His debut single Happy Place is rightfully making waves across the scene – 19 year old Oisin leads with a level of optimism and musical embrace that’s refreshingly pure and naturally memorable.
We caught an interview with the artist and songwriter to find out more about the track and his journey so far in music. Here’s the conversation in full.
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Hi Oisin – hope all’s well! Love new single, a debut but far from your introduction to music – how long have you been working on your craft, and who or what first inspired you to start?
I have been singing from a very young age but I think I was 15 when I first started writing songs and started thinking about taking music seriously.
Initially I was really inspired by artists like Adele and Birdy. The vulnerability displayed in their music really resonated with me and made me want to go to my piano and try telling my own stories through song.
What does the song Happy Place represent, and is this typical of the style we can expect from you?
Happy Place represents healing and that liberating feeling of leaving behind and moving on from hard times.
I write about a wide range of topics but mental health is definitely a recurring theme. I tend to dive into the sorrowful side of mental health a bit more, but I think it’s also important to acknowledge and appreciate happiness and I’m glad we were able to do that with this song in particular.
What’s the live show set-up like for this kind of song – solo acoustic, backing track, or a full band?
The cool thing about this song is I feel it can be performed in many different ways. I can imagine it with a full band but also stripped back with just vocal and piano. I would especially love to hear a choir singing this song!
How did you come up with the lyrics, and do you read much poetry or take influence from any other art forms?
When writing Happy Place, we really weren’t trying to overthink things lyrically. The process felt very fluid and the lyrics just came quite naturally with the energy we had going in the room. It was actually a pretty quick session!
I sometimes take inspiration from watching Film/TV. I think it does have to be something highly emotional and intense for me to feel inspired to write, but sometimes a particular storyline, scene or even character can really have an impact on me.
How did you catch the attention of EP Entertainment, and what’s it been like working with them?
In 2019 , a cover of Needy by Ariana Grande I had posted on YouTube caught the attention of Korinne Perez, the head of A&R at EP Entertainment. She reached out to me and asked about potentially working with me and I was over the moon!
From the get-go they have been so supportive and encouraging as I’ve been developing as an artist. I’m extremely passionate about what I do, and they are always so understanding and respectful of my vision.
What’s next for you?
I have a lot more music on the way! I’m constantly writing and working at producing and the idea of putting together an album one day really excites me!
Is there anything else we should know?
I’m really looking forward to showcasing my music in different ways. I can’t wait to be able to tour and really bring it to life on stage hopefully in the near future. Along with that, creating visuals for my songs is something I’ve always dreamt of doing!
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Check out Oisin on Instagram.
