Dublin twenty something Sample Answer – or Maurice O'Connor, as he's known to his mum and dad – has been making friends and influencing people since he moved to London to pursue music full-time a few years back.

The youngster has just released his debut EP 'Good Boy', so we caught up with him for a chat over email to get his backstory and where he's going with his blend of acoustic pop, rap and urban music.

You can listen to a track from the EP, 'Proud', below.

Here's what he had to say about the track:

"The lyrics to this song were actually written to a completely different arrangement. It had pianos and violins and more strings..

I was in a bar in Leicester Square when I wrote this. One of those really old, but turned touristy ones. I was staring out the window, ya know people watching and all that. I was sooooo poor at the time and I remember feeling an intense mixture of both hatred and joy for literally every little thing I cud see. There was people with money walking past, people without money, people in love and people alone and I didn't feel like I was a part of any of it. I didn't feel like I was a part of what I was seeing, reality.

The song is sort of about my ma but it every day takes on a new meaning. It really depends on what kind of mood you’re in when you’re listening. When I wrote it I wanted 2 be dead. But now a little further down the line, I wanna be alive. So, decide for yourself”.

Hi, Maurice! What was your first experience with music?
I experienced release.

Did you grow up in a musical household?
Sorta. My da played trad in an Irish club in South Africa and my ma was in an African band for a little while, doing drums and singing and stuff.

You grew up in Dublin – what opportunities did you have to pursue music there?
If by music you mean the business, there was some opportunity. But if you mean music like I mean music, there was so much it's unbelievable. Dublin gave me the opportunity to pursue music with the knowledge of what it really is. It's literally whatever u want it to be - your ex-girlfriend, your good times, bad times; it's you, me and everybody. It depends on your prospective. [sic] U decide the definition...

Was music always what you wanted to do for a living?
There's a picture of me in a diaper holding a massive acoustic guitar upside down. So since then I did, I suppose.

Did you consider doing anything else after school?
No, music or nothing.

You're based in London these days – why and when did you make the move?
About two years ago. I wanted to get stuck into doin what I wanted to do - sitting back is just suicidal. I wanted to run into all the chaos and all the possiblity, welding me guitar like an axe with a big smile on my face, screaming me head off.

Is your Irish identity important to you, or is it ultimately irrelevant?
Ireland is where I'm from - I want EVERYONE to know and remember that.

Your music has been compared to the likes of Ed Sheeran and Jamie T – what genre do you think it belongs in, personally?
As Blur's drummer said, "Monkey Jazz".

Who would you describe as your biggest musical influences?
The Beatles, The Stones, Jay Z, T.Rex, Eminem, Bob Dylan... some much more.

You've spoken about feeling depressed when you wrote 'Proud' – what cause the about-turn in your outlook?
I'm not a prisoner in my own home.

You've mentioned how you wrote it almost as a letter to your mum – what was her reaction when you first played it for her?
She was proud - but if I'm honest, sensitive situations like that sometimes make me feel uneasy. I don't know how to deal with tears... happy or sad.

Who is your dream collaborator, if you could choose anyone to work with right now?
Bono, I like Bono. People always give him stick...

What's the plan for the next 12 months? Is an album on the cards?
I suppose I'll carry on living... unless I die, but there is cards, yes… at some stage I'll draw. It's a surprise, though.