Mayo native Lydia Ford is bringing her dream pop music to the stage Upstairs at Whelan's with her headline gig next April. Her music balances light, airy musicality with deeper and more introspective lyrics.

Ford grew up in a musical household - her sister banged out Rachmaninoff every Saturday morning, while car journeys with her mom involved a dose of Bruce Springsteen and Fleetwood Mac. At the age of nine she first picked up the guitar, inspired mainly by her adoration of pop-punk star Avril Lavigne. From there, she began writing and developing her own songs.

Moving to Brooklyn in 2016, Ford’s music evolved to take inspiration from her subway rides rather than the green coast of the west of Ireland. While the pop elements remain, life experiences and her formative twenties added a bittersweet approach to her lyrics. Taking inspiration from the production of acts like Sigrid, Julia Michaels and Lauv, Ford incorporates elements of slick electronic production and gritty guitars. She records, produces and releases her music independently, collaborating with producers in Berlin, London and the US.

Based back in Dublin, Lydia recently performed at both the We’ve Only Just Begun Festival and Ireland Music Week.

Her latest single 'IDWBYGF' was added to Spotify playlists New Music Friday UK, A Breath of Fresh Éire and Fresh Finds: Poptronix. It will be followed by an 4-track EP on November 29th.

Lydia Ford will play Upstairs at Whelan’s on Friday 17th April 2019 with tickets from €12 including booking fee on sale here this Thursday, November 14th at 10am.