It’s been a hot minute since we’ve had a new HOMETIME single. And then Christmas came, and with it we got a Holiday track, a then punched into 2023 with a new song, and now remixes!  So it is definitely the perfect time to catch up with one of our favourite artists and help readers and listeners get to know a little more about Irish singer, songwriter, and producer HOMETIME.

What first got you into music?
There was a strange itch to write – a tune going round and around my head, followed by phrases for lyrics. I finished the song in a day, singing it into a tape recorder at the back of my closet (hello, irony). I put it down to an adolescence spent consuming shiny pop.

Are you from a musical or artistic family?
Not at all! In fact, it even took UN-strength negotiations with my parents to get my first record player when I was 12.

Who are the artists that inspired you to make music?
ABBA and then Frida, when she went solo. It was a growing from pure pop to grittier, more left-field pop. The early 1980s were an absolute treasure trove of brilliantly inspiring pop: Yazoo, Eurythmics, Human League; Trevor Horn’s glorious productions with Dollar, ABC, Frankie; Bucks Fizz; Grace Jones; Communards, Bronski Beat; Pat Benatar; Duran, Spandau; Peter Gabriel; Kate Bush;  Belouis Some… Oh to have a time machine!

 How would you describe the music that you typically create?
No-nonsense pop. I try to keep the lyrics conversational, avoiding words I wouldn’t ordinarily speak. For instance, it’s long been a policy to not use the word ‘Baby’ in a song, unless it’s about an actual baby. That rule has finally been broken on the new single, though! Overall, I’m not especially bothered by trends (which may be a benefit of age?) and so I probably don’t “fit” with other pop acts. And that’s totally fine: I’m happy to do things at my pace, on my own terms.

How would you describe your creative process and how you approach?
It’s always been a hookline that first pops in my head. I’ll sing it over and over with dummy lyrics. If I can remember it later in the day (a mild acid test), I’ll record it on my phone. Then I’ll tease the melody out on a keyboard (badly! I really can’t play) and then, with a set of lyrics written, I’ll take it to someone like my friend/producer Sean Hurley, or my old songwriting partner, Gavin Murphy, to see if it can be improved. I usually have an idea of how I want it to sound, but the alchemy of studio work can often take things in another direction.

Who would be your dream artists to collaborate with?
I used to be able to answer this question easily: Alison Moyet, Frida, Trevor Horn (as a producer). They’d have been at the very top of the wishlist. The older I’ve gotten, the more terrified I’ve become that such a dream might ever come true. Those women would sing me off the planet and I think Mr. Horn would lock me out of the studio in sheer frustration!

Has your music style changed much since you first started creating music?
Oh gawd, yes! And it’s been a very necessary evolution. I’m still a pop tart at heart, but I’ve dabbled in other genres along the way. Sometimes because compromise was needed for a band or project, sometimes because I’d heard something new and thought I could do something worthwhile in that style. I had a horrible tendency to oversing and to overuse vibrato: I’ve reined all that in now. Also, my lyrics are better and more honest than the nursery-rhyme efforts of the early days.

If you could go open a show for any artist who would it be?
I honestly don’t know!

What is one message you would give to your fans?
Thank you both for the support. I’ll be home in time to make dinner.

What is the most useless talent you have?
I can fit my fist in my mouth.

Do you sing in the shower? What songs?
Yes! This morning it was Patsy Cline’s “Your Cheatin’ Heart”

What do you get up to when you’re not making music?
You mean apart from laundry, being a soccer mom, the school run and cooking? We have a 10-year-old son who’s our whole world and who, less poetically, is a fulltime job! I like to take photos, I read when I can and on rare occasions, I’ll even try to write a little prose (none of which I’ve ever properly finished).

Where are the kinds of venues you have performed in?
Mostly small, bar-type venues. That said, I played on two of our major theatre stages and managed to get a few TV slots back in the day.

What are your favourite and least favourite types of venues?
I prefer a stage or raised platform to playing on the same floor as the audience, because all you can see is the handful of faces immediately in front of you. I like to be able to see as many people as possible.

How do you feel the Internet has impacted the music business?
As one who started out before the internet, I am delighted that I can actually get music released completely independently. That’s the biggest change. We no longer need labels. We can usually find a way of getting a track to radio presenters (even if getting airplay remains a battle), we can get the music heard online, we can reach bloggers/reviewers. The downside is that earnings don’t exist – recouping recording costs has to be done in other ways, because streaming pays nothing. Listeners have been conditioned to expect music for free, no matter how much it costs the artist to create.

What is your favorite thing about making music?
Catharsis. I get to open my mouth and let my feelings out. My lyrics have sometimes served as letters I might otherwise have written. Passive-aggressive art for the win!!

What is your least favorite thing about making music?
My need to rely on other people to get things across the line. And the self-doubt. Every time I put something out there, I think I’m deluding myself, that I’m going to be horribly embarrassed by the reaction.

What is it about music that makes you feel passionate?
I’m not sure I can articulate this properly. I believe it can be powerful in connecting people with their feelings. And I don’t just mean the trauma and heartbreak side of things. Sometimes a pop song can lift someone with just a catchy hook or beat. For that reason, I absolutely despise musical snobbery: if someone else gets something from a song, you don’t need to sneer. That track probably took as much work and commitment as your miseryfest.

What is your favourite song to perform and why?
That would be my last single, “It Beats Living Alone.” It’s one I can get right inside of when I sing it. It was autobiographical when I wrote it, and I can revisit the time and feeling easily.

Which famous musicians do you admire?
ABBA, Alison Moyet, Peter Gabriel, Taylor Swift, Max Martin, Trevor Horn, Grace Jones, Quincy Jones. And Guy Garvey of Elbow – that voice! Those lyrics!! They all get the admiration and the love. There are others whose music I really admire without properly loving, if that makes sense. People whose talents I envy but whose music doesn’t connect in the same warm way.

Have you played any Pride festivals? What was the experience like??
I played two clubs and a live radio spot for Dublin Pride many years ago.

What is the best advice you’ve been given?
Never take a sleeping tablet and a laxative together.

How do practice you self-care while dealing with the challenges of the music industry?
I’m not very good at that. Being a one-man show, I have to stay on top of the admin and the feedback. It’s a bit like sitting behind a nig slingshot: you sling the music out there, but the elastic band slaps back, carrying a mix of the good and bad. While I’ve been very frustrated by the gaps between my releases, at least it gives me time to regroup afterwards. Also, at the start of this project, I was very clear with myself about what I wanted. I’m not aiming at world domination. I have no intention of striving to be the next Madonna/Ed Sheerin. This is for *me* – any good feedback or the occasional 50c in royalties is gravy.

Do you follow a process or ritual before a performance to get rid of nerves or performance anxiety?
Deep breathing, no alcohol, no big meals.

What advice would you give to someone staring out in music?
Listen to your gut. Be careful what you sign. Don’t take credit for someone else’s work and don’t let them take credit for yours. If it’s money, fame and groupies you’re after, try reality TV. Getting bitter will spoil it all. Enjoy yourself.

If you could change anything about the industry, what would it be?
A redesign of streaming that shows the artist some respect.

What does the next year look like for you?
My album will finally be finished (yikes, did I just jinx it?). I’ll spend the time trying to get it heard.

Describe your worst performance. What did you learn from this experience?
It was a nightclub performance of Sheena Easton’s “Do It For Love” many moons ago. What did I learn from this experience? The first time is when the mistakes feel bigger. And make sure you have a song you can properly connect with.

If you were stranded on an island and could only have one album with you, which one would it be and why?
ABBA’s “The Visitors”

Any final comments?
There may be some worth in exploring whether navigating the music biz requires extra/different skills for queers. I started out when any mention of it would have shut EVERY door in my face. I’d be curious to see how others approach it.