Miranda Faul
Miranda Faul is a 23 year old singer-songwriter from Kildare and Sligo, based in Dublin. Miranda's music is characterised by her unique blend of folk, RnB, and indie pop influences, and her poignant lyrics and soulful vocals. She is influenced by a wide range of artists, including Dido, Hozier, and Jorja Smith. She has a gift for capturing the complexities of human relationships and the struggles of every day life, weaving them into catchy melodies and heartfelt lyrics that resonate with listeners. She released her debut single, Rise Above It ,in 2022, which Hot Press Magazine praised for its‘ punchy vocals and infectious melody’. She has since released Renegade, a folk song about alienation and loss of meaning in the modern world, and Summer, her latest single, which was released on September 15th 2023. IMRO said of her latest single “Summer is delicate with gentle layered harmonies, armed with only an acoustic guitar she lulls listeners into a tender stupor – ready to take the industry by storm.”
R.E.M. - Everybody Hurts
My Dad taught me to play guitar as a young child. He’d play on his guitar and I’d copy what he was doing on the quarter size Spanish guitar he had in the house. He’d jam blues guitar too and I’d copy what he was doing. Everybody Hurt’s is the first song he taught me to play. I don’t think he ever really taught me to play chords outside of the context of a song, so probably the first time I picked up a guitar, it was to play this. I think it’s a funny choice of song to teach to a six year old, given its lyrical content, but it’s remained special to me.
Paul Brady - Crazy Dreams
When I was growing up, my Dad lived in Mayo and my Mum in Kildare, which meant that I spent many hours in their cars, listening to their music. Paul Brady was one artist who my Dad introduced me to. I remember him telling me about the time he met Paul Brady in Sligo in the 80s and invited him back to a house party, to which he agreed on the condition that no one would ask him to play the accordion. For me this song was an introduction to folk, to storytelling through song.
Adele - Crazy For You
I remember my Mum buying Adele 19 when it first came out. We’d play it in the car and my sister and I would sing along. Crazy For You is one of the first songs I taught myself to play on guitar, and it’s still my favourite to sing; I sang it at my Mum’s wedding when I was 12. This song and album had a big stylistic influence on me - strong but stripped, soulful folk.
Corinne Bailey Rae - Like A Star
My Mum played a lot of R&B and Soul when I was growing up. This is one song that really stands out to me from that time; gentle and sweet, but strong. In terms of arrangement, there’s not much to distinguish it from acoustic folk, but there’s something in the melody and delivery that makes it feel like soul. That’s something that comes out in my own writing at times, I think.
Damien Rice & Lisa Hannigan - Volcano
My Mum introduced me to Damien Rice & Lisa Hannigan, major players in Irish folk. I love the rawness of this track; at times it feels more like they’re speaking than singing. It’s easy to get lost in production, and songs like this are a reminder to me that recorded music can be raw and stripped. Emotion and delivery can carry some songs better than polish and production.
Amy Winehouse - Valerie
This is a song that I remember singing a lot as a child. Listening to Amy Winehouse and singing her songs was an early lesson in soul singing.
Gabrielle Aplin - Home
Gabrielle Aplin’s album English Rain meant a lot to me as a teenager. The emotion in her lyrics and vocals captured a lot of what I was feeling myself. Home stands out to me for the poetry of its lyrics; it influenced me to write from dark and difficult places. I taken influence too from her simple but atmospheric arrangements of acoustic guitar, piano, and harmonies
Hozier - To Be Alone
I was a big fan of Hozier as a teenager. Songs of his like To Be Alone introduced me to a modern cross-over of folk and blues, and I love the darkness of his lyrics and vocals. His Lindsey Buckingham-esque style of guitar playing influenced my own playing and writing.
Jorja Smith - Burn
Jorja Smith’s is one of my favourite voices to listen to. I love songs of hers like Burn, which again exist in the space between acoustic folk and R&B.
Loyle Carner - HGU
I love Loyle Carner for the poetry of his lyrics, and HGU from his latest album stands out to me as one of his best songs. The story he tells and the layers of trauma and healing that he builds into one 3 minute long song are phenomenal. And, even though he is writing as a son who grew up in a completely different world to me speaking to his father, I find this song deeply relatable. That’s the goal really in lyric writing; capturing the universal.
