Interview with Willo Wonder

Interview with Willo Wonder

Welsh born, 19 year old singer Willo Wonder, who now lives in London, has been described as a 'glamorous rebel who pushes the boundaries of what society deems as acceptable' and when you listen to his music and see his unique style, it's hard to disagree.

When I was first exposed to Willo's music, it only took me a split second to know that I both wanted and needed to chat to him for my blog, simply because I knew he would stand out from the rest. Here's how it went!

"I have been singing for as long as I can remember. I was always taking part in school plays and concerts and have always been a performer. I took all my grades in classical music at school but was never allowed to do pop music until after I left. It wasn't until I attended Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts that my passion for songwriting was born. I was so inspired by the talents of the other students, that I decided that music is what I want to do for the rest of my life. So since then I have dedicated my life to creating music."

Interestingly, Willo's musical inspirations and influences are almost polar opposites and extremely broad but he believes he has found the perfect blend to create a genre specific to him.

"Well as I said, I did classical music all my life and I guess it must have rubbed off on me. I absolutely love orchestral arrangements in classical music but I had never really heard it in commercial pop music until I heard Florence & The Machine and Lana Del Rey. I wanted to create timeless music and something that also had a cinematic feel, so by looking at timeless composers and artists, I found that the music that has been popular forever, is not electronic or synth based music, but beautiful orchestral arrangements and film scores. I am so inspired and moved by orchestral music, that i wanted to mix it with pop melodies and find something truly unique. So by blending classical instruments and pop orchestration, I have found my genre of 'Orchestral Pop"

As well as taking inspiration from other music, Willo also believes that his own personal life experiences have helped him greatly in moulding him into the artist he has become.

"I have been imagining and creating my 'Willo Wonder' brand for as long as I have been able to sing. It was only at a few years ago when I realised exactly who i want to be as an artist. A big part of who is am artistically, is what i talk about in my songs. All my songs are very personal and some are very dark and discuss very tough times in my life. These experiences are the life behind my music and without them I would have nothing to write about. Every learning curve is a lesson and I have grown from these experiences and they have helped shape me into the artist you see today. So in essence, my life experiences have created 'Willo Wonder"

And the Willo Wonder that has been created is, as I said, that glamorous rebel that refuses to conform to society's expectations. As you read on, you will see that Willo's motives are extremely valid.

"I have always been a free spirit. I hate the idea of being conventional or fitting/blending in. I hope that in my music I can inspire people who are bound to social norms to live their true self. My image can be described as controversial because I am not dressing how a conventional man should. This upsets people, but i hope to bring understanding and tolerance into our society through my fearlessness and make people realise that being different can be revolutionary. I feel that my look can play to my advantage because there are thousands of people like me around the world who are to scared to be themselves and by seeing me do it, hopefully it will give them courage to be themselves."

A song that further drives home the point Willo makes above is his latest single 'Find Yourself'. I'll let Willo explain what it meant to him and how he hopes it will inspire others.

"Find Yourself' is extremely special to me as it shows exactly what kind of prejudice and intolerance i have been shown throughout my life and how I have made peace with it by accepting who I am and learning to love myself. When I was at school, people looked at me like i was an alien. They couldn't understand that a boy could dress this way or act this way. I used to cry myself to sleep at night listening to 'Beautiful' by Christina Aguilera because i was so ashamed of who i was. I never had a male role model in the music industry to look up to, to let me know that being different is ok. I wrote this song as a beacon of hope for young people all around the world who are lost and need reassurance to know that fitting in is not important. If I had heard this song when I was 14, my teenage years would have turned out very differently. I really hope that this song can inspire people to know that - being 'normal' is boring. Be a freak, be a loser. Just be whoever you want to be and be happy."

Willo Wonder is certainly a name and a face you won't be forgetting any time soon. Still only 19 years old, this artist has a huge career ahead of him and as JJ Kane from StickyToffee PR put it, 'Willo Wonder is an icon in the making.' But what has he got planned for the future?

"I am releasing my second single later this year called 'Bucket List' and my EP is to follow shortly after. After this EP, I will release another one next year. I am playing the Hub Festival in Cardiff on 29th August and I hope to have many more gigs coming up before the year comes to a close, so make sure you connect with me on my social media sites to see what I have coming up."

www.willowonder.com
www.facebook.com/willowonder
www.soundcloud.com/willowonder
www.twitter.com/willo_wonder
www.instagram.com/willo_wonder

EOIN!

Interview with Keith Plunkett

Interview with Keith Plunkett

The term 'rising star' is used so loosely in the music industry nowadays, but trust me when I say that Irish singer/songwriter Keith Plunkett is one of the country's hottest prospects.

At the tender age of 20, Keith has succeeded in mastering his own unique style of music and performance and has received widespread praise and recognition. 

I caught up with the Mayo man, who now resides in Dundalk, as we spoke on the set of his new music video for his original song 'Hold On', which I was delighted to be a part of!

"I started playing the guitar when I was about ten years old, and then two years later I took up singing and it developed from there. I come from a musical background so it was always going to be part of my life. I joined a band, which was great but it fizzled out when some of the lads went off to college, but I knew I wanted to continue singing and that's when I decided to go solo."

One can only assume that the transition from working in a band day in, day out, with other members to going completely solo can be a massive change. However, Keith believes that he found a nice balance between positives and difficulties of being a solo artist.

"Songwriting is definitely easier. I mean, I now get to write more about my own personal experiences, that I never would have written when I was in a band. Everything is entirely up to me. It is like self-employment, so I have to freedom to express myself, which I love."

Well one way that people can hear exactly how Keith expresses himself will be through his new EP which is set to be released in the near future. The name of the record is yet to be finalised but Keith is extremely excited about its release nonetheless. 

"I wrote most of the songs around last summertime, based on my life experiences, relationships and stuff like that. And I found writing this EP to be a great release, personally. Originally, we were going to call it 'Long Way Down EP' but when everything got recorded, I started leaning towards calling it 'Different Things EP'. We've only just finished recording it and we are delighted with how it went so I can't wait to get it out there and have people listen to it."

As I have already mentioned, this interview was conducted on the set of Keith's music video for 'Hold On', which was filmed around the streets of Kildare and predominantly in Alice's Restaurant, Naas. This track will also feature on his EP and my fat head will make an appearance in the video too! Keith hopes it will be released within the next month or two and he was really happy with how his first proper recorded video went.

"I loved every minute of it. It was amazing. I've done a few live videos before but I hadn't much experience in scripted videos and working on so many different scenes. Myself and Richard Kearney from Frame It Productions in Sallins met up for a coffee one day and went over a rough idea of how we wanted the video to go, and he went off and worked really hard on the detail of it with his intern Sarah and it all just fell into place from there, thankfully!"

But the hard work doesn't stop there for this artist, as he says himself, it's really only beginning!

"If all goes well, this EP will be out by September and then we plan on going on a little bit of an Irish tour, doing launches in different cities and towns. And also driving around the country in a little Volkswagen camper van and doing gigs and selling CDs from the back of that, so that should be great fun! And then hopefully, in a couple of months we are going to work with a producer in Poland, to get some ideas from him for my second EP and then we will work on releasing that!"

Keith is signed to DowndaRoad Productions and he believes the work of the company and in particular, Mike Gleeson, has had a huge affect on his career thus far.

"Before, I was completely on my own trying to promote myself, selling DIY CD's and handing out flyers on the streets for gigs that I was playing and that was really exhausting. Since Mike came on board with his label, it really has taken off for me. He works so hard, organising gigs and doing lots of promotional stuff behind the scenes. He's great!"

Now I want to cast your mind back to the beginning of this article. Remember I said that the term 'rising star' was thrown around aimlessly in the music industry these days? Well now I'm going to be a hypocrite, because I truly believe that Keith Plunkett is Ireland's rising star.

Check out his music, upcoming gigs, pictures, videos, bio and more
in the following ways!        

Twitter @keithplunkett1
Website www.keithplunkettmusic.com
Facebook /keithplunkettmusic

Also stop by his label www.downdaroad.com
And the company that made his music video www.frameitproductions.com
Finally, a massive thanks to Alice's Restaurant in Naas for their hospitality while the video was being made. P.S the sandwiches are gorgeous! www.alicesrestaurant.ie

EOIN!

Interview with Neon Wolf

Interview with Neon Wolf

Kilkenny band, Neon Wolf are certainly one of the busiest groups in Ireland at the moment. Between organising a mini tour, releasing a new single and playing numerous different festivals, I was surprised they even had the time to chat to me!

But nonetheless, I managed to catch up with band members Rob Grace and Stevie Cullen as we talked all things Neon Wolf-y, in order to give you a better insight into the life of this incredible group.

The band was formed back in 2010 as Joe Glynn, Lee Shanahan, Liam Doyle and of course Rob and Stevie all pooled their musical tastes and knowledge into one project. But with five different inputs, was it difficult to create that perfect sound? 

"Well the first rehearsal when we got together was pretty funny because we weren't really sure what we were doing and we just went for it! But after a while, we all just fell into our new roles and it felt right."

The lads have undoubtedly came up with their own unique style that makes them very different to a lot of other groups within the country, but what exactly is that style? I'll let Rob explain!

"I don't think we can be necessarily pigeon-holed, I don't think we're completely original but I do think we have a unique sound. When the songs were coming together with the last producer we were working with, we were kind of going 'where do we sit?', asking him in order to get an outsider's point of view and he said 'you kind of don't really sit anywhere!' and we were thinking 'Shit is that bad?!' but he told us that the bands that stand out are bands that aren't identical to others and we were happy with that."

And the band's sound certainly hasn't gone unnoticed in the industry as only two weeks ago, they were invited to play on the main stage at one of Ireland's landmark Summer festivals 'Longitude', something that humbled the guys a great deal.

"It was absolutely amazing. It was by far the biggest stage we had ever played on. Like, we were getting our gear all set up to perform and looking around us there was like 20-30 people working around us, which is something we had never experienced before. Also, the stage itself was massive! Sometimes I (Rob) like to jump off the stage if the crowd are into it, but I knew if I tried that at Longitude I would never get back up! But even after we performed it was still so surreal because we were watching Alt J and couldn't believe that we played on that exact stage."

And one of the songs that the guys played at Longitude was their new single 'A Place To Call Home' which was released on the 3rd of July. It was a long road to get the song perfected but the band feel it was worth it in the end.

"The general idea for the song came about roughly around two years ago, the bones of it were there. I mean, we have a bulk of songs that we wanted to record but we were just waiting for the right time. We were taken on by Big Life Management in February and that was really the start of us getting our music out there. Also a single's label in the UK called Killing Moon released the song for us across the water which was amazing because it was the first time we had ever released anything in the UK. And we've had an amazing reaction to it, which we are thrilled about."

Fans will have the chance to hear these songs live in the coming weeks as the band take off on a little mini tour playing at the following venues:

Saturday 1st August - Indiependence Music Festival, Mitchelstown, Co. Cork
Saturday 8th August - Eddie Murphy's, Thomastown, Co. Kilkenny
Friday 14th August - Koko, London
More dates TBA.

As you can see from the dates above, Neon Wolf will be returning to their home town to play a gig in Eddie Murphy's in Thomastown, something the guys are truly excited about.

"We only play in Thomastown about once or twice a year but this time it's different because we are playing in the beer garden which is a bigger area and we will have a couple of support acts too, so we are trying to turn it into a cracking night and we really can't wait! The locals at home have been incredible and their support is always 100% so that's why we are looking forward to giving something back!"

So with such a hectic schedule, you would feel the guys would be looking forward to some down time after all the gigs have been completed but when I suggested that, I was almost laughed at by Stevie and Rob! These guys don't want a break!

"Oh God no, we have literally just gotten the first taste of releasing our music and we loved it. We have a couple more tracks to record in the studio as soon as possible over in Manchester and this is all gearing towards our debut album, so hopefully that will be half our album done!" 

So no respite for the lads, but it seems as though they like it that way! They are certainly a group to keep an eye out for.

Twitter @neonwolfmusic
Website www.neonwolfmusic.com
Facebook /neonwolfmusic

EOIN!

Interview with Sean 'Neddy' Arkins of Original Rudeboys

Interview with Sean 'Neddy' Arkins of Original Rudeboys

I think it's fair to say that O.R.B have certainly established themselves as one of Ireland's most unique music groups, with a musical style that is very difficult to compare to. 

Comprising of three lads from Dublin - Sean Arkins, Robert Burch and Sean Walsh, the band have enjoyed notable success since coming to light in 2009, especially in Ireland and the UK.

I caught up with Sean Arkins to have a quick chat about the band's success and more!

"We all grew up in the same neighbourhood in Dublin's north inner city and attended the same schools at an early age. We played music solo for years while we were all friends and decided to come together randomly one night for what we thought would just be one song. We were very wrong!"

So the band was formed completely out of nowhere, in every sense of the phrase. Surely the lads never dreamed of becoming so successful?

"Like I said, we'd all been doing music as a hobby for years and kinda struck luck when we came together as a band and released our first song called "Stars In My Eyes" which quickly went viral. Before that there was a lot of attempts to get out there musically. We always aimed to make the best music we could and reach the biggest audience, To date we still do that but I think I speak for all members when I say we where all taken aback when the music started going viral and we were being offered shows and festival slots on some of the biggest stages in both the UK & Ireland."

Every band goes through good and bad stages in their respective careers, so I decided to put the question to the Dublin man, what did he feel were the highs and lows of O.R.B since their formation?

"The highlights would definitely be our first album going Platinum and getting an amazing response from our fans! Also winning Meteor's Song of the Year Award, being up against some huge Irish talent was great. As far as low points go we've been blessed to not have too many, I suppose making music and stressing over deadlines and stuff to do with the business side of it can be a bit boring at times."

For anyone who has ever been to an O.R.B concert, it certainly is an unforgettable experience. I have seen the guys live on a number of occasions and they truly are incredible. But what has been their favourite gig(s) and why?

"Personally, The Olympia in Dublin was amazing as it's a venue we all grew up attending other gigs at and we made it our own personal goal to headline there one day! To go on and not only headline it, but sell it out 5 times was mind boggling for us."

Speaking of gigs, Sean has some exciting news for the band's Irish fans!

"We're currently in the planning stages of an Irish Tour so stay posted on all our online sites for more info! For your readers from other countries, our two albums 'This Life' and 'All We Are' are available on iTunes, Spotify etc. You can also grab a physical copy in the likes of HMV, Golden Discs, Tower Records and Tesco."

So times are certainly exciting for not only the band, but fans too! If you haven't already checked the guys out, it would certainly be worth your while.

As I mentioned, they have adapted a very unique and diverse style of music, something that you probably will not have come across before!

Look them up on Youtube

Twitter @orbsofficial
Facebook /orbsofficial

EOIN!

Interview with Topi Latukka and Ossi Makela of Softengine

Interview with Topi Latukka and Ossi Makela of Softengine

Finnish alternative rock band 'Softengine' took the 2014 Eurovision in Copenhagen by storm when they represented their country with their self written song 'Something Better', earning them a very respectable 11th place finish in the Grand Final.

Now, just over one year on from the contest, the band are settling in to the life of stardom and are going from strength to strength, building up a very loyal fanbase, particularly at home in Finland.

I recently caught up with lead singer Topi Latukka and guitarist Ossi Makela for a quick Skype interview to find out what the guys have been getting up to!

But first... Let's hear about their Eurovision experience.

"It was crazy! But it was also incredible and so impressive. We were just a group of regular guys and all of a sudden we were performing on big stages and walking on red carpets. It was really different for us, but we really enjoyed it."

Softengine finished 3rd in the semi-final and then as I mentioned, 11th in the Grand Final, out of a total of 26 contestants, a feat that Topi and Ossi believe came as a massive surprise for the band.

"We didn't have any expectations at all going into the competition, so finishing 11th was a big surprise. We just wanted to perform really well, do our thing and then see what would happen!"

Since the Eurovision, the band have been working extremely hard on perfecting their music and promoting themselves. So they have been extremely busy!

"In October 2014, we released our debut album with Sony Music Finland called 'We Created The World'. It was really successful in Finland. We were surprised it went to well. So now we are recording our second album and a few weeks ago we released our first single called 'All About You and I'. We are releasing our second album in two parts, so we hope the first part will be out this October."

Obviously the album is the main focus for the band at this present time but they are full of energy and are currently on a tour around Finland.

"Yeah we are touring our home country at the minute and we are really enjoying that. The crowds are amazing! We have been playing in quite big clubs and at some festivals too. We were scared that people would think that we were just a Eurovision band but everything went well and everyone has been really supportive. We hope to maybe go to some other countries in Europe too! Maybe Germany? Germany is a possibility!" 

As I said, Softengine were signed to Sony Music Finland and the guys are really grateful for the work that they have done, in helping them become so successful.

"We are really lucky. Sony Music Finland does such a great job with our promotions, organising gigs and our merchandise. We sell t-shirts, bags, tank tops, sunglasses and stuff like that and fans can get these on our website!"

The ages of the band members range from 18-21 so they are still relatively young and they certainly have a huge career ahead of them. So what exactly do they plan on doing in the future?

"We would really like to become big all around Europe. Maybe do a tour and conquer the continent! We want people to look at us and say 'Okay, Finland can produce good music!' I mean, we were so young when we took part in Eurovision, we were really, really nervous. It was like a dream, but we loved it and we want to continue to create good music."

In truth, the Eurovision happened for the guys completely out of nowhere and it all happened so fast, so I jokingly asked the guys what their friends and family make of their new-found fame! I have to admit, Topi's answer made me laugh!

"They are really proud of us, but everyday my mom is like HOLY SHIT! So it is a little strange! But yeah, everyone is really happy for us!"

Well it certainly is the start of a promising career for this Finnish band and definitely a name to keep an eye on in the future, especially with their second album on the way.

You can contact the band on Twitter @softengineband
On Facebook - Softengine
Or on their website www.softengine.fi

EOIN!

Interview with Dermot Kennedy

Interview with Dermot Kennedy

Ah, street busking. Some do it as a hobby, others do it for the love.

While Irish busker Dermot Kennedy undoubtedly does it for both these things, he also has an added bonus behind it - to fund his debut record!

I recently caught up with the up and coming star as he talked to me about how he got involved in music, his debut album, becoming an internet sensation and more.

"Busking is something I first did when I was about 16. I remember I didn't have an amp, which is unusual these days for buskers, so I had to make sure I was heard above all the street noise. In terms of developing my voice back then I think it helped hugely. But it was never really just a hobby. Busking can be fun, and it saves me from having to get a 'normal' job, which is great because it means I can focus fully on my music. But I do it mainly with the aim of funding my original stuff, which is where my passion is. And it's great because I just finished recording my first few tracks which will be on my debut release, and they were paid for by busking! So I'm lucky that I can make a living in that way."

Although he had been performing for quite a while and managed to build up a number of followers on various different social media sites, Dermot truly came to light when a video of him delivering his rendition of Ed Sheeran's hit song 'Thinking Out Loud' went viral onlineand surpassed 1 million views on YouTube, something Dermot didn't expect in his wildest dreams.

"That video was taken when I was busking last year, by an American girl who was in Dublin for the Web Summit. It's amazing that so many people have viewed it. I suppose it helped that the girl who uploaded it had a pretty big following on YouTube already, and then that song was so insanely popular at that time too, so it just started racking up views pretty quickly. I got booked to play that song at a few weddings since then too, so that was a bonus. I really liked the song the first time I heard Ed Sheeran play it on Jools Holland, and so I learned it, and it paid off!"

Since then, Dermot has gone from strength to strength, continuing to busk on the streets but also sharing his own original songs which have gotten an incredibly positive response from very reputable names in the music industry. He has also worked on his debut album which he is very understandably excited about.

"I actually just finished in the studio. I was in Temple Lane Studios in Dublin recording some songs that are going to be on my first release. I recorded them with Michael Heffernan in there. He's great and I've worked with him before so it was great fun and went really well. I kind of started down the solo path last autumn, and I've had a lot of people let me know that it's high time I had my first proper release, even though my videos and live shows have gone extremely well. So early in July I set myself a goal of recording on July 20th, and then went busking a few times to raise the funds! It worked out really well, and I can't wait to be able to share what we created. "

As I mentioned, millions of people have seen his cover videos on YouTube from when he was busking but some may not be so familiar with his original pieces, so I put the question to Dermot, what can people expect from his album?

"I wanted to make songs that had a raw and earthy sound. I felt that, because I'd been gigging on my own since last year, the songs could stand up on their own. But I was also adamant that I didn't want to just make songs that were acoustic and nothing else. I think that definitely has its place, but I wanted to show that I'm capable of much more than that, and so I wanted to make songs that are strong in terms of their lyrics and their meaning, but I also wanted to make sure they were interesting musically. I had some great musicians who helped me out and who helped me achieve that. I didn't want the songs to lose their heart, but I didn't want them to just be acoustic songs either. I was trying to find a balance between well put-together and interesting music, and passionate songwriting, and I hope I did that!"

Everything happened relatively fast for the singer, between his videos becoming so popular, selling out numerous venues and working on an album, but what has been the highlight so far?

"My highlights would be a toss up between two gigs in the last while and are both actually quite closely connected.In December last year, I had invited Glen Hansard to a gig I was doing in the Unitarian Church in Dublin. He sadly couldn't make it because he was in Paris at the time, but he invited me to sing a song of my own on stage during his gig in Vicar Street a few days later. With about an hour left in his show he introduced me to the crowd and I walked on and played my song called "After Rain". The place was absolutely packed, and the crowd stayed so silent throughout the whole song, so it was unforgettable. I'll always admire Glen's generosity and his willingness to help people like me. He's a great example to musicians like myself, who will hopefully be able to do something like that for someone else someday. 
But while I was backstage at that gig, I was introduced to the man who made Glen's guitar. He was a Swiss man called René Reusser, and he told me that he puts on shows once a month in his guitar workshop in Brienz in Switzerland. He invited me to go over there to play a show, and it was an incredible experience. Brienz is in the Swiss Alps, and it was the most stunning place. As for the show, René works tirelessly to promote it, and so on the night there were 80 people crammed into his workshop! Which was absolutely amazing for my first gig overseas. I stayed with René while I was there, and I'm going back to play there next year, so I can't wait."

Obviously things really are beginning to take off for Dermot Kennedy but he knows he has his busking to thank for a lot of his success. He remembers what it was like for him as a 16 year old, trying to get noticed in the industry and he has this advice for aspiring artists and buskers.

"My advice to any buskers, or even any up and coming musicians, would be to work hard, and always stay true to yourself. Don't stray from your own path by trying to imitate someone else.
For buskers I think it's quite important to find a balance between standing up for yourself and being kind. There are plenty of other buskers out there who are great people, and who will do anything they can to help you or work with you. But there are others who don't have such a good attitude, and they're are the ones you need to stand up to. There are people who are territorial, and aggressive even at times, but if you stand your ground you'll be fine. And my advice to any musician is never slow down. Never stop writing, and creating art. Always strive to be the best you can be, and always keep passion in your work."

You can find Dermot on Facebook www.facebook.com/dermotkennedymusic
And on Twitter @dermkennedy
Also watch out for his Debut Album!

EOIN!

Interview with Lisa Canny

Interview with Lisa Canny

She was given her first banjo at the tender age of five after discovering she had a profound love for traditional Irish and folk music. She then went on to enjoy an illustrious early career with various different trad groups and bands, scooping numerous awards and worldwide recognition along the way.

But now, Mayo woman, Lisa Canny is focusing on her solo career, and has moved into a more contemporary and modern music style. But how did this transition all come about?

"I was a complete 'trad head' up until around the age of 18 or 19, entering into various different competitions and festivals across the country. But at the same time I was also influenced by the other side of me which loved the Spice Girls and Westlife but I just didn't think there was much demand for that kind of music up where I am from. But as I got older and began performing and writing my own songs I realised that it was more influenced by pop music than it was by traditional, so I just thought, why not? It seemed to be the style that fit me best."

One experience that certainly proved to be a major turning point for Lisa as she focused in on pop music occurred while she was performing with Celtic Crossroads in Los Angeles. She caught the attention of Miles Copeland (former manager of The Police) who invited her to take part in ASCAP's songwriting retreat in France, where she worked with some of the biggest songwriters, performers and producers in the music industry.

"It was one of the most incredible and surreal experiences ever. I met some incredible people and my first experience of songwriting was with the best in the world; the biggest songwriters, the biggest producers, who had written some of the biggest hits in the last decade and it really exposed me to the pop world and was a huge turning point in my transition. But that said, I still feel my music is still highly influenced by trad music so I feel as though there is a nice balance."

As I mentioned, Lisa was part of a traditional Irish music group called Celtic Crossroads, where she held a lead role. However, now, she has gone on a more independent venture in trying to establish herself and her name as a solo artist, which is indeed no mean feat.

"I found it difficult at the start. For me, it's like I'm starting from scratch. I am using the things I learned on tour with Celtic Crossroads to help me along of course but it's a totally different ball game. I'm promoting myself, trying to figure out what's the best way to do things, what's the best way to get bums on seats etc, so all those little management things that I never saw happen before proved to be pretty big challenges."

Ah but Lisa... Surely there are some positives too?!

"Oh, the rewards are so much greater because you pour your heart and soul into it. With Crossroads we may have had 3000 people in the audience but if I had 30 new people at a gig of mine, it would mean more to me. And also, it's such an amazing feeling to be getting my own creations and ideas out there for people to become familiar with. So while the rewards may be smaller, they certainly feel bigger for me personally."

Well one such creation that Lisa has come up with is her single entitled 'Lifeline' which she wrote with Jodi Marr, a songwriter who has worked with artists such as Mika, Paloma Faith and Ricky Martin. The song proved to be a huge success and did incredibly well in the charts, something that the Mayo woman was understandably thrilled with.

"I was really surprised at how well it did in the charts because I had just started out and I was sort of putting 'Lifeline' out there to establish myself as a pop artist. I did not expect it to get into the top ten in the charts at all! That was a big added bonus!"

Lisa has two gigs lined up in the coming weeks back in her home county. On Thursday 23rd July she will be playing The Westport Town Hall Theatre and on Friday August 7th she will be performing at the The Royal Theatre in Castlebar. But what does the solo artist have planned for the distant future?

"We have loads of plans in action actually. I'm signed to a publishing company in London called AbFab so I've been over there back and forth writing songs with different producers and writers constantly. So, the plan is that we are hoping to have an album out by this time next year, to be recorded hopefully next spring, but it's still a work in progress."

So her debut album is a work in progress. I'm sure it will be highly anticipated, but as Lisa jokingly said, "You can't rush a masterpiece Eoin!" 

What you can do however is check Lisa Canny's work out in the following ways:

Website: www.lisacanny.com
Facebook: Lisa Canny
YouTube: Lisa Canny
Twitter: @LisaCanny

EOIN!

Interview with Charlie Ferriday of 'Narrow Plains'.

Interview with Charlie Ferriday of 'Narrow Plains'

Narrow Plains are an acoustic band, based in London, formed after they self-recorded their debut EP entitled 'Somewhere in Between' back in 2012.

The group is comprised of Charlie Ferriday (guitar/vocals), Stuart Connick (drums/back up vocals) and Roger Connick (bass and back up vocals).

I recently caught up with lead singer Charlie Ferriday as we talked about their awards, debut album, where the band's name came from and how the guys manage to balance their music as well as maintaining full time jobs!

Narrow Plains have been on a steady rise upwards since the release of their debut EP some three years ago, which featured some incredible tracks. Despite the success, Charlie maintains that the band have kept their feet firmly fixed on the ground.

"We're not really sure our big break in music has come yet. We feel that we are still a work in progress. Our experience is that industry and mainstream recognition is a slow process and we feel that we just have to keep writing and performing good original music. We just hope that we keep getting new fans and followers and get invited to perform at great venues. Anything else is a bonus!"

Perhaps one occasion when the band could have been forgiven for getting carried away was in April when they were crowned the Hard Rock Rising winners in the The Hard Rock Cafe in London. A feat that Charlie, Stuart and Roger were understandably thrilled with.

Charlie described it as being "the world's biggest battle of the bands competition." He informed me that each city holds its own competition and around 300 acts signed up in London alone. Fans were then invited to vote online for their act to reach one of two live semi finals where they would then be judged by a panel of prestigious music judges and three acts are then invited back for the final.

"We were fortunate enough to be chosen as winners and it was an unbelievable evening that none of us will ever forget. We are so grateful to everyone who came along to see us for the semi final and final, and to anyone who supported us online with the voting stage. We were also delighted to play at such an iconic venue - The Hard Rock Cafe, London."

As I mentioned before, the guys have the rather difficult task of trying to balance their music with their own separate jobs too, especially now as they are working hard on a debut album!

"You're absolutely right. It's tough but we are pretty obsessive about our music so we just make time. I'm not really sure that we always strike a perfect balance but we just keep working at it." 

Point taken. The guys are extremely busy! But me being me decided to ask the question on whether or not they had any plans for gigs, tours, festivals etc. Surely Charlie was thinking "Aren't we busy enough?!" But to his credit, he kept his cool and told me all about their debut album. Phew!

"To be honest, we only have one main focus at the moment - finishing our debut album. Everything else is taking a back seat. We have signed an album deal with a Scottish indie label, Smart Indie, and we are working with Chris Daniels at his recording studio in Brighton."

Narrow Plains recorded their debut EP and single at Stuart and Roger's grandmother's house in Dorset! So Charlie says it is a welcome change to professionally record their album.

"After recording our EP and single on a shoestring, it's brilliant to have the chance to work with a real industry professional with great equipment. We have written a bunch of new songs and are beginning to get pretty excited with the way they are sounding!"

So the guys know just how difficult it can be starting out in the music industry, therefore, what advice would Charlie give to aspiring young artists?

"Just stick at what you do well and work as hard as you can at it! Also, accept any help that you get offered along the way!"

That's exactly what this band has done and they continue to succeed! There's no doubt that their fans are greatly anticipating the release of their new album. Whether you're a long term fan or just being exposed to these guys and you don't think you can wait until then, here is how you can check them out!

Website: www.narrowplains.com
Twitter: @NarrowPlains
Facebook: Narrow Plains

Their EP 'Somewhere in Between' and single 'So Rewind/Keep You Anyway' are available for download on iTunes, Amazon and most other online retailers. You can also view their videos on YouTube or stream their music on Spotify and Apple Music.

Watch this space.

EOIN!

Interview With Ryan O'Shaughnessy

Interview with Ryan O'Shaughnessy

Irish singer/songwriter Ryan O'Shaughnessy stormed onto the music scene back in 2012 when he wowed the Britain's Got Talent judges with his self written song entitled 'No Name'. 

O'Shaughnessy continued to impress throughout the show performing his own pieces including 'First Kiss' in the semi final and subsequently finished 5th in the Grand Final.

Since then, the Dublin man has enjoyed notable success, touring various different cities, playing numerous gigs and festivals and working on his own albums and EPs.

Speaking to me in an exclusive interview for 'View from the Stands' Ryan told me about his BGT experience and what he's been getting up to since then!

"Applying for the show was actually a funny story! After I finished school I went on a holiday with a bunch of my mates to Magaluf and I had basically just started songwriting at the time and never played any of my songs to anyone before but I played 'No Name' for a few of my friends when I was on holidays and they were like "Jesus Ryan where did you pull that out of?!", so they put me into it, they signed me up and I performed in Belfast first before they called me up and told me I had an audition in front of the judges over in Blackpool. And to be honest it all went extremely quick, I was in a constant state of shock because I never thought I would get that far."

I guess the saying 'What happens in Magaluf, stays in Magaluf' didn't apply in Ryan's case but it was definitely for the better! As he said, it all happened for him in an instant and before he knew it the show was over and he was left to find himself as an individual and a solo artist. He is currently over in Toronto, Canada at the moment working in various studios and also on a tour of the country.

"I actually decided to come over and visit my brother who lives over here because I hadn't seen him in a while and things worked out really well actually. I hooked up with a manager over here and he organised me some gigs for Canadian Music Week and some Irish Showcases. So everything just clicked so I'm going to stick around and continue to work on the album that I have been working on for the last two years and see if I can get anymore flavours for it this side of the ocean."

As is the case with many artists who take part in Talent Shows such as BGT etc, it is up to the singers themselves to progress and make opportunities for themselves to continue making music. However as Ryan will explain his experience was a little different when he finished on the show. 

"After Britain's Got Talent, I kind of fell on my feet because Sony picked me up to do a record, so I did my first EP which was really good for me. I mean, in 2012 alone, I must have played about 20 festivals in the UK and Ireland. But what happened then was, Sony said that they wanted me to write another album within a month, but for me, I couldn't write an album that quick and I basically said that I was going to sit back, enjoy myself and do a bit of travelling, take gigs as they come but more importantly make sure my debut album is a good one."

That lead me on nicely to my next question. When Ryan auditioned for Britain's Got Talent he was at the tender age of 19 having just finished secondary school in Ireland. Most of his friends went on to University while he was on the show. So... was he under pressure?

"Yeah definitely. I felt like I was under a lot of pressure simply because it happened so quickly. Everyday I had a long list of things to do, managers bringing me from place to place, interviews, all these kind of things, so yeah it was a lot of pressure, as well because I hadn't fully recognised the kind of artist I wanted to become."

But three years on, Ryan firmly believes he has now found his niche. And is thoroughly enjoying things over in Canada working with various different songwriters and is getting lots of studio time. And of course he is working on his debut album, which he hopes will be released in the near future.

He will be playing the following venues on these dates:

8th, 15th, 22nd, 29th July - The Cameron House Residency

25th, 26th July - The Beer Festival

Find him on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/MrRyanAcoustic?fref=ts

Follow him on Twitter @Ryan_Acoustic

Download his EP on iTunes and watch out for his debut album.

EOIN!

Interview with Danyl

Interview with Danyl

His X Factor audition has over 34 million views on YouTube and counting, Dannii Minogue described it as "the absolute perfect audition" and Simon Cowell claimed it was "single handedly the best first audition" he had ever heard.

I recently caught up with Danyl, the man behind this famous audition as he now focuses on his solo career, a new collaboration, charity work and much more.

But before we spoke about all that, I couldn't just brush over his outstanding rise to fame on Britain's top singing competition. He queued up for 18 hours some six years ago before walking out on stage and delivering a jaw dropping and exhilarating rendition of The Beatles classic 'With A Little Help From My Friends' and well, as they say... the rest is history!

Although Danyl is now beginning to come into his own as a solo and individual artist, he spoke of how highly he regarded the X Factor's role in his success.

"After time, you do kind of naturally separate yourself from the show, not on purpose of course, I'm really grateful because the X Factor kind of gives you your name and no one would ever know your name if it wasn't for the show.

I always find that when you do a show like X Factor it's really important to find out what sort of artist you are and what sort of music you fit into, in our year we had the likes of Olly Murs, Stacey Solomon and Joe McElderry and I knew exactly what kind of music they would fit into. I kind of felt like I knew what suited everyone else but not myself so Jamie Archer told me to watch my first audition again and told me that that was the type of performance that suited me."

Danyl then travelled to Nashville in the United States where he met with some songwriters and worked on various different projects which he claimed were great fun to be part of. He also admitted that after a show like the X Factor it is up to the individual to work hard for themselves and make the
opportunities come about and that can sometimes be difficult. That said, Danyl has just finished working on a brand new collaboration with Soshal:Swim called 'Coming Back'.



"I've been friends with one of the producers of Soshal:Swim for a very long time and I actually went to him with a track and asked him if he could lay down some vocals for it and he came back to me with a different track and asked me to lay down some vocals for that, which I did and all of a sudden the two producers Harry and Aaron were running away with it and yeah, the song is called 'Coming Back' and it's out on the 17th of July and available to pre-order from next week."

Danyl also revealed that he may be going back into the studio with other producers following the release of this track but I think we will keep that one on the down low and keep it as a surprise for his fans! As well as that, he hopes to do a couple of gigs in his hometown of Reading and then branch out to other venues as time goes on.

As I mentioned earlier, in his spare time, Danyl has worked tirelessly with a number of charities across the UK including a few projects with The Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust.

"That's one of the good things about doing the X Factor is people ask you to come along to different events and then what actually happens is you're not there because you're being paid or because you're forced to go but because you genuinely care. With Ellen MacArthur's Cancer Trust, what we do is we take children and young adults post cancer and bring them sailing for a week, teach them how to sail. And it's just the most amazing experience."

So there you have it. Danyl is Coming Back! Yes... That pun was intentional! Although he has been busy with different projects and busy doing charity work, Danyl firmly believes that his track with Soshal:Swim can be a huge stepping stone to bigger and better things. As he said, the track is officially released on July 17th but is available to pre-order even sooner.

Follow Danyl on Twitter: @DanylAJohnson
Like his page on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/danyl.music
And check out his track 'Coming Home' on YouTube!

EOIN!