Poignant Piano Pop from Glasgow Fuses Jazz and Folk. - Christy: Pictures
Krister Axel
4
"Pictures," the 3rd single taken from Glaswegian singer-songwriter Christy's upcoming EP "Homegrown," is an intimate piano ballad that showcases his tender and heartfelt falsetto vocal. At twenty four, Christy O’Donnell has already lived out several unlikely dreams: from high-profile busker in the streets of Glasgow, to boy band member, and Disney TV actor, he has kept busy honing his craft as troubadour, songwriter, and professional heartbreaker.
Christy continues to develop a signature style of stripped-down, personal love songs, with "Pictures" written as missive to a past sweetheart, focused on the agonizing process of drifting apart from one another. Great care was taken in the process of production to retain the organic nature of Christy's sound - as every creak of the piano stool and every breath between vocal lines brings the listener along on his journey through love, loss, and heartache.
Exploring the intersection between sadness and beauty, and moving beyond the simplicity of singer-songwriter tropes comes naturally to Christy, as he counts Ray Charles, John Martyn and Chet Baker among his biggest musical influences. His music combines the effortless upper register of Jeff Buckley with a jazz-influenced shimmer that recalls the piano-pop of Jamie Cullum. Yet, his brand of unique, melancholic self-expression holds a sense of empathy that extends to all. With his music, Christy O’Donnell speaks to a universal sense of human sentimentality. "Pictures" represents the difficult lesson that everyone learns eventually: there are times that simply loving someone is not enough of a reason to stay together.
I hope you find the home we dreamed of before
With the children and the cars
Maybe one day we’ll make love anew
But until then
I’ll be dreaming for two
I don’t know you anymore
Do you still believe in me
I don’t know you like before
But my mind will always be
Where you go
When it’s cold
You’ll be the light I follow
I don’t know you anymore
Hope you still believe in me
Christy's debut EP ‘Homegrown’ will be out later this summer via Made Records. This song is featured on our Rainy Day playlist.