Picture This PLOTTING A COURSE

Following their Nasville experience while cutting debut album Athy pair are sold on States

Since exploding onto the Irish pop scene last year Picture This have sold out huge venues, racked up millions of Youtube hits and signed to the world’s biggest record label – all before releasing an album. It’s been a whirlwind, to say the least, for the Kildare duo who will see their eagerlyanticipated self-titled album hit shelves today.

Athy natives Ryan Hennessy, 22, and Jimmy Rainsford, 24, shot to fame with their hugely successful debut track last year, Take My Hand.

The ambitious pair now have their sights set on conquering the

States after signing a multimillion euro record contract with US label Republic

Records, home to the likes of rapper Drake, The

Weeknd and Ariana

Grande.

Speaking to The Beat, singer Ryan said: “America is a great place for us. We said from the very start that our music would suit the American market because the

Americans are so positive and we write positive uplifting music, and let’s face it, they could do with it right now.”

Armed with a plethora of stone-cold hits, the talented twosome, who formed the band just 22 months ago, went to Nashville last

February to record their debut album.

Picture This were adamant that they would maintain creative control and spent just three weeks recording it with producer Jacquire King.

King has previously produced Tom Waits, Kings of Leon and James Bey. Drummer and producer Jimmy explained, “We recorded it in the famous Blackbird Studios, which was crazy. We didn’t bring anyone else in. We recorded every instrument ourselves on the album and the two lads who play with us live are on it too.

He added: “It was completely self contained. The songs were done, there was no co-writing.

“It was exactly how we wanted it to be. We recorded it very quickly, three weeks max.

“That’s the difference, a lot of people spend weeks or months writing in the studio.”

Ryan added: “I’m just constantly writing songs as I go. There was no need for us to go start writing in the studio when we already had the songs completed. “We have another two albums written. We’re constantly writing and producing on the go. We’re lucky that we’re prolific song writers, producers and arrangers, we don’t agonise over anything.”

The Never Change hitmaker, continued: “I think it’s another reason why our music connects with people, lyrically they’re written as facts I don’t go back and manufacture or change them around. They’re exactly as how I would have felt in the moment.”

Despite recording in the home of country music the pair said there isn’t any country element to their debut album.

“There’s a magic about Nashville that we loved when we visited there the first time so we wanted to go back and we ended up staying there for quite a long time.

“There’s just something about Nashville that we loved,” said Ryan.

“We love country music, it’s probably our favourite type of music but our songs were written already so we just went over and recorded there, it could have been anywhere. There’s no slide guitar or anything,” he joked.

Since forming in October 2015, Picture This have become chart-topping, internet sensations on the road to enjoying One Direction levels of success.

But the down-to-earth pair said they owe it all to their fans, especially all their hometown support.

Ryan said: “We have a massive fan base here. We said it from the very beginning, we genuinely mean it, everything we do is for our fans.

“The enjoyment and happiness we see from fans and they’ve been so supportive from the very start.

“Our fans are just crazy, they follow us everywhere. It’s not One Direction level yet but hopefully it will be.”

Picture This caused mayhem in Dublin earlier this week when they played a secret gig.

Jimmy said: “We played a surprise gig on Monday night in the Grand Social which we announced two hours before the gig.

“There was thousands of people out on the street, they couldn’t get in. We just played our album through to 250 people. Before the gig we played a couple of songs for the crowd outside who couldn’t get in.

“It was pandemonium and yesterday we played an intimate gig with

98FM in the

Workman’s which was great.”

Ryan continued: “A lot of bands do album launches but we’re going to be in

America and we’re in

Reading and Leeds when the album comes out.

“But we weren’t going to leave Ireland without giving the fans something first.

“This is where we started and where we’re from, we’ll never forget that.”

The duo are also on the road with Mullingar’s finest Niall Horan (One Direction) who will know doubt catapult the pair into pop superstardom in the UK.

Ryan said: “We’re supporting Niall Horan in England over Electric Picnic weekend. We’ve yet to meet him in person.

He’s a big fan from a long time ago. He discovered us quite early through a friend.

“We’re excited to talk and tour with him (pictured left) and see what the craic is.”

’We’re excited to talk and tour with him and see what the craic is.’