Picture This

The simplest song will often echo the loudest, crossing boundaries and uniting listeners everywhere.

Just ask Picture This. 

The Irish duo—Jimmy Rainsford [drummer] and Ryan Hennessey [vocals, guitar]—weave together identifiable tales of love and life with upbeat melodies and immediately irresistible hooks. The world quickly responded to both their storytelling and songwriting. In 2015, an iPhone video of their very first composition “Take My Hand” went viral. With its timeless narrative of eternal love, lush acoustic guitars, and bombastic build-up, the track generated 2 million-plus Spotify streams and over 1.9 million YouTube views since it’s independent release. As the group’s independent self-titled 2016 Picture This EP enchanted audiences, they impressively sold over 30,000 tickets in the UK and Ireland. Kicking off 2017, the boys won “Best Music Act” at the 2017 Gossies and landed a deal with Republic Records.

With a rising global profile, they cling to the same straightforward philosophy that yielded initial success…

“The songs come along very quickly,” exclaims Ryan. “All of them are written in about five minutes, so they’re immediate and conversational. I don’t change them from when they’re written, which means that people really know what I’m talking about.”

Picture This have lived the kind of humbling, underdog story that classic novels and films are made of. Ryan and Jimmy grew up in the tiny Irish town of Athy, County Kildare, but they didn’t meet until the age of 18. Blessed with a musical family, Jimmy already had prospects of a gig as a full-time drummer. Meanwhile, Ryan found music during his late teens, building his lyrical style on a poetic foundation. Given their respective skills, they became mates and creative partners right off the bat. 

“There’s no ego involved,” Jimmy elaborates. “I think that’s the key. We both appreciate and trust exactly what it is we’re thinking. We have a shared vision for the songs. When Ryan comes along with the lyrics, I’m not going to question them, because I know he’s good at that. As for myself, I know if I offer a riff for a song then he’s going to trust me.”

“We’re lucky in that I can't write a riff,” Ryan laughs. “Jimmy can't write a lyric. We stick to what we know best, and that approach has worked from the very start. To us, that approach is common sense. We know not to step onto each other’s toes.”

That trust has already brought Picture This around the world. They’ll spend 2017 in Nashville, TN recording their full-length debut album for Republic Records. Expect that simplicity to lead to further success.
 
“Our videos, our social media – we enjoy doing all of that. As well as doing the music, it gives Ryan and myself purpose,” Jimmy leaves off. “We genuinely care about the work we do as much as we love our fans.”