Hailing from Cork, Ireland, the lo-fi alternative singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Fintan McKahey emphasizes the beauty of the slow life with his latest single, "Lost Balloons."
Although Fintan McKahey has landed the opportunity to share stages with acts like The 4 of Us, The Scratch Junior Brother, and Roisin O, his passion for music lies within the corners of his studio, where he spends his time writing and producing. Creating a spacey, atmospheric, and experimental approach to bedroom pop and trip-hop, it goes without saying that anyone can enjoy the lush sounds of Fintan McKahey.
In his most recent release, "Lost Balloons," Fintan McKahey elaborates on our recent chaotic years and how the pressures of modern living can become rather overwhelming. "Lost Balloons is an ode to the slow life, a gentle reminder to take a breath and let life unfold at its own pace. Letting go can be the most liberating feeling there is," explains McKahey.
Listening to "Lost Balloons," the song peacefully opens with an ambient acoustic guitar merged with a twangy and reverbed electric guitar alongside a soulful and downtempo drum beat. As Fintan McKahey's classic smokey vocals enter the song, he offers this deeply reflective and thought-provoking feel right off the bat, especially as he encourages us to take the long way home and take time to smell the roses.
As the song continues its warm-hearted and slow-paced venture, the soothing instrumentation and dreamy feel truly let us sink deeper into Fintan McKahey's honest lyricism. As he continues to expand on living life at his own pace, Fintan McKahey encourages us to do the same and steer away from our worries and stressors whenever we get the chance.
Open your mind to a new way of life with help from Fintan McKahey's recent single, "Lost Balloons," now available on all digital streaming platforms.
We sincerely appreciate such a meaningful and relaxing release like "Lost Balloons." What inspired you to encourage listeners to take time to smell the roses via song?
Like many people, the whole COVID situation stopped me in my tracks and forced me to abandon the momentum and major plans which I had set in motion… Of course, this was a serious nuisance, but there was nothing we could do to change it, so in turn, we all just had to embrace it. As a result, this forced breather gave me a lot of time to reflect and re-prioritize, which definitely helped give me a better perspective on what actually matters and just life in general.
Could you break down your solo creative process for "Lost Balloons"? How did you begin laying down tracks and ideas for this single, and how did you manage to navigate your way into this lush and dreamy sound?
I always played the song in a very stripped-back arrangement, just with acoustic guitar and vocals… I tried recording it several times over the past year and it just wasn’t quite sitting right for me.. So I ended up coming at it from a different angle and abandoning the original parts which I had written. Instead, I started from scratch making drum patterns and layering them with keys / electric guitars, etc to achieve that more ambient sound that I usually go for. There was definitely one day in particular when I put down an electric guitar part and it just hit home for me and that’s when the magic started to happen.
I have made a production breakdown video to show the process I took to make this track in the studio, which will be coming out shortly after the official release date so stay tuned to see exactly what was involved.
When writing your lyrics for "Lost Balloons," how did you go about finding the most effective words and phrases to strike listeners with the realization to take life's pace down a notch?
I tried to draw scenarios from my own real-life experiences for this one. I think the first phrase I had written was - “We can take a long way, the long way home”.
Once I had written that I knew the message & vibe I was going for straight away. For me, that phrase just sums it up. That feeling when you’re content with the situation that you’re in and the company you’re with, that there’s no place you’d rather be. So why not take a long way home and make the moment last.
Did you have any artistic influences in mind when crafting your single "Lost Balloons"? Were you inspired by the stylings of any specific artists who create a similar lo-fi and downtempo sound?
I spent a lot of COVID listening to an artist called ‘Still Woozy’ and more recently a band called ‘Feng Suave’. These guys are so so good at filling out every corner of the spectrum with different colors and sounds. They’re also ace at blending acoustic and electronic elements together which can be a very hard thing to do... The chilled vibes that these guys put out, definitely gave me a tonne of inspiration for seeing this track through. You should definitely check them out!