Local Music Interview: Niamh Kierans

Local Music Interview

Niamh Kierans

pronounced neev- it's Irish.

18-year-old singer-songwriter based out of Marshall, Virginia.

Check out her newest single, "Before the Fire!"

Growing Up Around the World

As a kid, Niamh lived in many different places such as Moscow, Iceland, and The Netherlands. She then settled down in Marshall, Virginia at eight years old. She said that "the biggest thing that has affected [her] from that time might be [the] lack of a real childhood home to return to." She visits this topic in the unreleased track "Ha-aretz," likely to appear on an upcoming album expected to be released sometime within the next year or so.

Growing up, Niamh was unable to establish stable roots until she moved to Marshall. During our interview, I asked about how growing up in a small town contributed to her creative process. She explained that living in a small town gives you the "time and space to reflect internally." You have the freedom to "focus closely on individual relationships with the few people [you] are close to."

Creative Process behind Debut Album: Self and Destruction

"Self and Destruction" is Kierans' debut album. It was preceded by the single "The Drive Home" which places her powerful vocals and creative lyricism

on display. "Self and Destruction", the title track, obtained its name from a twist on self-destructive tendencies. As an album title, separating the two words brought new meaning. It draws upon the album's core theme- "the ponderings of the self and the ways people hurt each other." You can trace this theme throughout the tracklist, like following a red thread.

One of the most notable discussions of this overarching topic can be found in track 2, "Unseen." "Unseen" is inspired by two songs, "Jolene" by Dolly Parton and "Tangerine" by Lydia Luce (see that all 3 song titles rhyme). Kierans began to notice the similarities between the two songs and "theorized that 'Tangerine' was an ode to 'Jolene." She wanted to try her hand and write a nod to 'Jolene' of her own. Kierans borrowed ideas from both, adding a twist. Instead, the competition is "over a man that doesn't even belong to the speaker." She mourns for the 'phantom grip.' She fears losing something that was never even hers.

New Single and Future Plans

In the immediate future, Kierans has just released her newest single, "Before the Fire" from an upcoming album. Simon and Garfunkel have really been inspiring her writing style lately, especially "the way they effortlessly convey stories ... through concise lyrics." She is working to emulate that through "more complex but efficient lyricism."

"My ultimate goal is to keep having fun with it and never let it become a chore. My secondary (much more dreamy) goal would be to have a small, but substantial, audience that includes people who have never met me, but find that my music speaks to them. What drives me definitely isn’t a want of fame, it’s more the idea of someone hearing my song somewhere and thinking: woah, she just articulated an idea I’ve never been able to. I want to listen more," said Kierans.

Niamh Kierans has so much potential. Her music already has an original authentic feel, and that can be hard to find, especially at her young age. She is destined for greatness and will make Northern Virginia proud. Mark my words, she'll have a Grammy one day.