Festival season is winding down.
But we have to end it with a bang as Electric Picnic is the perfect way to wrap things up. With the likes of Niall Horan, Paolo Nutini and Billie Eilish taking to the stage, it’s not one to be missed.
Leah Moran is one of those acts set to perform in September. The 20-year-old has been making a name for herself in the music scene with her acoustic styling. She toured around Ireland and the UK as well as playing Vicar Street this year.
VIP Magazine caught up with Leah for a quick 10-minute chat…
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Hey Leah, how are you?
I’m good! Just off a flight to Budapest so I’ve definitely had worse days.
What is the first thing you did this morning?
The first thing I did was have a cuppa tea. That’s always the first thing I do every morning, can’t cope without it!
Who would play you in a movie?
I have absolutely no idea! Hailey Steinfeld came to mind cause she’s just a great actress. Or Melissa McCarthy, I know there’s a pretty big age gap there but she’d make me look funnier than I am and that would be gas!
Tell us how you would spend your perfect day.
Probably wake up, have some tea, go for a small hike or walk, go out for lunch and end the day at an outdoor gig of one of my favourite artists where I get to open for them!
Who are your three ideal dinner guests?
This is a tough one. I like having interesting conversations at dinner but also having a laugh. I’m gonna say Hozier, Robin Williams and Billie Eilish. Bit of a weird group there, I’m not sure how that would go but anyway!
What’s the best piece of advice you have ever received?
I have a terrible memory so I don’t always remember the great advice given to me! but every time I start worrying about my career or just life in general my dad always says “Life’s not a race it’s a dance”. I always slag him for saying it but secretly I think it’s great advice. There’s no point worrying about what everyone else is doing sometimes you’ve just got to trust the process and let yourself have fun along the way.
Who is the person you look up to the most?
This is a tough one cause there are so many. In the world of music, I would say Billie Eilish or Hozier probably. I don’t know it’s so hard to pick one person! Billie is a huge inspiration for a lot of young female musicians I think. She really paved that path and to this day still is, she doesn’t shy away from the big men in the room, she always fights for what she believes is right. And with Hozier, I just think he seems like an all-round great person. Again he doesn’t shy away from standing up for those who need it but he’s also such a down-to-earth guy, he doesn’t see himself as better than anyone else or anything like that, and I think that’s really important.
What is the book or film that you would erase so you could read or watch it for the first time?
Definitely Harry Potter. I’m actually only starting to read the books but I would do anything to read them without any knowledge of the movies or that world in general.
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What are you bingeing at the minute?
I’m currently deep into Young Sheldon. I always loved Big Bang Theory and so I finally started Young Sheldon, it’s great!
If you couldn’t be in your job right now, what would you be doing?
I’d probably work with kids to some extent. It’s weird I kind of can’t picture my life not doing music in some way but I volunteer at a children’s charity called Barretstown and I’m really passionate about that, so I’d say something in that area.
Where is your favourite place on earth?
My favourite place in the world is a small seaside town in Waterford. I spent every summer of my life so far down there in one way or another and I just adore it. It made my childhood what it was and so there’s just such nostalgia there for me.
What’s on your bucket list?
Lots of stuff! I kind of have like life ones and music career ones too. Probably the top on the career side of things is headlining the 3Olympia in Dublin. I went to the panto there every Christmas when I was a child and it has just always been my favourite venue. I think playing there would be the peak of my life!
Speaking of bucket lists, how excited are you to play EP?
I’m genuinely over the moon! EP is such an iconic festival in this country. Anyone and everyone has dreamed of playing at it so to have that opportunity this year is just incredible, I can’t wait.
What’s next for you?
Just more new music and shows! Performing live is my favourite thing so I’m hoping to have a good few gigs coming up in the near future. I’m also always writing and working on new music so there’s that to look forward to too!
What’s your favourite thing about performing?
I think my favourite thing is seeing people connect with your music in real-time. Like the comments and the messages are amazing and I appreciate them so much, but there’s nothing like that moment on stage when I catch someone’s eye in the front row and they’re crying to a song I wrote, there’s genuinely no feeling like it.
Leah Moran will play Electric Picnic as part of the City Stages Collective on the Three Music Stage and a solo set at Three Charge + Chill
