_{Text: Hanna de Vries}

After several EPs, today we can finally listen to Woman on the Internet, the long-awaited debut album from Orla Gartland. On the album we hear a mix of pop and rock music and Gartland’s incredibly poignant lyrics. You might know Gartland as the red-haired guitarist/singer in the touring band of fellow YouTube star Dodie. 

The title ‘Woman on the Internet’ refers to the women in ‘More Like You.’ The women on the internet who Gartland looks up to and sometimes almost envies for their unachievable perfection. But the title also refers to Gartland herself. From her bedroom, she has been sharing her self-produced music with her viewers for years, generating a loyal fan base. Fans of Gartland have watched her grow up on the internet and develop her musical talents over the years. The majority of the album was written during the first Corona lockdown in 2020 and gives an honest look into Gartland’s head. In the opening track, Gartland sings, “These are the bridges that I’ve burned, these are the lessons that I’ve learned.” A theme that seems to recur throughout the album. In almost every song, Gartland describes a wise life lesson she has encountered in recent years. The best examples are ‘Madison’ and ‘Codependency’. Gartland’s sources of inspiration include Avril Lavigne, Haim and St. Vincent. Although ‘Woman on the Internet’ was not recorded in Gartland’s bedroom, she produced the album herself. This makes the album sound like a natural progression on her also self-produced YouTube videos and as the next step in Gartland’s career.

New Friends Music