The Irish musician has just released his new single 'Thousand Yard Stare'

Conor Miley is a songwriter, singer, multi-instrumentalist and composer from Dublin.

His music draws from the well of folk, indie and electronica in expansive and intricate arrangements that deliver an emotive punch, while his lyrics explore the range of human emotions and experience in an original and dynamic way that has been described as “stunning”.

With his new single ‘Thousand Yard Stare’ just released, and the album of the same name to follow in the coming months, we caught up with him to learn more.

1. What’s the music that you listened to growing up, that you still listen to today?
My older brother's CD collection was a good source to start off with back in my teenage years. He was very much into indie and rock with the great songwriters like Bob Dylan thrown in. From that time, Radiohead, Nirvana, Blur and Jeff Buckley are still great inspirations that I love listening to. I ventured off on my own in my late teens and discovered a lot of stuff that I still come back to. Elliott Smith, Sigur Ros, Nick Cave, Tim Buckley and Rage Against the Machine make regular appearances on my playlists.

2. In three words, describe the minute before you walk on stage.
Focused, relaxed and happy.

3. How do you wind down after a gig?
I’d love to say I sit back with a pint and take it easy, but the wind down usually involves taking down the gear and getting it into my car. I can usually relax when I get home (depending on the time) with a bottle of beer and a bit of food.

4. What’s the one song (by another artist) you wish you’d written or recorded first?
There are so many and it changes from day to day, but today I’ll go with ‘Declare Independence’ by Bjork as I was just listening to it in the car. I love the industrial sound of the arrangement, the grooving synth bass eventually being joined by the thumping percussion. The lyrics are simple but great, encouraging Greenland and the Faroe Islands to declare independence. It is something most countries can relate to in their history.

5. What is your pet peeve?
I could write a book on this. There are a few. Those pointless little additions that people add to sentences is one. “You know that kind of way” and “I’m not going to lie” are examples. It makes me think ‘do you usually lie?’

6.Name one record, one book and one film that everyone should hear / read / see.
Record: ‘Kid A’ by Radiohead. It is sonically beautiful and still sounds so fresh today.

Book: ‘Attached’ by Dr. Amir Levine and Rachel S.F. Heller. A slightly embarrassing one due to the internet pop psychology status of it, but it is one that really opened my mind and helped me make sense of some mess ups I’ve made in recent years. My new song, Thousand Yard Stare, is actually about this despite me not realising it at the time of writing.

Film: ‘Step Brothers’ starring Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly. When I first saw this it was like somebody had made a film just for me. For me, it is comedy gold. Perfect and a source of endless quotes.

7. Pick the director and lead actor(s) for a biopic about your life.
Director: Paul Thomas Anderson, just so Jonny Greenwood could do the score.
Actor: Jim Carrey. A good mixture of clown and introspection that sums me up.

8. You’re ordering take-away, what do you get?
A good old-fashioned fish and chips. Salt and vinegar on the chips and a can of Coke on the side.

9. Describe your perfect day off.
I wake up with my 4-year-old son and we spend the day together. The weather is sunny outside. After breakfast, we go for a cycle and play some football. We have lunch in a nice café and head back home. More play, then a pint in the beer garden of the local (juice for himself) before back home for dinner. We watch a film after and then I get him to bed. I ring a friend and then collapse into bed myself.

10. Tell us, in one sentence, why we should come to your next gig (whenever it may be.)
Come along if you’d like to see dramatic and interesting arrangements of intricately written songs which pack a lyrical punch.

BONUS QUESTION: Recommend a podcast and tell us why we should subscribe to it.
I’ve really started listening to a lot of podcasts recently. Soundonsound have three channels and great episodes for technology nerds like myself. I particularly like the Electronic Music one which has great interviews like the one with Robert Henke, one of the creators of Ableton Live.

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'Thousand Yard Stare' is out now.