Mr Billy Fitzgerald is a Dublin based solo artist writing lush indie-pop songs that simultaneously bathe in the faded light of heartbreak while pulling you on to the dancefloor. Formerly of Dublin alt-popsters The Dead Flags, when that band came to an end Billy made the conscious decision to take a step away from music. After his self-imposed exile and following a long journey back, Billy gathered his array of drum machines, synths, a half-broken Micro Korg along with his acoustic guitar and an assortment of pedals and amps. This became the sonic palette he would use to begin crafting his new indie-pop sound, leaning into 80’s inspired sounds that rubbed shoulders with hip-hop tempos while juxtaposing the pain of heartbreak against sweet pop-centric vocal melodies.
Following on from the release of his lauded debut ‘A Grand Romantic Gesture’, which came out February 2025, and caught the sharpened ears of XSNoize, Hot Press, Turn Up The Volume, Ragged Cast, Rock N Load, The Beat.ie, Daily Earworm and RTE2XM. Billy returns with the last single to be taken from the record, ‘You Had Your Chance’.
One of the first songs intentionally written for the album ‘You Had Your Chance’ acts as a sister-song to previous single ‘Gimme Love’, Billy tackles the same facet of enduring a vicious break up, wading through the emotional carnage that accompanies it and coming out the other side. Throughout the album there are swathes of RnB and soul, and on ‘You Had Your Chance’ Billy fully leans into it. Moving from the raw emotion ala Marvin Gaye in the beginning into a Curtis Mayfield groove and percussion in the second half. Despite the seriousness of the track Billy can’t help quoting Tim Burton’s Batman in the track. Another little easter egg for the listener.
Billy’s album ‘A Grand Romantic Gesture’ achieves so much over its 10 tracks. The album offers emotional depth, reflection, acceptance and at times denial. Billy’s willingness to be vulnerable and to mine personal experience gives the album a lot of heart, nothing feels vacuous, hollow or for show. I can’t imagine some of these songs are easy to sing live. This emotional exorcism while lyrically direct is often set against a backdrop of an 80’s drum machine, rain splatter synth, raw acoustic guitar and let’s not forget, the tuba.
Billy is solely responsible for the writing, performance and recording of all songs across the record. The focus and drive to write, record, play, produce and mix and entire album yourself is something to hail in and of itself. This singular vision and delivery have given us one of Ireland’s most exciting voices and one that doesn’t blend in against whatever wave is popular. Instead, we hear belief, and confidence in his voice and his sound, which is the only real currency true artists have to offer.