A Chat with Shobsy (14.08.25)
Described as the Irish prince of pop, singer-songwriter Shobsy is not only an influential artist in his home but far beyond Ireland’s borders, reaching across Europe, North America and further afield. We spoke with Shobsy about his new single, ‘Dance Or Cry’, his upcoming EP, and signing with UK label SO Recordings.
OSR: Cliché, but what drew you to the music industry? What inspired you to become a musician?
Shobsy: I don’t ever remember a time in my life when music wasn’t my main focus. I recall feeling within myself that I wanted to be a performer when watching the live concert doc Rattle and Hum. It changed my life for sure.
OSR: You recently released your single ‘Dance or Cry’. What can you tell us about the track? Is there a particular theme or backstory?
Shobsy: I wrote the song with some other amazing writers in Berlin. It was the first song that was written after arriving there, I wanted to capture a certain European sound. I was struggling with trying to move on from someone at the time and I was staying out late a lot. One of the co-writers Mirko had this line “Do you dance? ‘Do you cry?” I instantly connected with it and felt it summed up where I was at at the time. And the song popped out!
OSR: You recently signed with SO Recordings – that must be exciting. How do you feel about this progression in your music career, and what can we expect from you on SO Recordings?
Shobsy: It was an amazing moment signing with SO for this EP. They are a wonderful group of people and we are excited to bring the music to a wider audience in the UK and abroad.
OSR: You mention an upcoming EP. What can you tell us about it melodically and thematically?
Shobsy: The EP is called Own The Night, which is the title of one of the tracks. The EP captures a particular time of heartache and coming of age. Something I feel I’m only still catching up on. Having struggled with coming out through my school years, the EP reflects some of the fallout of that. But ultimately I wanted the EP to capture a chapter of my experience.
OSR: What do you hope people take from your music?
Shobsy: I would love people to experience a wide range of emotions, ‘Dance Or Cry’ has a certain level of humour within in its tone, other songs on the EP are lot more vulnerable and pure. So simply, I want people to feel the music can soundtrack their life experience, and Own The Night is only the start of that.
OSR: What does music mean to you?
Shobsy: Music is everything to me. Music is my method of connection, of worship, of self care. It’s my lifeline and life goal.
OSR: Do you feel that ‘Dance or Cry’ and the upcoming EP are a representation of where you are musically and personally?
Shobsy: At this moment yes, I feel I’ve captured something within me I needed to get out. But there is so much more I want and need to say, this as I say is a beginning point for me.
OSR: If you had to introduce a new listener to your music, which song would you recommend?
Shobsy: I think ‘Dance Or Cry’ is pretty good place to start!
OSR: In addition to the EP and more singles, what can we expect from Shobsy in the future?
Shobsy: I look forward to getting to the point of touring the UK for the first time. I love writing and recording but performing is my main goal.
OSR: Do you have a message for our readers?
Shobsy: Keep getting out of bed, you are sexy and perfect!
Many thanks to Shobsy for speaking with us. Find out more about Shobsy on his Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and Spotify.
