A soothing vocal tone familiar to many, singer songwriter Katie Gallagher (KTG ), continues to progress and evolve as a music artist, her prowess on an upward curve prior to the release of her second self-penned album 'The Long Road Home'.
The Athlone Community College teacher, whose effusively enriched sound enhances her recordings, spoke to the Athlone Advertiser this week, with regard to her passion for music and her aspirations for a career currently in the ascendancy.
Combining a unique voice with an eclectic guitar playing style, the Ballymahon native (23 ), has achieved iTunes chart success, notably with her single 'Blue' which placed number two in the singer-songwriter charts for a three week period in August of 2018.
Her debut mini-album 'Searching For Magpies' was released to much acclaim and afforded her a thirst for live performance, her 2018 nationwide tour, garnering creditable critical comment, as KTG established her sound on the Irish music scene.
Her passion for matters songwriting stemmed from her formative years as a drama student when the composition of plays was a regular occurrence.
"During my Transition Year, I started the songwriting experience, but it was not until my college years in DCU where I took the process more seriously.
" Inspiration comes from numerous life aspects and my initial songs were written in the third person perspective whereas when I am in creative mode currently, I now have the confidence to detail my personal experiences in my songwriting.
"Strangely, I don't record using the voice note method preferring to use video as it enables me to focus on the chords as I sing," Katie commented.
Her most recent release 'Do It Right' is laden with energy and with an uptempo vive is a removal from the ballad sound which tends to be favoured amongst female solo artists.
"My most recent songs have been upbeat. With lockdown in flow, I don't think my audience want to listen to slow songs, they need to be energised by music at this time," Katie remarked.
Her second album was due to be released imminently but the pandemic that is COVID-19 meant a rescheduling necessity.
"With COVID-19 still remaining prevalent in society, I sat down with my record label, Beardfire Music, and we decided upon a later in the year release, with a date in October now likely. However, I will release my third single from the album, 'Matches', in June," Katie continued.
Having performed at 'Sofar Sessions' in Madrid prior to the COVID-19 lockdown, Katie was immensely looking forward to the summer months with performances at a number of European festivals pencilled into her diary.
"Sadly, we have had to cancel a number of festival dates. Playing my music live is the ultimate privilege, it alolows me to grow as an artist and form a connection with the audience. Hopefully, I will have the experience again prior to the end of the year," Katie enthused.
With the prevalent sound of Irish artists gracing the airwaves and streaming charts, Katie certainly is in vaulted company with The Coronas an inspirationfor her music creativity, while internationally, One Republic are the flavour of choice.
"I am still evolving as a singer-songwriter and with a passion for music, hope that I can emulate such artists as my career progresses," Katie concluded.
