Had the pleasure of getting to interview a good friend of mine, Graham O’Hara. Fresh from releasing his Debut single, Graham gave me a fantastic insight into the origins of the love of music, the struggles and joy of a new artist breaking into the music industry and the anticipation of the Post Covid irish music Scene. We talk about the importance of being active on social media and staying healthy during Lockdown. A great guy with a bright future and an eclectic music taste !
Grahams debut single ”Unless I Say” is available to stream on Spotify.
R0:Can you tell me how you began playing and writing? Was it always something you wanted to do?
GOH: I began playing guitar because my Dad did. I wanted to be like him. Thing is (and he’ll be the first to admit this) he’s an awful teacher! He started with Stairway to Heaven (no joke!) and got frustrated when I didn’t grasp it straight away. We managed to tone it back a bit and found our level and I went from there. My playing grew then and the first time I joined a band was in secondary school. We started writing songs that were these little mini versions of our favourite bands (Black Sabbath at the time) and I personally found creating music to be so energizing. When I was able to convey a message through it with lyrics, I was invested. I kept writing after that, always trying to progress, grow and learn. I would try to write concept albums, musicals, love songs, bangers, two minute punk songs, epics – everything! It was an education in itself. In college, I joined up with other bands and opened myself up to more diverse musical influences. You learn so much when you expand your horizons and that includes working with other people and their ways of working. That experience is incredible because of the connections you make with people, all tied to the output – your songs. Now I write alone but still bounce the different iterations of those songs off friends with whom I’ve made music and who understand my goals. It’s lonely at times but I’ve learned how to navigate it to a large extent. I know when to venture out to trusted ears and when to keep it to myself!
R0: Who are you most influenced by? How does this reflect on how you see your work?
GOH: I’ve had a wide range of influences. My parents always played the likes of Crowded House, R.E.M, The Eagles and Sting when I was younger and I carried those bands through to adulthood. Their songs took on different meanings as I got older and began to understand them more, both musically and otherwise. Now, my main influences include Theo Katzman, Tool, John Mayer and Paul Simon.
Crowded House would still be my top influence however – they are an incredible musical force mainly for their lyrics, melody and song structures. That is what I aim to emulate. The ‘By The Way’ album by the Red Hot Chili Peppers was another moment that drew me in on these terms. I get a sense that John Frusciante was in a creative frenzy at the time and you can hear it in the wild structure of some of the songs that have parts and progressions that are hard to define. There’s a definite freedom to it all and that the band coalesced to a flow where it all made sense is utterly amazing.
In terms of my own work then, I try to take something from everything I listen to and won’t stop with a song until it feels right. Maybe that’s a luxury I’ll lose as I start to put out songs and (hopefully) begin to have to meet self-imposed deadlines or even expectations. However, the influences that resonate the most are the ones that defied expectations and/or broke new ground and that takes bravery.
R0: I am always interested to find out more about artists song writing process, Can you tell me how you go about it. You’ve just released your debut song ‘’Unless I Say’’, how long was this in the works for, What was the reaction following this release?
GOH: On the writing process, ‘Unless I Say’ took a few years and started when I picked up a new guitar picking technique which is prevalent on the acoustic guitar in the intro and throughout the song. I loved the odd voicing in the chords and how it progresses through the pre-chorus only to resolve in the chorus with this powerful musical statement. That developed with the lyrics which were written at various times when I was experiencing different challenges. I found the outcome of a lot of these challenges lay within my grasp to some degree. That, or else I learned to identify what I could influence and how to ‘control the controllables’ (to borrow a sporting phrase). This formed the basis of the lyrics and fit squarely with the mood of the song – one that musically seems to grow out of darkness and stand tall. I was getting frustrated with my place in music – anonymous and quiet all because I was sitting at home afraid to share my voice. Nothing will happen ‘Unless I Say’!
This song and a few others have been in the works for a few years while I worked out my sound and on my confidence to share it. The reaction to the song has been amazing! Friends and family really showed up and shared it outside of their circles. I’m still getting forwarded messages back with positive words. I’m really lucky and appreciative of it all. As someone who hasn’t ventured into the live scene by himself or built a following in any way before this, I’m excited to build on this now.
R0: For most acts playing live is critical for building a fan base and generating momentum, Is this something you are looking forward to? Do you prefer performing or recording ?
GOH:Definitely! Writing, recording and producing songs is such an exciting thing to do but to then bring those songs to life on stage is the next level and I’m really looking forward to doing that! My experience performing has generally been with bands as a guitarist – now I’m ready to lead that performance. There’s a lot to do now for all of us to get to that point where we’re playing live or attending shows again and I can’t wait to be part of it!
R0: How have you been dealing with being in Isolation? Is it giving you more time to be creative?
GOH: It has and it hasn’t. I’m lucky in that myself and my girlfriend moved in with my parents to save money a few months ago and so when lockdown came, we were in good company. I used the opportunity to focus on music as much as possible and to a large extent, my productivity has shot up because of it. However, the creativity side has almost decreased inversely as routine and boredom set in. I’m sure once seeing friends and having plans becomes a thing again, the creativity will come back.
R0: What is your opinion of the importance of Social Media for Artists especially for new artists like yourself? Do you enjoy it or find it a necessary evil?
GOH: I have watched lots of artists, who were relevant before social media was a thing adapt to it with ease. So as a fan of music, it’s been a revelation. The internet and social media alike have given us unprecedented access to our favourite artists. Those artists in turn have utilised social media to connect with audiences and accent their music with more personality than they could in the past. However, I’m not someone who is naturally confident with these things and to date my social media strategy has been entirely researched and heavily advised. I do enjoy the creativity of it and developing a media/marketing element to a song as an extension of the message is enjoyable but developing post schedules etc. feels strange to me. It’s definitely a necessary tool for growing your audience and I’m sure I’ll find my voice with it in time.
R0: Even at this early stage of your career, what would you like to see changed about the music industry specifically in Ireland.
GOH: Admittedly, I don’t know enough about the Irish music industry and it’s inner workings to answer this. Chances are, those who were familiar with it before COVID will initially find it difficult to navigate as we establish what normal looks like for us all. That could be an advantage to new and emerging artists as we all collectively shape how we consume live entertainment as a society again. What I want to see at this stage is access for everyone to be heard through continually evolving mediums and support from state bodies down to individuals who can support by just lending their ears for a minute. Again, this isn’t based on experience, just principles I would imagine we would all like to see maintained.
R0: Whats on your playlists at the moment (What are you listening to, what artist are you into lately? Any bands/artists you’d like to give a shoutout to)
GOH: My top lockdown songs have been:
- Billy Joel – And So It Goes
- Theo Katzman – What Did You Mean (When You Said Love)
- Tool – Pneuma
- Elina Filice – Thinking Of You
- Mykaela McQueen – Alive
It’s some array of old and new. Theo Katzman and Tool both released new music before COVID and both are masterpieces in their own right. I’m a massive fan of both for different reasons and have them on rotation fairly evenly. The Billy Joel song came on my radar from watching Ricky Gervais’ ‘Afterlife’ on Netflix. It’s a gorgeous song about emotional walls and vulnerability. The tune stuck in my head for days and I find myself singing it often.
Elina Filice released ‘Thinking Of You’ last month and the song is huge. Elina is a great character, really cool and this song just exemplifies that. It’s best consumed on a sunny day with a lime based alcoholic drink.
I can’t remember how I came across Mykaela McQueen’s music but she has a beautiful voice and a way with an arrangement. Her style would be quite laid back, bare, simple and always grabs me. Would strongly recommend giving her a listen.
R0: We have all have a lot of free time lately, when you aren’t working on Music what do you like to do? (Any favourite Isolation Movies/Tv Shows/Books)
GOH: Before lockdown I would cycle to work every day and go to the gym about 3-4 times a week so with that gone all of a sudden, I took up a lesser known hobby called ‘running’ and am aiming to complete something called a ‘10k’.
In terms of TV and books, I’ve been trying to keep abreast of what has been going on in the USA with regards to George Floyd and the Black Lives Matters movement. I know so little about the issues that are being protested at the moment and so I’m determined to read up on them. ‘The 13th’ on Netflix was an amazing eye-opener to the continued experience of black people in the United States and from that I started reading the book of one of the contributors to that documentary, Michelle Alexander’s ‘The New Jim Crow’. There are many issues at play here and so much history behind them and I think we all have a duty to properly inform ourselves on it.
R0: What should we expect from Graham O’Hara in the upcoming year??
GOH: More songs, a poorly run social media presence with awkward content and gigs wherever I can get them. If you run a blog, a playlist or are someone in the music industry I will no doubt end up in your inbox and/or DM’s!
I just want to release music and make up for some lost time. I’ve a feeling the music scene will change post-COVID and I have no idea what it will look like but I am determined to be part of it.
Check out Graham O’Hara on all the social media platforms and give ”Unless I say” a spin on Spotify
-R0
RØ 