Gartland also spent time busking on the streets of Dublin as a teen, through which she befriended the folk and Americana duo Hudson Taylor.
[8] In 2012, Gartland opened for Britain's Got Talent contestant Ryan O'Shaughnessy at The Academy[9] and for Scottish singer-songwriter Nina Nesbitt at Bewley's Cafe Theatre.
Gartland's second EP, Lonely People, debuted in 2015 and was described by Atwood Magazine as an "undeniable triumph" that "captivates" by combining funk and alt-pop.
The vinyl included the tracklist of both EPs, in addition with an unreleased song, "Don't Fall in Love with a Musician", and an acoustic version of "Figure It Out".
It deals with the topic of toxic masculinity and with Gartland entreating another individual to open up about their emotions and stop repressing their true feelings.
[37] These singles led to her debut studio album Woman on the Internet, which was released independently through her label New Friends on 20 August, 2021.
The album was co-produced by Gartland and long-term collaborator Tom Stafford,[38] and was recorded at Middle Farm Studios in Devon.
[39] Gartland has also credited her friend Greta Isaac as her creative director, who was involved in the conceptualizing of the album's visuals and music videos.
[1][2] In 2022, Gartland released an Anniversary Edition of Woman on the Internet, featuring two live tracks and a remix version of "Over Your Head" by Sasami.
[42] On 1 August, 2023, Gartland released a brand new single, "Kiss Ur Face Forever", co-written by her best friend and songwriter Lauren Aquilina.
[44] Alongside a collaborative song "Late to the Party" with Declan McKenna, Gartland revealed the tracklist of her forthcoming sophomore album Everybody Needs a Hero, set for an October 2024 release.
She participated in a group performance of "Simple Things" musicians on RTÉ programme, The Saturday Night Show.
[25] In 2020, Gartland was part of an Irish collective of female singers and musicians called "Irish Women in Harmony", that recorded a cover version of the song the Cranberries' "Dreams" in aid of the charity Safe Ireland, which deals with domestic violence which had reportedly risen significantly during the COVID-19 lockdown.
"[56] Gartland has recalled listening to the likes of Avril Lavigne, Brandi Carlile, Katie Melua, Van Morrison, and the English band Busted, as she was growing up.
[39] In 2013–14, she described her music as folk pop, and was most heavily influenced by Joni Mitchell,[57] Regina Spektor, and Imogen Heap.
[60] Gartland has stated that the main themes of her 2021 debut studio album were about growing up, feeling lost, comparison and identity issues.
[61] She has also been influenced by Peter Gabriel, with visual references in her music videos "I Go Crazy" and "Kiss Ur Face Forever".
[62][63] For the Genesis song "Willow Farm" (performed live at London's Rainbow Theatre in February 1973), Gabriel wore a flower mask designed by Guy Chapman.