GARY QUINN is a UK-based country artist originally from Omagh, Northern Ireland, who now calls Gtr Manchester home. A 6-time British CMA Awards winner, Quinn has had the opportunity to tour with country artist Phil Vassar (written for Alan Jackson, Collin Raye) and Mississippi-born country singer-songwriter William Michael Morgan. Quinn has also opened for “numerous CMA Songwriters Series in the UK and shared the stage with acts such as Kristian Bush, Mo Pitney and Sarah Darling. He has also performed on several occasions at the renowned Bluebird Café in Nashville, Tennessee. Also a songwriter, Quinn has collaborated with the likes of Grand Ole Opry member and Grammy winner Steve Wariner as well as Brett James, Trent Tomlinson, Jenn Bostic and J.P Williams” (Quinn). On Jan 8th, 2021, Quinn released his latest single, “Nobody Somebody”.
The song is a co-write between Quinn himself, Kyle Schlienger (Who wrote ‘In Case You Didn’t Know’ – Brett Young) and John Gurney (NSAI Song Contest Winner, 2018) (Quinn). According to Quinn, the song came to be thanks to “A mutual friend to all three of us suggested we work together whilst I was in town during a writing visit to Nashville. John and Kyle were both excited when I brought the idea of ‘Nobody Somebody’ to the table. It was a great writing session to be involved with” (Quinn). The single was produced by Richard Alex, who also collaborated with Quinn on one of his past singles, ‘Tip Of My Tongue’ in the first half of 2020. Quinn emphasizes, “I’m really excited about ‘Nobody Somebody’ and delighted that Richard agreed to get on board again. We’ve worked well together before and this time I feel I’ve had more of creative input in the production process than on anything I’ve put out before so I can’t wait to hear how it’s received”(Quinn).
As for the song itself, Nobody Somebody is a romantic pop-country song that speaks to a person who didn’t truly know who they were meant to be until they met their person. How meeting their “soulmate” despite not being famous makes them feel like “somebody” when they are with them. As if to say, meeting their better half has brought out the best in them and how just being loved can make you feel important and like you have a purpose. A standout line, “Never gonna be the guy with 3 cars in the driveway” (0:34 -0:39) demonstrates that you don’t need all the cars, mansions and money in the world in order to have a shot at love– you’ll be more than enough for the right person with what you’ve got and just by being your authentic self. And I think that’s a powerful message in a world where it’s easy for many to get caught up in what a person can provide you over how they make you feel and/or how you feel about them. In addition, the song’s sentimental lyrics are contrasted by an upbeat melody, making for a catchy tune you can easily find yourself listening to more than once.
Looking back, 2020 proved to be a challenging year for many artists, especially in the absence of many live gigs and new covid-19 regulations. Reflecting on the past year, Quinn states that, “Despite the challenges presented by the Covid pandemic, 2020 has still been a hugely productive year. A fruitful five-week songwriting visit to Nashville was followed by an appearance at Country 2 Country Berlin in March along with various online streaming performances throughout the year, most noticeably from the stage at the magnificent Symphony Hall in Birmingham. More recently, his stunning cover of ‘O Holy Night’, a duet with Swedish artist Sophie Hanson, continues to be championed on Swedish national radio station – Sveriges Radio P4, in addition to radio and TV plays in the UK and Ireland” (Quinn). Thus, Quinn was able to rise to the challenge and focus on the silver linings during the pandemic.
Nobody Somebody is the first release of a three-single project that is set to be released in the first half of 2021.
Be sure to stay up to date with all of Quinn’s upcoming releases via his website & socials below:
Website: https://www.garyjpquinn.co.uk/epk
IG: https://www.instagram.com/garyquinnmusic/
FB: https://www.facebook.com/garyquinnmusic
Twitter: https://twitter.com/garyquinnmusic
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/garyquinnmusic
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5GWCz0UAJDirn3cNNcq8iH?si=P66tXLJtRXyDgLsX4V6IhQ
Works Cited
“GARY QUINN ANNOUNCES NEW SINGLE – NOBODY SOMEBODY”. Gary Quinn, Dec. 20 2020. Press Release.
Gary Quinn. “Nobody Somebody.” Apple Music, GaryQuinnMusic. 2020. https://music.apple.com/ca/album/nobody-somebody/1544422441?i=1544423167
Hanson, Sofie. “Featured: UK Country Artist Gary Quinn. Photo Credit: Sofie Hanson. Photo courtesy of Gary Quinn”. Photo courtesy of Gary Quinn. Accessed Dec. 20 2020.
Hanson, Sofie. “Single Cover Art for Gary Quinn’s, “Nobody Somebody” ”. Photo courtesy of Gary Quinn. Accessed Dec. 20 2020.