St. Bishop has been taking the Irish music scene by storm with their signature style of ‘crying on the dancefloor anthems’.
Get ready to move on this Monday morning with our Track of the Week, ‘Talking To You’. Take a listen and discover more about the track below.
Describe your new track in three words…
Bold, textured and confident.
What inspired you when writing this track?
The original subject matter was inspired by someone being unfaithful in a relationship. A friend of mine went through a pretty rough break-up, and I decided to write a song from their perspective. Break-ups can be a long and enduring process, and it takes a great deal of self-worth and perseverance to stand up for yourself when you have been wronged in that way.
That is what sparked the original idea, and then while writing it, I kind of blended that theme with some of my own experiences in relationships, and the result was ‘Talking To You’.
Are there any artists that inspire you when writing?
I am a big fan of the pop duo Joan. They are based in Little Rock, Arkansas and make wonderful music. Their lyrics perfectly capture moments in time, and their production is on another level.
I have also been massively inspired by Troye Sivan, Jordan Rakei and Nao.
What would you say makes your music unique?
Hmm, I guess it is the sincere nature of the writing. However, I enjoy writing about heartfelt issues and moments that have tested my personal growth. I also enjoy writing about the mundanity of life and the beauty in everyday boring life experiences. I have a song called Cups & Plates, which is essentially about me being a slob and not cleaning my bedroom, and when I performed it the other night in The Workman’s Club, it got such a great reaction. People love hearing about topics that they can relate to.
Other aspects that make the project unique are my live shows and on-stage persona. It is something I have worked on for years, and for me, the performance outlet of the project is where I fully express myself and the meaning behind my songs.
Do you have a process you follow when writing a song?
Often, I’ll make or find a beat that I like and will just adlib over it, running over different melody combinations until I find something that sticks Then, I will go in and write lyrics to those melodies. It depends, and each song differs, but for the most part everything stems from the vocal melody and builds from there.
I have had the pleasure of collaborating with some incredible musicians & producers over the years. They have massively helped shape the St. Bishop sound. Fellow BIMM Dublin alumni Sean Behan and Alex O’Keeffe, Co-founder of VETA as well as Matt Harris and mixing engineer Stephen Lovatt.
How has studying at BIMM helped you develop as an artist?
Studying at BIMM Dublin enabled me to see how the industry works. It armed me with the necessary skills to launch my career and develop as an artist and gave me the confidence I needed to just go for it.
One of the biggest takeaways for me was the network of people I was automatically given access to. My classmates, lecturers and other college staff members formed the foundations of the project and have always been there to support me, even in the years after graduating.
BIMM really does a great job of putting you in a position where you can thrive if you decide to work hard and make the most of it.
What’s next for you?
‘Talking To You’ is the first single off of my upcoming EP. The next one arrives later this year and the full project will be revealed in early 2022.
Other plans outside of the EP are to keep writing, collaborating and developing as a vocalist and songwriter. I am so happy that we are now in a position to gig again, so trust me, there will be plenty of great nights in our future.
