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Every Monday we will be bringing you interviews with UK or Ireland artists for Independent Music Monday. Recently we caught up with Belfast artist AOIBHA to find out more…

Where are you from and how did you first get into music?
Belfast. There was always music playing at home when I was growing up, with different family members playing different instruments. I was introduced to lots of types of music from a young age including classical, traditional, folk and pop music. Throughout school I was involved in choirs, orchestras and was trained in viola, piano and singing. I started songwriting when I was about 12 and never stopped.

Who were your musical influences when you were growing up and who are your influences now?
I listened to a lot of Joni Mitchell and Carole King growing up, largely thanks to my dad who was always playing their CDs in the car. My main influences now are Phoebe Bridgers, Joni Mitchell and Madison Cunningham.

How would you describe your sound?
My sound has been described by others as ‘low-key yet intense’ and I think that sums it up quite well! It’s firmly positioned in the indie-folk-pop space, with some songs leaning more towards indie-folk and others leaning more towards indie-pop. My music is quite moody, lo-fi and mellow, largely because that’s the type of music I enjoy listening to. The focal point of my music is the lyrics and vocal and I love using songs to tell stories and express myself in a way that feels truly authentic.

What is your latest release called and what was the influence behind it?
My latest release is my debut EP which is called ‘Insignificance’ and it’s all about zooming out and finding perspective in a fast-moving world. While writing it, I became fascinated by the idea that we are all so significant and yet so insignificant at the same time, and wanted to try and capture the feelings that can arise from those contradictions. We are so significant in the things we do, the way we love and the impact we have on the earth; and yet so insignificant in the grand scheme of the universe, the billions of years that came before us and the billions that will come after us. The EP includes three tracks, Peace in Insignificance, Art of Delusion and Saturn’s Return, followed by an instrumental track called Epilogue which pulls together some of the sonic themes.

What’s your local music scene like?
Belfast is bursting with original music and local talent. I consider myself really lucky to live here and be from here. To grow up in a city where you can hear original music every other night of the week is a real luxury and the quality of music is so high. I’m proud to be from the same place as artists I really admire like Joshua Burnside, Ciaran Lavery, SOAK and Sarah McCreedy.

What do you have planned for the next 12 months?
I have some exciting gigs coming up in the next few months including Stendhal festival and an intimate show in Rowallane Gardens. I also plan to release more music this year and record some new tracks, which are likely to be self-recorded and produced. I had so much fun recording and producing my new EP ‘Insignificance’ and want to continue experimenting with different sounds and instrumentation.

Is there anyone you’d love to collaborate with?
It would be a dream come true to collaborate with Joshua Burnside or Lemoncello. I’m a huge fan of their music and I think our genres would be quite compatible.

Any funny stories surrounding your live performances?
One time I sang a song I’d written about the under-funding of public services in Northern Ireland, and went on a bit of a rant about pot-holes, and there was an official from the Department for Infrastructure in the audience.

What is the one thing that you want readers to know about you?
The songs I write are everything to me. I put my heart and soul into my music and I really hope that comes across to my listeners. I write music and play shows because music is an integral part of who I am. I love connecting with people who also love music and I make a real effort to ensure the spaces I create for music feel safe, comfortable and welcoming, which includes live shows and online spaces like my mailing list and social media.

You can find out more about AOIBHA on her website or via Apple Music, Bandcamp, Facebook, Instagram, SoundCloud, Spotify, TikTok, X (Twitter) or YouTube.