Track Of The Day 16/10 – Orla Gartland

'Pretending'

Orla Gartland is a name to remember.

The Dublin songwriter's work comes straight from the heart, confessional in tone and emotive in nature.

Already spoken about in hushed tones across Irish music, Orla's work is set to explode internationally in the coming months.

Out now, new single 'Pretending' is a clear line in the sand, a true statement – it's the first single from her forthcoming debut album, set to land in 2021.

Crunching indie rock with a soaring chorus, 'Pretending' puts us in mind of Sharon Van Etten or even The Big Moon, dominated by Orla's assured, impactful vocal.

A song about communication and the roles we play, it finds Orla Gartland searching for purity of expression.

“Conversations with strangers are exhausting when everyone's playing a part and God knows I've been guilty of it,” she explains. “‘Pretending’ is a song about being done with putting on an act for other people. I worked on the song a lot over lockdown and really valued the time I had to pour into it, though it did feel odd to work on a song about being at a party when parties feel like a distant memory.”

“I wanted the heart of the song to feel like you've separated yourself from the group and cut away all the chaos around you, only to be left with your own voice.”

Tune in now.

Join us on the ad-free creative social network Vero, as we get under the skin of global cultural happenings. Follow Clash Magazine as we skip merrily between clubs, concerts, interviews and photo shoots. Get backstage sneak peeks, exclusive content and access to Clash Live events and a true view into our world as the fun and games unfold.

 

-
Join the Clash mailing list for up to the minute music, fashion and film news.