At only twenty-six years old, the Silverbridge singer-songwriter Odhran Murphy is already skyrocketing towards being one of the nation’s leading folk artists. While growing up in the small Armagh village, Odhran was inspired by the bucolic beauty and tranquillity around him, and now, as a perpetually touring artist, he still finds time to go back and refill his bucket of inspiration.

“I suppose a lot of my songwriting is at home, here,” Odhran said when he spoke with Post-Burnout. “I’ve worked a lot abroad, and I find that the inspiration abroad can be tough, because you’re literally in a studio, and it’s just four walls with no windows sometimes, so it can be confining a space.

“I find that, when I’m at home, I can come across the local forest, and come and walk, and get some inspiration there. I’ve found a lot of good writers over in England and Nashville that I really gel with, as well, so they kind of understand my writing process, as well, and understand where I get my inspiration from.”

By pouring this inspiration into sincere and delicate folk arrangements, Odhran immediately saw his songs resonate with listeners after uploading them to the internet. Several went viral, resulting in radio play and having his track ‘Stars’ featured on Love Island. Despite consistent virality, Odhran feels that there’s as much luck involved as strategy.

“To be honest, nobody ever knows what the algorithm is doing,” Odhran admits. “Speaking on TikToks, and Instagrams, and stuff like that there, [with] my first song, ‘Limitless Love,’ I think I put up a video and was like, ‘If you listen to The Lumineers or Noah Kahan, you might like this,’ and I woke up the next morning, and there was like 1.2 million views on the video and I was like, ‘Did that actually just happen?’

“And from there, I was kind of going, ‘Well, I’m going to try this for all my other songs,’ and, having tried that, it just doesn’t work like that anymore, you know? So, it’s finding what the algorithm is and what it’s doing at the minute, but also, I would say it’s luck, but if you have a really good song, people are going to love your music, and people will reshare, and people will like, and tag their friends. I think a lot of it, as well, is radio helped. Especially in homegrown…in Ireland and stuff like that, radio still thrives to this day.”

Noticing a spike in interest, various people reached out to represent Odhran. Odhran had studied the music industry and valued the autonomy of his body of work above all, and had previously declined a major offer as he felt the proposal would not permit him that.

But when an offer came from the L.A.-based label 10K Projects (the home of artists like Trippie Redd, Ice Spice, and Che) to release his material, Odhran knew it made sense. “My song ‘Close to You,’ last year, when I released it, went a bit viral, I guess, and I had every label reaching out and asking me who I was releasing music with, and, at the time, I was totally on my own,” he explains.

 “So, I was independent. I’ve got two great managers there that were helping me out, and we decided that 10K was the right partner for me, and I couldn’t be any happier at the minute, and the label are so, so supportive of what I want to do and my own choices, and what songs I want to precede with in the EP, and stuff like that.

“I actually went over to L.A. to meet them, there, a few months back, and the whole team out there are so, so supportive and kind, and very welcoming, as well. So, that’s why I went with 10K, and, hopefully, I’ll be working with them for the next few years, please God.”

Odhran is the second folk artist 10K has signed after Abe Parker, and the label worked very closely with Odhran and producer Adam Argyle (who has worked with Dua Lipa, Becky Hill, 5 Seconds of Summer, and James Arthur) to help them fully realise their first release together.

Released yesterday, Stuck in the Middle is Odhran’s first EP, and, as such, he wanted to add a connective narrative for this larger release. “When I write, I write in a way of storytelling, and a lot of personal experiences, and stuff like that,” he explains. “So, when I joined the songs together, I was like, ‘This is actually a story in itself.’ So, with the tracklist, you’ll understand the story, and it’s where I’m at in life.”

Explaining the theme, Odhran says, “I found myself in the beginning of the EP focused on love and how happy love can be. I went through a tough relationship about four years ago, and that was with ‘Lover,’ and ‘Stuck in the Middle’ was about me trying to process love and process what I wanted in life, and I guess I wasn’t going to be happy until I found that person, and that’s what the whole EP is about. It’s definitely aimed for all the lovers out there, I guess.”

Upon finishing the EP, Odhran got some really good news. Having been on the road consistently for two years, he was rewarded with his largest live opportunity to date, when he supported Mumford & Sons at Dublin’s Malahide Castle. “That was a surreal experience,” Odhran says of the show.

“I grew up listening to those guys, so having shared the same stage with them is just insane. It was a ‘pinch me’ moment. When I got off the stage, I was kind of like, ‘Did that actually just happen?’ You know that sort of a thing? But I definitely felt like I should’ve been there, and I feel like I’ve earned the spot to be there. So, yeah, it was a hell of a gig.

“It was so surreal, actually, seeing people sing my songs back to me, which was just so cool! [Laughs] I remember when I got word that I was supporting them, it was the last day of recording the EP, and I got a phone call from my booking agent, and he was like, ‘You’ve got to look at your emails. You’ve got to look at your emails,’ and I was like, ‘OK, fine. I’ll look at my emails.’

“I looked at my emails, and he was like, ‘You’re supporting Mumford and Sons!’, and I was like, ‘Wow!’ It was insane! But I suppose the way it works is, your booking agent will plug your name, and I was delighted that they had chosen me to open for them. It was great!”

In October, Odhran will embark on his largest headlining tour to support the EP, which includes two Irish dates at Dolan’s in Limerick and Whelan’s in Dublin. “I’m usually the guy supporting people, so this is the first time I’ve ever gone out on tour, so I’m really, really excited, and tickets are going great, which is more than what I’ve expected, to be honest,” Odhran says.

“It’s nice that people from home are supporting as well, you know? And I think that’s one of the struggles as well, is that people from home tend to know a lot of other artists who aren’t in the country, when there’s a lot of homegrown talent around Ireland. I think it’s something that we all need to focus on and support each other in that aspect of things. But, yeah, tickets are going great, and I’d love to see everybody there, so, yeah, you can still grab some more!”

We wrapped the interview by asking Odhran what’s next for him, and he responded in a typically nonchalant manner, saying, “At the minute, I’m kind of taking it as it comes, but there’s a lot more music I’ve got going on here, where I’m kind of thinking, ‘Should I do another EP? Should I do an album?’, so God only knows. So, there’s a lot to look out for in the Odhran Murphy space, and there’s going to be a lot more gigs after the October tour, so keep an eye out for that, as well.”

Odhran Murphy’s new EP, Stuck in the Middle, is out now. You can keep up with Odhran through Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

You can see Odhran Murphy live at:

October 11^th – Limerick – Dolan’s Upstairs

October 17^th – Dublin – Whelan’s

Tune into POSTBURNOUT.COM Interviews… tonight at 21:00 (IST) to hear this interview in full. Available on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon Music Podcasts.

Aaron Kavanagh

Aaron Kavanagh is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Post-Burnout. His writing can also be found in the Irish Daily Star, Buzz.ie, Totally Dublin, The GOO, Headstuff, New Noise Magazine, XS Noize, DSCVRD and more.