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.
Billy spent 2024 releasing a number of well received singles that caught the sharpened ears of XSNoize, Hot Press, Turn Up The Volume, Ragged Cast, Rock N Load, The Beat.ie and RTE2XM. He now returns with a his new single ‘Let Us Be’, a slice of 80’s inspired pop that is the lead single of his forthcoming debut album, ‘A Grand Romantic Gesture’. New single ‘Let Us Be’ is the centrepiece of the album and showcases another side of Billy’s songwriting. A darker sound that leans more heavily into his 80’s influences, from the hip-sway Phil Collins-esque rhythms to the soaring pop vocal that comes screaming out the speakers. This is his strongest release to date.
Lyrically the track explores the theme of being with someone when everyone else thinks it’s a bad idea. Billy draws on his own experience, while growing up and learning how to be in a relationship and developing those tools, inevitably and regrettably, people get hurt along the way. Here he delves into this, as he declares love and devotion while facing down the barrage of words against the union. A true Romeo and Juliet story.
Billy was keen for the album to be collaborative when possible, and although he writes and plays the vast majority himself ‘Let Us Be’ features two key collaborations. Sam Jackson (not that one) is a classical/jazz pianist as well as producer and close friend of Billy’s. Born of a writing session between the two, Billy looped the verse and chorus and built the song from here. The pair were somewhat inebriated during the sessions, which lead to Sam not remembering his key contribution, regardless, Billy credits him on the track. The second, collaborator is Billy’s drummer, Dennis. A huge Phil Collins fan, this lead to 80’s gated-reverb drum sound on the track.