L.A. (Amy Macdonald Song)
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"L.A." is a single released by Scottish singer
Amy Macdonald Amy Elizabeth Macdonald (born 25 August 1987) is a Scottish singer-songwriter. In 2007, she released her debut studio album, ''This Is the Life (Amy Macdonald album), This Is the Life'', which produced the singles "Mr. Rock & Roll" and "This ...
, which was released in October 2007 as the third single from her debut studio album '' This Is the Life'' (2007). A moderate success, it reached #48 in the UK Singles Charts, and gain considerable success in Scotland, peaking at number five on the Scottish Singles Charts.


Background

During an interview with
BBC Berkshire BBC Radio Berkshire is the BBC's local radio station serving the county of Berkshire. It broadcasts on FM, DAB, digital TV and via BBC Sounds. According to RAJAR, the station has a weekly audience of 48,00 listeners as of May 2025. It has ...
, Macdonald said that the writing of "L.A." was inspired by her admiration for actor
Jake Gyllenhaal Jacob Benjamin Gyllenhaal ( , ; born December 19, 1980) is an American actor who has worked on screen and stage for over thirty years. Born into the Gyllenhaal family, he is the son of film director Stephen Gyllenhaal and screenwriter Naomi ...
. She said "well I was just thinking and I thought everyone has somebody that they idolize - be it an actor or a sports player or a singer or whatnot. But I think in general that people should value their own dreams and their own achievements, even if we don't do things as great as being in a Hollywood blockbuster. Just be proud of what we achieve ourselves". The music video of "L.A." consists of Macdonald in travelling in a van, singing and playing a guitar, following by her then performing live. The music video for "L.A." was filmed in
Málaga Málaga (; ) is a Municipalities in Spain, municipality of Spain, capital of the Province of Málaga, in the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia. With a population of 591,637 in 2024, it is the second-most populo ...
in Spain.


Release and reception

"L.A" was released as the third single from Macdonald's debut studio album ''This is the Life'' (2007) on 15 October 2007. It was released as a CD single via her record label, Melodramatic Records and Vertigo Records. ''
Manchester Evening News The ''Manchester Evening News'' (''MEN'') is a regional daily newspaper covering Greater Manchester in North West England, founded in 1868. It is published Monday–Saturday; a Sunday edition, the ''MEN on Sunday'', was launched in February 20 ...
'' said that "the first thing to strike you from an Amy Macdonald record is her booming voice that surely couldn’t come from a shy and demure 20-year-old", however, claimed "L.A." "is a completely forgettable showcase for it, rolling along the same yawnsome middle of the road path as fellow Scot
KT Tunstall Kate Victoria "KT" Tunstall (born 23 June 1975) is a Scottish singer-songwriter and musician. She first gained attention with a 2004 live solo performance of her song "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" on ''Later... with Jools Holland'', and h ...
and
Sandi Thom Alexandria Thom () (born 11 August 1981) is a Scottish singer-songwriter who became widely known in 2006 for her debut single, " I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker (With Flowers in My Hair)". The single finished the year as the best selling single in ...
, and fails to make any lasting impression beyond vaguely pleasant background noise".


Commercial performance

In her native Scotland, "L.A." performed strongly on the Scottish Singles Charts, peaking at number five. This was her second top five single in Scotland, following her previous single "Mr Rock & Roll" reaching number one on the Scottish Singles Charts. In the United Kingdom, it fell short of the Top 40 of the official UK Singles Charts, reaching a peak of forty eight, spending a total of two weeks on the UK Singles Charts before falling out of the UK Top 100.


Track listings

Credits By the credits as referred from the inner notes of the single released, references via Discogs. * Backing Vocals – Sarah Erasmus * Bass Guitar – Jamie Sefton * Conductor, Cello – Audrey Riley * Drums, Percussion – Adam Falkner * Electric Guitar – Seton Daunt * Engineer ssistant Recording– Guy Katsav * Engineer ssistant Edited By, Other ro-tools– Beatriz Artola * Executive Producer – Paul Adams * Mixed By – Bob Clearmountain * Percussion, Piano, Keyboards, Programmed By, Arranged By trings– Pete Wilkinson * Producer dditional Engineer – Joe Fields (2) * Viola – Chris Tumbling*, Susan Dench* * Violin – Jonathan Hill, Laura Melhuish, Richard George * Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Backing Vocals – Amy Macdonald * Written-By – Amy Macdonald * Written-By, Producer – Pete Wilkinson


Charts


References

2007 singles Amy Macdonald songs Songs written by Amy Macdonald 2007 songs {{2000s-rock-single-stub