On Our Radar: Girl For Sale on her 'Seaspeak' EP and Taylor Swift influence

What inspired the diaristic songwriting of ‘Like Me Like That’?

I’ve been a Taylor Swift fan since her first album, when I was a country-loving teenager, line-dancing on the weekends in Tyrone. I’ve always admired how she leans into the specificity of a feeling or a moment; it somehow makes it more relatable than if she had kept things vague. I also read a lot of fiction and sometimes songwriting feels more like narration – like telling a story.

How does Girl For Sale fit into the Irish music scene?

I’ve always wanted to fit within the local music scene in Belfast; for years I’ve envied other artists and how they collaborate and create stuff fearlessly. So I’m more than happy to not stand out, but I guess what makes Girl For Sale unique is that I don’t intend on sticking to one style or genre. I feel enormous freedom in where I can take Girl For Sale in the future. 

What can we expect from your upcoming music?

‘Like Me Like That’ is probably the most cheerful song on Seaspeak. The other three songs deal with heartbreak, loneliness and guardedness, against a backdrop of ocean imagery and dreamy synths. I also play the trumpet on one of the tracks, something I haven’t done since secondary school brass band. 

What are your hopes for 2022?

So far, Girl For Sale has been a pandemic project, between me and my producer Gary White. I look forward to getting musician friends in a room, and figuring out how to play in front of live audiences. I also have dozens more songs where these ones came from, so I would love to get back in the studio and breathe life into those. 

• Girl For Sale’s Seaspeak EP is out now.