This week, we caught up with Northern Irish Melodist, Fiona Harte to discuss what it was like playing in Nashville, the Northern Irish music scene and of course her single, Sugar Coating which was released last month! Have a read below now…
When did you discover your love for music? I first discovered music when my mum would play Dolly Parton records around the house and in the car. I grew up listening to a lot of country radio and I think that genre is really great for story telling and I suppose that’s what lead me to writing.
You are from Northern Ireland, what is the music scene like over there? The music scene here is really exciting and I think there’s something in the water in Northern Ireland in terms of story telling. A lot of my favourite songwriters are actually from Northern Ireland, Van Morrison and Foy Vance being two idols of mine. Currently there’s a wide range of genres and artists releasing music.
What local bands / musicians would you recommend us checking out? Some of my current favourites are Cherym, Travie The Native, Gemma Bradley and Connor Scott.
Your latest release, ‘Sugar Coating’ was released last month, what was the creative process behind it? I actually wrote the beginning of the song in my apartment in Nashville and the rest when I was home in Ireland during quarantine. The process has been pretty easy going to be honest. I don’t put too much pressure on myself and just sort of write and record when I am in the mood, usually late at night. I recorded a demo on garageband and sent it to Colm Mclean (a wonderful guitar player from Belfast) to play on it and it was done. It’s mixed by Pete Wallace.
Were there any musicians that helped influence the track? I would say Colm had a big influence on it as his playing is so unique, it brought the song to life for sure.
Our favourite track is ‘White Pickett Fence’ – what the influence behind the lyrics? Thank you 🙂 I wrote the song in Dublin after my friends who were a couple broke up. I too had just got out of a relationship and the message I was trying to portray was wanting an ex to feel remorse or regret about treating you a certain way.
You’ve previously performed in Nashville, USA – how was that? I love Nashville. The people there are so friendly and the audiences are always so attentive.
Has there been a particular gig that has stood out for you and if so why? I think the Blue Bird. Mainly because I love the show Nashville haha but also because so many legends have performed there. It’s definitely the most nervous I have ever been for a show.
What are your aims and ambitions for the future? I would love to release an album soon. I have an EP coming out over the next few months and the after that I would love to be gigging as much as possible!
CHECK OUT FIONA HARTE BELOW…
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/FionaHarteMusic/
TWITTER: @FIONAHARTE1
INSTAGRAM: @FIONAHARTE
The Music Files 