Scottish singer-songwriter Amy Macdonald has hit out at "naive governments" for questioning the viability of the music industry.
Speaking on STV's Scotland Tonight, Macdonald discussed the “soul-destroying” impact the pandemic has for musicians and the rest of the industry, with some of her own band and crew forced to take jobs in supermarkets.
She said: “I think sometimes people just see the artists, but the industry isn't just the stars that you see.
"None of those stars would get to where they were without all the hard-working people behind them, and those are the people who are greatly affected."
Macdonald, known for her hits 'Mr Rock & Roll' and 'This is the life', is launching her fifth album ‘The Human Demands’ on 30 October.
Giving a pre-recorded interview in Glasgow's Barrowland Ballroom ahead of tonight's programme, she added: “When you think of a venue like the Barrowlands, to put a gig on here there's probably about 60 more people working behind the scenes just to put the gig on.
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"I've got band and crew that have started working in supermarkets and things like that because they need something to bring in income for their families.
“It's just completely soul-destroying. If we don't give the people that make the music and are behind the scenes the support when we come out of this, we won't have anything to look forward to.
"We won't have an industry there afterwards, and I think that's where it is very naive of governments to think this isn't a viable industry because it certainly is."
“I'm hopeful that one day this place will be packed again and we will be back to normal, but I think the people that make music happen need a bit more support to get through this.
“As humans, we make plans and we have things to look forward to and we have holidays in our diaries. We have trips to the cinema and we're going out with our friends. Nobody has any of that, and I think that's a really difficult thing to get used to.
“I hope that we don't have to get used to it for much longer. I hope that in the future we can have a little bit of good news – a little bit of light at the end of the tunnel.”
Macdonald has previously been vocal about her support for the events industry during the pandemic, and is due to perform her new album in a special live stream for campaign group 'We Make Events' on 1 November.
The show, with all profits going to the #WeMakeEvents campaign, will see Macdonal and a stripped-back acoustic band debut a selection of new songs from the album along with some fan favourites to a small socially-distanced London audience.
The #WeMakeEvents campaign was originally launched in April 2020 as a result of the impact of COVID-19 on the events industry.
The Campaign grew to include over 21 industry bodies along with many companies and professionals in the UK.
You can catch Amy Macdonald's interview for STV's Scotland Tonight here.
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