Your next big hit just might come from the birthplace of many of The Beatles’ most beloved tunes. Paul McCartney’s childhood home at 20 Forthlin Road in Liverpool — where he and John Lennon wrote “I Saw Her Standing There,” “Love Me Do,” and many more staples of the Fab Four — has been opened up as a writing and performance studio for unsigned artists, the National Trust announced today.
Dubbed “The Forthlin Sessions,” this initiative allows burgeoning musicians to “visit, write, and perform at 20 Forthlin Road, sitting in the very same spots where around 30 of the world’s most famous songs, including ‘Love Me Do’, ‘I Saw Her Standing There’, ‘Hold Me Tight’, ‘I’ll Follow The Sun’ and ‘When I’m 64’ were written and rehearsed.” It’s also where McCartney conceived the first song he ever wrote, “I Lost My Little Girl.”
McCartney’s brother Mike and journalist Pete Paphides will consult with the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts to choose the artists who will perform at The Forthlin Sessions, and the opportunity is open to any unsigned, UK-based musician at least 18 years old. The sessions will be recorded and shared publicly, allowing the selected talents to “reach new, potentially global audiences.”
But in addition to being dubbed “the birthplace of The Beatles,” 20 Forthlin also acts as a symbol of perseverence: The McCartneys moved to the humble house in 1955, and Mary McCartney died a year later. Her sons, Paul and Mike, were raised alone by their father Jim, who encouraged the boys to use music to mitigate their grief.
Instructions on how to apply for The Forthlin Sessions can be found here. For those based in the States, you can see Macca on his stadium tour this spring; get tickets for that at Ticketmaster.
McCartney continues to use his platform to speak about issues he thinks are important. Last month, he called on Starbucks to reduce the price of plant based milks for US customers, and also paid tribute to dearly departed Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins.
