I have the pleasure of chatting with Padraig Fitzsimons on the day before the release of his first single ‘memories’. The 12th of October is a big day for him and us too – we get to listen to his unique style and voice as he shares his platform with us: strong, bold vocals with meaningful lyrics. This emerging artist who performs in Belfast has followed his instincts and created his own music. He is clear that there is no compromise – being true to his self as a musician is at the heart of his gigs and songs.
From a visual perspective you could be forgiven for thinking squeaky clean boy-band persona. Think again though as you hear his rough, deep and convincing voice, clearly influenced by Snow Patrol. However, make no mistake, Padraig is not only portraying other artists, which he does with flair but has found his own voice within the Belfast scene. His appeal is wide – and his debut single ‘memories’ comes with poignant lyrics and feeling. He chats about his views on music, the X factor and future plans.
Why is music important to you?
Music has always played a great role in my life. Through the good and bad times, music has always been a source of comfort – as I am sure it is for many people. Personally, I feel a strong connection with music and, when a great song makes itself known to me, I tend to get goose bumps – almost as if I have some sort of ‘radar’. Music allows me to experience how another person may be feeling, or it may allow me to express how I feel. I believe music is the universal language we can all speak and through this we can encourage positivity and peace on a global scale.
What do you think of today’s music scene?
The contemporary music scene is one of diversity and positivity; however, I often find with so many big names on the scene that there is a tendency for audiences to forget/ignore the smaller musicians. One particular scene I find intriguing is the Irish music scene. In Ireland, we have such a range of diverse artists from the Traditional Folk genre to Deep Americana – bearing in mind that the latter is something I only discovered recently. Even though the scene is diverse, you can be sure that Irish artists are always willing to support one another regardless of what genre or background the artist may devolve from. Building on this community spirit is something I feel could be done in many other regions, and quite frankly I believe there should be more collaboration between those bigger artists who can help support and expose the smaller names.
Is your music for everyone or aimed at a particular audience?
I don’t think my music is aimed at any particular audience, I would like to think that I try to cater for everyone. Judging from people I have spoken to who enjoy my music and looking at different figures, it seems my tracks produce well for a mixed gender audience between the ages of 18-50 and possibly older. I have also discovered that many of my listeners have different tastes in music, and so the diversity in those who like different genres is great – but I feel privileged that these people are able to find something common in my sound.
What is your opinion on talent shows, such as The X Factor?
Personally, I don’t like them as much as I would have a good few years back. When in school, I competed in talent shows – this was one of the first times I realised I wanted to be a musician – and I loved it. The fact that people actually enjoyed what I did on stage gave me more food for thought and I loved getting involved in these shows because they had such a community spirit to them. I can’t say whether that is the case for these mainstream competitions, such as The X Factor and The Voice. Over time, I found the shows to be quite repetitive and, in the end, I got bored of watching them. I give absolute credit to anyone who has the confidence to try out for a show like that, because it’s tough. Musicians I have known in the past have gone to the preliminary auditions (before you see on TV) and were told they were not good enough; however, they had such powerful talents and I don’t see why they were turned away. I would say that these shows are unique in their own ways and they have definitely produced some amazing talents, if not showcased some.
What are the biggest obstacles young musicians face today?
As a young musician myself, I would have found myself feeling like I did not have a voice or say. To be completely honest, there are some incredible young artists out there who I just think are not taken seriously enough when it comes to developing their music. Often, we see these big music personalities discard young artists because they may be inexperienced, but I wish those people could take a moment to realise the potential behind a young person who is trying to develop their talent. I always say practice makes perfect, and it really does. Take Ed Sheeran for example, he even claims himself that his voice wasn’t the best when he started out in his early career, but with more and more practice and some vocal coaching, it has obviously reached the familiar sound that we hear on a daily basis. I am a huge advocate for education, so I would be firstly inclined to suggest finishing your education; however, practicing and developing your craft as a hobby may just give you that head start when you complete your education.
Is there someone who pushed you to create music, like a mentor/music teacher?
I can’t say there is just a single individual who has pushed me to continue to create my music, there are so many family members and friends who provide a stable support base for me and they are the constant network I have to drive me forward. However, my love for singing really only began to flourish when I was about 13/14 years old. I developed a great love and passion for music at this point in my life and that was mostly through the inspiration of my two music teachers at secondary school in Belfast. Dawn Bamber, and Mairead Healy, are the two women that I would say really supported me through my education, in terms of music, and I couldn’t thank them enough for their continued support to this day. By getting involved in those talent competitions and drama performances I was able to develop my confidence and voice – that all being able to happen because of these two wonderful souls.
Tell us about your hometown. Is music important there?
I suppose I should begin by saying that I live in Belfast! The answer to the second part of that question is ‘YES’. If you aren’t aware of the vibrant music scene, not only in Belfast but in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland as a whole, I think you are going to have to make yourself aware after this. We have some of the most incredible artists, from names such as Snow Patrol and Van Morrison to new and upcoming artists like Catherine McGrath, Ciaran Lavery, Ethan Hanna and so much more. You’ll find open mic nights and gigs on in Belfast almost every day of the week and there are plenty of casual musicians to those who are trying to expose their sound. As well as these, you have artists from the Republic of Ireland who are influences of my own – such as The Coronas, Picture This, Christy Moore, The Script and U2 to name only a few. I highly suggest if you aren’t aware of these artists to go and check out their music – you might just fall in love.
How do you envisage the future of your music?
In thinking about the future of my own music, I would like to envisage myself having been on or doing a tour across Ireland, the UK and possibly some European locations within the next five years. At the moment, I am currently building a great fan-base in Europe and the USA so that is something I would like to continue to do in order to tell the world my story and share with them my experiences through song. My current genre is a mix between pop, rock, country and folk so I would like to keep a consistent track record of that style for the moment, and I am looking forward to releasing more tracks over the next year in the hopes that there will be an album produced with these tracks on it.
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