Patricia Lalor is a teenager from Ireland. She can be considered an apposite example of singers and songwriters reaching audiences from -literally- their own bedrooms.
As this article by Alexis Petridis points out, technology and social media have created opportunities for many to reach audiences directly, without any type of mediation. It is encouraging that this has created opportunities, and these have been taken particularly by young women, who can create music and songs without having to come to terms with an industry that -too often- exploits women artists and pressure them to comply with the rulebook of an industry still dominated by men and a patriarchal mindset.
As an admirer of the post-punk ethos of "do-it-yourself" and its subversion of music business, I cannot help hoping this may spawn more interesting and diverse music.
Patricia Lalor has gained many followers on YouTube thanks to her covers of songs from Mac DeMarco's Chamber of Reflection to Hozier's Take Me to Church. She has a melancholic and soothing voice, full of longing, and her rich tonal palette enlivens any song she sings.
She has also started writing her own songs, and Anymore is a very solid piece. The bittersweet melody and her outstanding voice makes it a wonderful song. And it is a very well written song. The quality of song-writing is particularly evident when the song is stripped bare of the arrangements, as in its live version.
Patricia Lalor is a very talented singer and songwriter, and I hope she will produce more great music in years to come.
