Laoise on her new single 'Movies': "Once I don't let main character syndrome get the better of me, I'm cool"

You’ve built up a reputation for combining starkly honest lyrics with a bubblegum dance-pop sound – what inspired that approach?

Honestly, I’m a bit of a hot mess, so when it comes to lyrics, I’m going to say everything I’m feeling in that moment, but I’m also going to want the music to feel good when I do. That’s why music is such a release for me – I get to experience the rush of writing a hook I’ve been on the verge of cracking for days, all the while creating a home for a deep emotion that is sometimes best expressed by jumping around my sitting room at 5am on Saturday night with pizza from the fridge in both my left and right hand. And then of course, there’s getting up on stage and sharing that upbeat energy with a room full of gorgeous people, and we’re all screaming and dancing. There’s nothing better.

Your new single ‘Movies’ touches on your struggles with ‘expectations vs. reality’ – how did you ultimately overcome that?

This is something I’m always going to deal with – expecting a lot from a situation, another person, or even myself. That’s not to say it’s a complete struggle though, because I’ve always been a daydreamer. It’s more that when I dream up the most ‘perfect’ of scenarios, and then they don’t pan out that way, I feel conflicted. I’ve found it hard to adapt to change, like someone leaving, and that has paralysed me in the past. I wanted to capture that in ‘Movies’, which I did through one of the most common movie genres – drama: “I know you couldn’t care less, but I’m a f-ing hot mess ‘cause you said you would stay.” Yes, like me, it’s very dramatic. But I guess once I don’t let main character syndrome get the better of me, I’m cool. I’ll save it for my songs.

How has moving to an island off the west coast influenced your approach to your music?

It’s been a dream. I can see and hear the ocean from my window, and even watching its determination as it drifts in and out of shore every day is very enchanting. I’m feeling a calmer change in myself which is now bleeding into the new music I’m writing.

What do you think of the pop music coming out of Ireland right now?

It’s very exciting. Every couple of months I see a new artist come along who is so compelling – I can’t wait to see what this newfound time at home has done for many. Having been releasing for a few years now myself, I’ve experienced how quickly the industry has expanded here, it’s really encouraging.

• Laoise’s new single ‘Movies’ is out now.