Recommended Tracks: “Little Chaos,” “Backseat Driver,” “Late To The Party”
Artists You Might Like: Lizzy McAlpine, Phoebe Bridgers, Chappell Roan
Orla Gartland’s newest album, Everybody Needs a Hero, was released Oct. 4. The London-based artist has a Spotify monthly listening of over 1 million listeners and has produced hits such as the 2019 release “Why Am I Like This?,” which attracted over 71 million Spotify streams. Through the album, Gartland navigates relationships and works to discover her identity.
Dublin-born and London-based, Orla Gartland is a critically acclaimed indie artist and producer, known for her raw musicality and vulnerable lyrics. Since making waves with her 2021 debut album, Woman on the Internet, Gartland has established herself as a unique voice in indie music, balancing sharp wit with emotional depth. She continues to chart her own course as an independent artist, founding her label New Friends and producing much of her own work.
About the album’s release, Gartland said on Instagram:
“these songs are all about a relationship, celebrating & holding space for all the many ways you can feel about the same person. one feeling does not cancel the others out – we are far more nuanced than that! we contain multitudes.”
Everybody Needs a Hero consists of 12 new pieces and spans roughly 37 minutes. The tracks featured in this album are already climbing Gartland’s Spotify charts, with “Late To The Party,” “Backseat Driver,” and “Little Chaos” landing in spots two, three and five, respectively. Throughout the album, Gartland navigates a relationship and works to discover her identity. She develops a theme that it is okay to feel everything all at once, even if you don’t always know what exactly you’re feeling.
Though short (clocking in at just under two minutes), album opener “Both Can Be True” is emotionally powerful as Gartland struggles to find balance as her relationship falls to pieces. She sings, “I’m stuck in between / Frozen and feeling everything,” trying to keep her head above water. “Kiss Ur Face Forever” has a very different vibe, but expresses a similar ambivalence. She wants to stay in her relationship, but she sings, “Half yours / And half unsure,” showing that she is torn between staying and leaving.
“SOUND OF LETTING GO” brings about a heavier, more intense beat. Gartland’s anger is evident as she breaks free, taking back her independence. In the chorus, she repeats, “I can’t change you, can’t change me, can’t change anything / So, I guess I gotta let it go.”
In “Little Chaos,” Gartland is conflicted between letting her internal thoughts take over and letting her love interest take over for her to silence the chaos she feels inside. She faces a similar conflict in “Backseat Driver,” where she wants to be herself, but admits, “I wouldn’t trust me either.”
Declan McKenna stars alongside Gartland in “Late to the Party,” as the two grapple with a lover’s past relationships. The groovy track perfectly expresses how disorienting overthinking can become, and masterfully captures both artists’ talents.
“Mine” is more gut-wrenching as Gartland describes the impacts of sexual assault. With heavy-hitting lyrics, she unleashes the devastation felt to realize, “my body was mine.”
“Simple” takes a step back from the whirlwind of emotion and features Gartland taking in the smaller moments of joy that can be overlooked when we get caught up in our lives. She emphasizes that love does not need to be grandiose, but instead can be uncomplicated and easy, like, “the right song for the right mood.”
Everybody Needs a Hero beautifully captures the complexities of love and self-discovery, inviting fans to explore the nuances of Gartland’s mind. Gartland has masterfully displayed her capabilities as an artist and storyteller, in effect proving that whatever comes next will be even greater.
While listening to the album, be sure to check out the visualized projects for each song on Gartland’s YouTube. Each video encapsulates a feeling unique to each song in the album, starting with “Both Can Be True.”
Gartland will be embarking on her sold out North American tour starting Nov. 7 in Somerville, Mass. After releasing several venue and ticket updates, Gartland said no more will be released due to venue availability. To the fans’ delight, she added on Instagram:
“The upside of this demand means we are already planning my next tour over there..”
If you weren’t fortunate enough to get tickets, follow along on Gartland’s Instagram to keep up and be notified first for any future shows. Also, join Gartland’s mailing list through her website, where she promises she will use your data responsibly to keep you in the loop.
Follow Orla Gartland: Instagram // Spotify // Website // Twitter
