Galway singer-songwriter Partland has released his new single, Don't Shoot Me Those Baby Blues. We asked him the BIG questions . . .
Partland is the stage name of Thomas McPartland, who has gigged in Canada, Germany, France, Scotland and England, including support slots with Damien Dempsey, Ham Sandwich, Picturehouse and Heathers.
His first album, Sing Me to Shore, was released in Summer 2016 and his forthcoming album, The Empty Atlantic, will come with a video for each song.
Tell us three things about yourself?
Well, I've lived in Galway for 15 years, I moved up for college, but like many others, I fell in love with the city and found it impossible to leave. My favourite Beatle is Paul and my favourite kind of dog is all of them.
How would you describe your music?
I would describe it as singer songwriter folk but taking in a wide variety of influences. It's quite heart on sleeve, but I always try to keep it hopeful and bittersweet more so than sad.
Who are your musical inspirations?
90s rock would probably be my biggest influence as an era, but to name individual acts, I would say Nirvana, Elliott Smith, The Beatles, Radiohead, Simon and Garfunkel, Joni Mitchell and The Frames. And that's me trying to keep it short!
What was the first gig you ever went to?
The Frames in Marley Park in 2004. I was pretty tough, so I was allowed go on the condition my mother came too. We had a blast!
What was the first record you ever bought?
Nirvana's album Nevermind when I was 12. I had never really had an affinity for music until I heard Smells Like Teen Spirit on the radio, and it completely blew me away. I bought the album that weekend and fell headlong in love with it and music in general from then.
What's your favourite song right now?
My favourite song at the moment is Say Yes by Elliott Smith. It is the perfect pop song, heartfelt, catch and bittersweet. Locally, I would say Coasts by Galway songwriter Jack Lee, he's a very special talent.
Favourite lyric of all time?
Tough question! After a lot of thought, I think I would say this verse from Lost Forever And by the Guggenheim Grotto: 'What has love in store for me, Will it bring me to my knees? Show me how a mystic sees, Cos there’s so little I understand, From universe to grain of sand, And how she slipped from my fingers, Lost forever and...' I could say any line from that song, it's pure poetry. Simply stunning.
If you could only listen to one song for the rest of your life, what would it be?
It would probably be Say Yes as I mentioned above or Many of Horror (When We Collide) by Biffy Clyro. It's such a powerful song and always gives me strength when I need it, so I always find myself coming back to it.
Where can people find your music/more information?
My music is on Spotify and all other streaming services and you can find me on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.
