Heather McGrath is a 21 year old singer/songwriter from Tramore, Co.Waterford. Following the release of her debut single ‘Intoxicate Me’, our ambassador Karen sat down for a chat with her about her love of music. The song has received glowing reviews and has been played on Rob O Connors ‘Irish Beats’ all within the first two weeks of its release!
(Warning: it’s extremely catchy and a pure tune!)
Hi Heather, how old were you when you got into music?
I was brought up in a house where music was always there, so I was introduced to it at a very young age. My grandparents were big into musicals and dances. Both my grandfather’s and my Nana were wonderful singers so I guess you could say it was in my blood.
I started playing guitar at 10 and it just took off from there. I started to write songs at 11 and over the years I trained as a mezzo soprano. And now I get to study music, perform and compose everyday in college! It’s wonderful!
Who are your inspirations?
I would take a lot of my inspiration from artists I grew up listening to, like Fleetwood Mac, KT Tunstall and REM. But also artists I Iisten to today. A lot of them happen to be Irish actually! I’m a massive fan of Gavin James, Little Hours and Kodaline, as well as Demi lovato and Raelynn.
What encourages you to not give up?
Simply because I really enjoy it!
How does it feel being a young musician trying to make it in the industry?
It’s very exciting! I’m only at the beginning of my career so I haven’t much experience in it at the moment. But currently it’s exciting to see what’s on the horizon for me and where this path will take me!
What advice would you give to young musicians trying to make it?
Don’t give up! You’ll never know unless you give it a really good shot. Don’t let anyone dull your sparkle
If you could give your younger self any advice what would it be?
Listen to your heart, be true to yourself. Accept yourself for who you are.
Why do you love music?
Why do I love music.. that’s a tough one because I don’t really know why. It’s just a big passion of mine. I just love writing and composing my own songs and performing. There’s no better feeling that singing your own songs and hearing people singing your lyrics back to you. It’s such an incredible experience.
‘Intoxicate me’ is available now on Spotify and Apple Music and I guarantee you’ll have it on repeat for days!
Listen to it here and give her some love on Facebook, or Instagram.
