Josie Proto, who grew up in a small village outside Brighton, and has been a prolific songwriter since the age of twelve.

At 10 she taught herself how to play an ‘A’ chord on her grandma's guitar and since then has not been able to put the instrument down! 

She started performing in pubs and live music venues with her guitar teacher in 2015 and has been performing her own songs, live since 2016. 

In March 2020 the official version of her sass-fuelled viral hit 'BTEC Lily Allen' was released – the perfect introduction to her light-hearted but emotionally compelling style.   

Garnering instant validation from Gen-Z internet, 'BTEC Lily Allen' immediately went viral across Tik Tok to rack up over 6.2million  views and 1.1million  likes, thanks to the track’s universally relatable message of shining in the face of adversity, not giving in to hateful criticisms and learning to be your own biggest fan: “Don’t you call me a BTEC Lily Allen / Say that I’ve got no goddamn talent… I quite like Lily Allen / And I don’t believe in god given talent,” she tells across a pure acoustic backing.

Josie’s instantaneous Tik Tok fame has already sparked hundreds of cover versions, proof that she’s a future emotional hero in the making for the younger generation with her witty, humourous storytelling capturing experiences and turning them into fun, light-hearted forms of escapism. 

Inspired by the vulnerability of Carole King, Nina Simone and Sara Bareilles, everyday relatability of Madness and the cross-generational sounds of fellow newcomer Lily Moore, Josie Proto is an exciting new name to pop up in the Britpop scene.