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My First Orla Gartland Gig

I first saw Orla Gartland a frighteningly long time ago at Dingwall’s. In 2014. I don’t know where I found her first EP, but what I can tell you is that I fell immediately and passionately in love with Orla’s voice, guitar playing, lyrics, and songwriting. Something in her early demo “Roots” grabbed me firmly by the heartstrings and refused to let go for weeks, if not months.

Post-diagnosis (the ‘tism, for those unfamiliar), I now recognise that these feelings were hyperfocus rather than love, but my idiot 26-year-old-male brain hadn’t worked that out yet. So, if you’d asked me pre-gig where I was going, my answer would’ve been “to meet the new love of my life!”

As it happens, Orla did not fall in love with me on that fateful day. Perhaps her heart was already taken, perhaps I’m not her type, perhaps it was because I didn’t make eye contact or say a single word to her at any point. We’ll never know.

Either way, shortly after my seduction failure the hyperfocus (and my dreams of marrying Orla Gartland) faded. The love of her music, however, continued to grow without stopping.

Orla Gartland Lyrics

Lyrically, I think she’s insanely talented. Her songs are genuinely deep, with intense personal reflection and open-hearted honesty. “I fucking love you but this shit is hard,” for example. A concept literally anyone over the age of 14 can relate to, but to sing that without any semblance of metaphor, simile, or gilding the lily is impressive in its rawness.

But perhaps where Orla’s lyrics really leap above others is in the moments of levity. Maybe it’s an Irish trait, the likes of which a Plastic Paddy like me can only dream of; serious and meaningful lyrics interspersed with a little joke. A wink and a nod to the listener that elevates her writing above the truly miserable bastards who only ever sing sad, meaningful songs (yes, Morrissey, I’m talking about you).

When talking about her partner’s ex, for example. “I gave you your favourite t-shirt, she gave you trust issues”. You know what? You really have to hear it, there’s a vocal tone that I can’t put into words. Go ahead, I’ll wait. It’s called “Late To The Party” and it’s from Orla’s most recent album Everybody Needs A Hero.

See what I mean? That is a level of vocal personality and intimacy that I dream of achieving.

Orla Gartland – Roots EP

Sadly, Orla’s first EP has been removed from all the major listening outposts, but is still available to her Secret Demo Club, of which I have occasionally been a member over the years. For anyone who’s a fan of Orla’s music, I highly recommend joining, even if it’s just to get your hands on the early tracks. It’s a joyous journey to follow the evolution of her songwriting from acoustic demos to the fully-fledged, intricate indie pop of her latest album.

Orla Gartland Side Project / Band

Of course, completists will already know you have to pause your Orla listening to enjoy Fizz, the supergroup she formed with three similarly talented singers and songwriters. A wild mishmash of pop styles and youthful exuberance (Jesus, I’m too old for this), I firmly believe their album would hold up in its own right, even without the collective fanbases of the quartet. Orla’s influence is written all over the time signatures and minor chords. Highly recommended.

Anyway.

A couple of years ago I was in Scotland with my family, swapping stories over glasses of whisky and wine, and my cool younger cousin (an adult, just the 17 years younger than me) mentioned listening to an Irish singer-songwriter who “spoke to her soul”.

“Orla Gartland?” I asked. Her eyes popped out of her head. How could I, a borderline pensioner, possibly know who she was talking about? Well dear reader, imagine her face when I revealed that I’d seen Orla play thrice, and had tickets to a fourth show the very next week. Suddenly, for the first time in… okay, for the first time ever, I was cool. I was respected. And thus the rest of the family was treated to drunk Orla Gartland karaoke for the remainder of the evening.

My Favourite Orla Gartland Moment

But my favourite Orla moment comes courtesy of my daughter. I think it’s natural for a parent to assume their music tastes are largely ignored by the next generation. So, I was beyond surprised to hear my 7-year-old singing Orla to herself of a morn. Further investigation revealed that yes, my car stereo still held some value, as she listened to, absorbed, and actively enjoyed several Orla Gartland and Fizz songs.

Did you know the Kentish Town Forum’s age limit is 8 years old?

Call it coincidence, call it fate, call it a master plan, I couldn’t care less. But I will be eternally grateful to Orla Gartland for booking her biggest London show ever a cool three days after my daughter’s 8^th birthday. Her first gig ever. And while this particular post is about Orla Gartland, her bandmates Dodie and Greta Isaac will forever have a place in my heart for taking time out of their evening to chat with my starstruck, silent offspring.

I first saw Orla Gartland in 2014.

11 years later, my daughter first saw Orla Gartland in 2025, with her Dad.

That’s pretty fucking cool, if you ask me.

Top 5 Orla Gartland Songs

Codependency by Orla Gartland

I’ve lived it. If you’ve also lived it, you will relate to this track. If you haven’t, you can probably still appreciate the dissonant pop genius.

The Hit by Orla Gartland

Jesus, this is a great song. Beautifully pushed guitar, hushed and catchy vocals, with a solid dose of Lauren Aquilina (more on Lauren in a future post) for good measure.

Backseat Driver by Orla Gartland

Another Gartland/Aquilina combo, this is Orla bringing together pop and rock into a chaotic romp of a song. What’s a polite and professional way of saying “cool and catchy as fuck”?

Zombie by Orla Gartland

I’ve been the man on the other side of this song. It hits home in ways I’m not proud of, and have spent years trying to course-correct. It’s also a fantastic song, rocky and fast and brilliant, with one particularly unexpected chord in the bridge that gets me every single time.

Close One by FIZZ

A greater musical mind would probably call it syncopated or something similar. I’m not confident with that terminology, so I’m happy to just call it beautiful, slightly angsty, devastatingly romantic without resolution, and a perfect snapshot of how Orla Gartland influences the entire album.

If you haven’t already, I highly recommend following Orla Gartland on Instagram, or visiting Orla Gartland’s website.