Hiya Gerr, thanks for joining us in the virtual RGM lounge today. Grab a brew and take a seat.
What made you decide that music is a thing for you?
I was at a party in my early teens, everyone was being very awkward and teenagey, a friend of mine took out his guitar and started singing a song and suddenly the room was changed, the air was transformed and I saw the power and magic that music holds over us and I decided that I wanted to wield some that magic.
Introduce us to you and your musical history.
I’m a singer songwriter from Dublin, been writing songs since I was a young lad but I started doing it seriously about 15 years ago. I released my debut EP ‘Prevailing Winds’ in 2016, a collection of indie folk songs and then my debut album ‘Ghosts of Hope & Magic’ in 2021 which got a nice bit of radio play on local and national stations. Since then I’ve been gigging sporadically around the country and playing with some well known Irish artists – Gemma Hayes, Paddy Casey, Joe Chester. I’m currently working on a new collection of songs which I’ll release as an album in September 2025. My songs have been compared to The Blue Nile, Prefab Sprout and Elbow.
What’s the live music scene like in your city right now? Anyone we should be looking out for (bar you, of course)?
There’s a gig on most nights in Dublin City if you want to check something out so it’s a healthy scene but not as good as it used to be, I think covid had an effect on venues and younger acts and music fans have lost out a bit. There has been a huge explosion of incredible new acts from Ireland recently, I love Soda Blonde, Niamh Regan and Oisín Leech.
I’ve seen a lot of people struggling for support recently online. What’s your view on the industry, where it’s at and where it’s going for independent artists?
I think the industry is whatever we make it. In the past there were gatekeepers for labels and only a handful of people got the attention, these days the floodgates have opened and music lovers can get their new music from any number of channels (Including RGM!) so it’s good in a way but it’s kind of like the wild west so you never know what’s going to explode, you just do your best and believe in your art and hope you can connect with enough listeners to make an impact.
Where do you feel you currently sit within the music industry?
If the industry is a kingdom I am most likely a serf but I’m cool with that, serf’s up!
Tell us two truths and a lie about you.
1. I love dogs (my debut album has an illustration of my dog on it)
2. I have an extra nipple like Scaramanga in The Man with the Golden Gun
3. In 2022 the actor Robert Carlyle tweeted my song ‘Strays’ and included it on his ‘Top 50 Tunes of 2022’ playlist.
Do you ever worry about people taking things the wrong way or cancel culture? Discuss….
All art is consumed by the heart, you can’t plan for that, if someone interprets my lyrics in a different way that’s absolutely fine. Cancel culture seems to be more about celebrity and fame which doesn’t interest me very much.
Do you subscribe to any conspiracy theories? If not, why not?
Conspiracy theories make life more fun so I’ve no problem with them. I just don’t take them too seriously, if I was pushed I’d go for a Sasquatch/Alien Abduction combo.
What was your best experience on stage?
Opening up for the amazing Gemma Hayes at the Spirit Store in Dundalk, a gorgeous venue and a beautiful crowd.
What was your worst experience on stage?
Playing on a one metre square stage with no soundcheck to an uninterested audience and a bloke in the front row who constantly looked like he wanted to murder me.
Tell us something about you that you think people would be surprised about.
I’d prefer a walk in a forest to a pint in a noisy pub or a club.
What are the next steps you plan to take as an artist to reach the next level?
I plan to release my second album in September, play a load of gigs around Ireland and the UK for the next year, see what happens and enjoy the ride!
I hear you have new music. What can you tell us about it?
My new single ‘When the stars don’t work’ is out on Friday February 21st. It’s a catchy little indie folk number with a lush pop sound radiating through it. The song is about finding the connections with lost loved ones and how that informs your own life on this planet.
What was the recording process like?
The making of the first album had a kind of self imposed pressure to it as I wanted to come out of the studio with a complete album, this time round was more relaxed and it has been patched together over 18 months of sporadic studio visits to Audioland Studios (just outside Dublin). I surrounded myself with world class musicians, Adam Marcello on Drums (Katy Perry), Keith Duffy on Bass (The Corrs) and Max Greenwood on keys (Tom Baxter, Jerry Fish) and the wonderful singer Naimee Coleman helping out on backing vocals. We did a number of sessions as a band, got the basics down and I’ve been dipping in every few weeks since to finish off each song with Anthony Gibney at the desk making sure I’m doing it right.
What was the biggest learning curve in writing the new tunes?
I’m constantly learning and that’s what makes it fun, there will always be some kind of barrier between you and getting a song over the line and you just have to accept that the road to the end of a piece of art is very rarely straight. The new single started out as a choppy indie rock number but eventually turned into a more chilled lo-fi indie folk sound, you have to allow the song to reveal itself.
Would you change anything now that it’s finished?
I always would, but never should.
Is there anything else you would like to share with the world?
I’ll have a brand new album out in September and I hope to get over to the UK to do a few gigs so watch out for that too!
Thanks for doing us today, Gerr.
You’re very welcome, thanks for having me.
FOLLOW HIM HERE
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