Roisin O’Hagan Turns Back The Clock On Unfinished Love With Single, ‘Sunset Valley’

We are joined by 23 year old, Sussex, United Kingdom, Americana-pop-rock singer-songwriter, Roisin O’Hagan to talk all about her single release, ‘Sunset Valley’.

Roisin O’Hagan began her musical journey at the tender age of 12, and she has been writing, performing and releasing music ever since, having supported the likes of Chris Shiflett (Foo Fighters), Pete Murray, Kal Lavelle, Angel Snow and Olivia Lane and has been a finalist in Fender’s Undiscovered Artists Of The Year award.

Produced by Neal Handforth, Mixed by Billy Decker and Mastered by Adam Grover, Roisin O’Hagan’s latest single release, ‘Sunset Valley’ takes listeners back to a love that never felt finished.

With inspiration drawn from the driven, Pop/Rock vibe of the Counting Crows and the romantic lyricism of Bruce Springsteen and Taylor Swift, ‘Sunset Valley’ begins to ask, where are they now? what are they doing? Have they found someone else?

“Sunset Valley and its characters are fictional but they tell a story I feel everyone can relate to; that
first time you fall in love. Life moves on from your first heartbreak. People grow, move away from their
hometown, chase dreams and meet new horizons. Yet, thinking back to the first time, can still bring
you to that time, place and all its passion.” Roisin O’Hagan

You can listen to ‘Sunset Valley’ below:

Would you like to start by telling us a little about yourself?

My name is Roisin O’Hagan, I’m a UK based singer-songwriter who’s been writing, recording and performing since 12 years old.

I find it hard to put my music in a genre, but normally describe it as americana/pop/rock (I don’t really mind what it is!)

What was it that first inspired you to begin a career in music?

I always loved music and was played lots of very good pop, rock and folk music growing up.

Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, Alanis Morissette, Counting Crows and Fleetwood Mac were always being played around our house, and my parents would take me to see folk artists such as Seth Lakeman and Kate Rusby throughout the years.

When I was around 11, I discovered Taylor Swift’s first two albums and was absolutely captivated.

From there, I started to really look at the songs I loved and thought all the time about how these artists
created something that could make me feel the way they made me feel.

I wanted to do that too, so started to scribble lyrics and memorise my own little melodies.

At 12, shy little me found the courage to ask my Dad to show me my first few guitar chords on one of the many guitars we always had laying around the house.

I wrote my first full song with guitar accompaniment that day and haven’t really stopped since.

How would you describe the feel of your music?

Overall, I try to capture the pop/rock, inspirational feel of all the artists I mentioned above.

I like to try and write with real emotion and thoughtful lyricism; be it a happy, driven song or a sad song, I don’t like to do things in halves and want to make music that connects with people somehow in a way that a normal conversation with them can’t.

You have recently released your single, ‘Sunset Valley’.. what was the inspiration behind the creation of this track?

‘Sunset Valley’ is actually one of my most fictional songs I’ve written and put out.

It’s fictional in that the place and the characters and the actual story isn’t true to my life, but I did that as
it was a great vehicle for illustrating something that I really do feel is true to my values and feelings on life and love; that love that’s meant to be will be and that most of the best things in life take time and a blind faith in that you are heading towards where you are supposed to get to.

Even though the song itself is based on a relationship and how these two people will come together again in the end and be happy, it represents, for me, a notion I try to live by in that with the right mindset you can get to wherever to want to be in time.

What did the creative process look like for ‘Sunset Valley’?

It was mostly written around a year ago, and then I reworked it and arranged it (it was originally five and a half minutes long to fit in the whole story!) in November with my now manager and producer.

Then it was recorded remotely with the musicians in Nashville that are now across all my upcoming tracks.

I recorded the vocal at Chamber Studio in Edinburgh.

I’ve been in control of every part of the creative process behind ‘Sunset Valley’ and it has my heart in every part of it.

That includes a big photoshoot we did around it and the music video that followed the single release.

It’s been a labour of love really, as it was the first song in this new chapter of my music and of working with the team I have around me now.

We worked really hard to get this first one right and to start as we mean to go on – which we definitely have, as we have the whole EP finished now and I feel we’ve reached new levels with each and every track.

Where do you find your inspiration for your music?

In all aspects of life.

I’m someone who loves experiencing life, people, new places etc. In the following tracks from this EP, the writing just gets more and more personal and detailed about things I’ve experienced and witnessed, which is why I noted how contrastingly fictional ‘Sunset Valley’ is.

My world has truly opened up in the last year or so and I feel I’m truly going through an extended period of growing into who I’m going to be.

I’ve literally been documenting how that feels and looks to me through the songs I’ve been writing.

How has Covid-19 affected your releasing?

During 2020 and into 2021, I enjoyed having time to write more than usual and actually released a couple of lockdown related singles, ‘Damn It, It’s 2020’ and ‘Us’.

However, because I am so much so someone who loves to take in the world and experience life, I did end up running out of inspiration.

That’s why it’s so nice for me now to be doing so many things, travelling to America, meeting new people and working on music in ways and with people I hadn’t before.

I’m endlessly inspired now and going to be releasing very frequently from here on out.

You’ve recently moved from being an independent artist, to working with Management, how has your music career changed since making this change?

It’s been really good! It’s nice to work with people who really believe in my music too.

I’m still entirely in control but things are much more collaborative, and it’s shown me how important a team actually is in making something happen.

I’ve gotten to meet so many people, work with lots of talented people and visit incredible places and studios.

Having lots of fun!

What would you like to see happen for you in your music from here?

I’d like to keep releasing lots of music regularly and to keep growing in all areas as an artist.

I’d love to be playing more shows across the UK and in America.

So overall I’m hoping to keep doing more of everything and getting my music in front of more people!

What is one message you would like to share with your fans?

I’m really grateful for people sticking by me over the last few months or so when I was showing the behind the scenes of all the recording going on but didn’t have any of it ready to share yet. ‘Sunset Valley’ marks the start of a whole new chapter and lots of music ready to share with everyone.

I’ll be releasing very regularly from here and I can’t wait for people to get to know these new tracks.

I’m so proud of everything to do with them and I hope people will see the evolution of my music through them.

So just be ready for lots of music with a lot of heart in it!!

Where can people find your music?

Everywhere.

I’m on Spotify, iTunes and all the other platforms under Roisin O’Hagan.

I’m also on all social media platforms under @rosey_roisin – Instagram is the best place to keep up with me and my journey for sure.