of pop music’s most in-demand songwriters in the past half-dozen years, working with Sabrina Carpenter, Selena Gomez, Harry Styles and many others. She won the prestigious songwriter of the year Grammy in 2025 and has been nominated for the award three of the four years it has been in existence.

Advertisement

Also during the prime-time Grammy show on CBS, Auburn-area native Colin Leonard will find out if he wins a Grammy award for his work as a mastering engineer on “Debí Tirar Más Fotos” by Bad Bunny, which is nominated for album of the year and record of the year. As a mastering engineer, Leonard would get a Grammy if the recording wins in either of those categories.

Leonard, based in Atlanta, won a Grammy in 2025 for mastering “Cowboy Carter” by Beyoncé, which won album of the year. In November Leonard won a Latin Grammy for his work on the Bad Bunny album.

The other songwriters who were competing with Allen Sunday for the Grammy award were Edgar Barrera, Jessie Jo Dillon, Tobias Jesso Jr. and Laura Veltz.

Allen grew up in Windham and graduated from Waynflete School in Portland in 2010. She performed with her band, Amy and The Engine, before moving to Los Angeles around 2017 and beginning her career as a songwriter.  By 2019, she had co-written the Selena Gomez hit “Back to You” and the Halsey hit “Without Me.” The latter song reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 pop chart.

Advertisement
” data-medium-file=”https://www.pressherald.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2026/01/20160324_sofar-1070.jpg?w=300″ data-large-file=”https://www.pressherald.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2026/01/20160324_sofar-1070.jpg?w=780″ height=”683″ width=”1024″ alt=”” class=”wp-image-7573238″ srcset=”https://www.pressherald.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2026/01/20160324_sofar-1070.jpg 3000w, https://www.pressherald.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2026/01/20160324_sofar-1070.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https://www.pressherald.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2026/01/20160324_sofar-1070.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https://www.pressherald.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2026/01/20160324_sofar-1070.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https://www.pressherald.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2026/01/20160324_sofar-1070.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https://www.pressherald.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2026/01/20160324_sofar-1070.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w, https://www.pressherald.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2026/01/20160324_sofar-1070.jpg?resize=1200,800 1200w, https://www.pressherald.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2026/01/20160324_sofar-1070.jpg?resize=2000,1333 2000w, https://www.pressherald.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2026/01/20160324_sofar-1070.jpg?resize=780,520 780w, https://www.pressherald.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2026/01/20160324_sofar-1070.jpg?resize=400,267 400w” sizes=”(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px”/>
Amy Allen performing with the band Amy & The Engine in 2016 at Urban Farm Fermentory in Portland. (Ben McCanna/Staff Photographer)

While writing for pop stars, she continues to write and record her own music. In September of 2024 she released a solo album, “Amy Allen,” featuring 12 songs written and performed by her over the last several years.



Source link

Continue Reading

Trending