Orla Gartland

Orla Joan Gartland (born 3 February 1995) is an Irish singer-songwriter and guitarist who began her career posting cover songs on her YouTube account.

As of February 2023, her YouTube channel has received over 286,000 subscribers and 24.3 million total views.

In 2009, Gartland launched her YouTube channel under the name "MusicMaaad."

She posted her first YouTube video at age 13, about which she stated "I had been playing guitar for just over a year and wailing alongside the chords. I hadn't a clue how to sing; the breathing or any of the technical stuff (still haven't the foggiest) – so just wanted some feedback on that really!".

She posted covers and then started posting originals.

The first original she posted was titled "Green Eyed Monster."

Gartland also spent time busking on the streets of Dublin as a teen, through which she befriended the duo Hudson Taylor.

In August 2011, Gartland released her first EP Laughing at My Own Jokes.

The album artwork was done by a fan who won a contest.

In 2011, Broken Wall Films made a video of Gartland's song "All The Little Details."

The video was shot in a coffee shop which remained open for business during the filming.

"All The Little Details" was Gartland's first professionally recorded song.

It was included along with two other songs on her "Laughing At My Own Jokes" EP.

In 2012, she released her debut single, "Devil on My Shoulder", which entered the singer-songwriter iTunes charts in Ireland.

In 2012, Gartland opened for Britain's Got Talent contestant Ryan O'Shaughnessy at The Academy and for Scottish singer-songwriter Nina Nesbitt at Bewley's Cafe Theatre.

She released her debut single "Devil on my Shoulder" on 17 June on iTunes, where it reached No. 2 on the Ireland singer-songwriter chart.

The single was launched at a sold-out show headlined by Gartland at The Academy in Dublin.

On 11 November 2013, Gartland released her second EP, Roots.

On 24 November, the Irish Mirror featured Gartland in a full-page article and stated that on iTunes, the EP had topped the main Irish albums chart while hitting number 15 on the main UK albums chart and number two on the US singer-songwriter albums chart.

In March 2013 Gartland announced her first tour, headlining five shows in the UK and in Ireland during July 2013.

On 11 November 2013 Gartland released her four-song EP Roots on iTunes.

The titular track "Roots" was named Apple iTunes "Single of the Week" in the UK and Ireland.

Gartland contributed the song "Cast Your Stone" on the album Simple Things, a compilation album released on 15 November 2013 by Niall Breslin in support of suicide prevention in Ireland.

She participated in a group performance of "Simple Things" musicians on RTÉ programme, The Saturday Night Show.

She toured in support of the album in February 2014 visiting ten cities in Ireland and in the United Kingdom.

The Irish Daily Star selected Gartland as one of "20 music acts to watch in 2014."

The Irish Independent selected Gartland as one of "Ireland's most influential teens."

GoldenPlec selected Gartland as their "Plec Pick" of 2014, chosen as one of the best solo artists in Ireland.

Gartland, along with Greta Isaac, performed the song "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" which they contributed to the compilation album It's Coming on Christmas.

The album raised funds for the breast cancer charity, CoppaFeel!.

Gartland's third EP, Lonely People, was released on 18 January 2015, while her fourth EP, Why Am I Like This?, was released on 24 May 2019.

She nearly went to BIMM University, but deferred her application and moved to London in 2015, as she knew many UK-based musicians through YouTube.

Gartland's second EP, Lonely People, debuted in 2015 and was described by Atwood Magazine as an "undeniable triumph" that "captivates" by combining funk and alt-pop.

Gartland has played alongside Dodie Clark in all three of her EP release tours, and acted as a supporting act in Clark's 2019 'Human' tour.

Her fifth EP, Freckle Season, was released on 21 February 2020 and features previous singles "Did It to Myself", "Figure It Out", and "Heavy".

Her debut album, Woman on the Internet, was released on 20 August 2021.

In 2023, she joined the band FIZZ.

Gartland grew up in Drumcondra, North Dublin near Croke Park.

She has a younger sister and a younger brother.

In an interview with Campus.ie, Gartland stated "I played violin, fiddle, and trad and Irish stuff from the age of about five years old...my parents got me into lessons and the guitar at about 12 years old and it went from there."