About

Amelie is a jazz vocalist based in Leeds. specialising in American songbook and swing style jazz, turning old beloved tunes and making them authentically her own.

Over the past two years, Amelie has been training at the Leeds Conservatoire on the Jazz course, a three-year program under the supervision of some of the finest jazz musicians the UK has to offer, including Nadim Teimoori, Steven Fishwick, Becca Wilkins, Amy Clark, and others. Through this, she has developed a taste for contemporary and folk-style Jazz.

Known for her bebop style scat and intimate storytelling, Amelie has been trusted to perform at some fantastic venues throughout the country, most notably:
Peggy Skylights, Howard Assembly Room, De Monfort Hall, Seven Arts, Hart in Headingley, The Attic, Northern Market, and The Reserve bar, as well as the more casual venues like Sela bar and Casa.
With an approach grounded in curiosity and innovation, Amelie continues to shape her music, drawing inspiration from both the past and the present to create her own unique voice within the industry.

Notable Performances

Amelie is known in the Whitby Area for having a residency at the Velveteen Lounge performing for locals every month as a part of the Oklm trio, comprised of Sax, Guitar and vocals. Recently, this trio performed at the University of Leeds Master’s graduation ceremonies and at the Northern Markets as part of their Christmas celebrations.

In the past year, Amelie has collaborated with many acclaimed Jazz musicians from around the world, including Benny Bennack III, Andrew Weiss, and Jocelyn Gould. Most recently, at the Howard Assembly room, she was invited as a guest vocalist for the ‘Sing and Swing’ event created by the Jazz at Lincoln Centre, which she describes as an “absolute honour and joy to have been included”.

Recently, Amelie and her band supported the phenomenal Sultan Stevenson at the 2025 Leeds Jazz Festival. Performing at the Seven Arts centre in Chapel Allerton, where she showcased a set of Latin and swing style standards. Furthermore, as a part of this festival, Amelie performed at the Leeds Soul Song Book by the City Hall on the green.

Last year, Amelie was asked to represent Leeds Conservatoire at their B-side event supporting the Canadian Award Winning vocalist and guitarist, Jocelyn Gould, for her international Performance in Leeds.

Education

From an early age, Amelie expressed a passion for music, competing in school and in various competitions across the Midlands. She then went on to study the arts outside of school from the ages of 12 to 17 at Stagecoach School of Arts. At 16, she competed in the Leicester Music Fest, where she achieved silver in art song in the senior category among 40 participants.

After this, she gained her accreditation as a Level 3 RSL Music Practitioner, spending two years developing her skills in live sound engineering and performance techniques, while teaching students and leading choirs, performing in musical theatre shows, and earning two other A-levels alongside this.

Now based in Leeds mainly, she is dedicated to many projects, such as her own band, the Amelie Payne-Heneghan Quartet, the manager of the LCSU big band, being a part of the OKlm Trio, and most recently the Lottie Hood Nonet.