American singer-songwriter UPSAHL plays the Academy 2, Dublin this Thursday night as part of her Melt Me Down tour. We asked her the BIG questions . . .
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Her latest single Tears on the Dancefloor is a nod to her love of Timbaland-era Nelly Furtado and comes with a music video homage to the opening scene from the 1998 film Blade.
Speaking about the track, she says, "Tears on the dancefloor is about feeling mysterious, while vulnerable and emotional at the same time. It was inspired by those nights out that sometimes end in tears - to be honest, that s*** feels like free therapy.
"When we made this song, we had been listening to a lot of Nelly Furtado, so the production was heavily inspired by Timbaland and the overall vibe of the early 2000s. These are my favourite types of songs, the ones that are secretly kind of sad, but can still be played at the afterparty."
Born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, UPSAHL released her most recent album Lady Jesus in 2021 and has written songs for Dua Lipa, Madison Beer, Anne-Marie and Demi Lovato.
Tell us three things about yourself . . .
I'm starting the UK/Europe part of my headline tour right now and I’m SO hype, I love sushi, and I’m currently working on a lot of new music that feels really authentic to me.
How would you describe your music?
I would describe my music as empowering pop music made by a girl who grew up in the punk music scene.
Who are your musical inspirations?
I grew up listening to a lot of Gwen Stefani, Weezer, and Outkast. But above all, my dad is my biggest musical inspiration. He was in punk bands throughout my childhood, so watching him do his thing as a writer and a performer was and is so inspiring for me.
What was the first gig you ever went to?
I was like six and went to an Avril Lavigne concert with my parents. I think being a fan of an artist that was so unbothered like her shaped how I look at being an artist.
What was the first record you ever bought?
The first vinyl I ever owned was a 45" of Fiona Apple’s Every Single Night.
What’s your favourite song right now?
Mean Girls featuring Julian Casablancas by Charli XCX.
Favourite lyric of all time?
Holy s***. Idk how to answer that. A lyric that hit me really hard recently was "It’s brave to be nothing to no one at all" in Ryan Beatty’s song Ribbons.
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If you could only listen to one song for the rest of your life, what would it be?
High and Dry by Radiohead. My favourite song of all time.
Where can people find your music/more information?
Follow me on socials! I’m always being annoying and posting there all the time @whatsupsahl. If you don’t have social media (I’m jealous), find any and all info about me on my website.
Alan Corr
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