In "Music meets Football", we speak to some of our artists about their love of the beautiful game and the teams they support. Our latest feature is with Paddy Boyd of The Florentinas.
The vocalist/guitarist of the four-piece from Bangor, Northern Ireland, is a lifelong fan of Liverpool, who could be crowned as new Premier League champions this weekend with a win against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday afternoon.
Formed in early 2019, The Florentinas comprises Paddy, Jacob Kane (bass), Luke Swann (guitar) and Jakob Swann (drums), who met at secondary school in Bangor. Their hook-heavy indie rock has garnered attention at home and beyond, receiving daytime playlist support across some of Ireland’s largest radio stations, tour supports for the likes of Nothing But Thieves and The Amazons, along with winning the BBC Introducing Artist of the Year award at the Northern Ireland Music Prize.
The band’s fifth single, ‘For You’, was released last month following some of their biggest live shows to date supporting Snow Patrol in Europe. You can listen to the track now on the Liverpool FC Official Playlist.
Sport Playlists: Tell us about how you became a fan of Liverpool?
Paddy Boyd: My dad has been a big Liverpool supporter since he was a child so, naturally, I followed in his footsteps. I remember watching them growing up from a young age, buying the new kit every season and wearing it for as long as possible without having to wash it. I love the club to bits.
SP: What are your earliest memories of attending a game at Anfield?
PB: Being from Ireland, it’s tricky and also very expensive to get over to Premier League games. I’ve only been to Anfield twice now but I remember both so clearly.
The first time I watched a game was the season opener in 2011 against Sunderland. Amazingly we were sat in the Kop and I can just remember the excitement and anticipation leading up to the game. I remember standing on my seat, passing the iconic flags overhead as ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ blared all around. Unfortunately, the game finished 1-1 with Luis Suarez missing a penalty at the away end. Still, this is one of those memories that will stick around until the day I die.
SP: Who were your footballing heroes growing up – whether that be Reds players or otherwise?
PB: Most of my heroes were Liverpool players. Of course, you had Messi and Ronaldo but I was looking up to Steven Gerrard, Fernando Torres and Luis Suarez mostly.
I played goalkeeper as a kid so I had a lot of shot-stopping heroes as well. During that prime era of Barclays Premier League, I always admired Petr Čech, Pepe Reina, Edwin van der Sar and Tim Howard.
SP: Did you ever have any aspirations about becoming a professional footballer when you were a child? If so, how far did they go towards becoming a reality?
PB: Like most kids I definitely had aspirations of becoming a professional player, although I don’t think those dreams ever came close to being realised. Looking back, I’m glad things have worked out the way they have. If it wasn’t for me giving up football then I don’t think this music thing would have worked out the way it is.
SP: What’s the best moment in your time supporting Liverpool?
PB: There’s so many to choose from but it has to be that comeback against Barcelona in 2019. Don’t get me wrong, lifting the Champions League trophy a week or so later felt so sweet, but I’ve never felt so much adrenaline watching Liverpool since that iconic game.
The odds were stacked against us being 3-0 down and without Roberto Firmino or Mo Salah. But the Anfield energy matched with moments of majesty from Trent Alexander-Arnold, Georginio Wijnaldum and of course, Divock Origi made for one of the best nights ever. I don’t think I’ll ever watch anything like it ever again. It was also the day before my birthday so that was pretty neat too.
SP: What are your thoughts on how the 2024/25 season has gone so far for Liverpool?
PB: “We’re gonna win the league!” I have no complaints at all about how this season has gone. It’s an incredible achievement to do what Arne Slot has done. Jurgen Klopp left him a fantastic team, but with a different play style and big boots to fill, no one expected us to be where we are.
Call it the least competitive campaign if you like, but to win the Premier League in your debut season as manager is amazing. I’m also delighted that Mo and Virgil van Dijk will be staying another couple of years with the reds. Can’t wait to see how we strengthen the squad for next season.
SP: What are your expectations heading into the final month of the season?
PB: I think my main expectation is that Liverpool will get over the line quickly and clinch that precious 20th league title. The rest of the table remains really interesting though.
I think Nottingham Forest and Newcastle will be playing in the Champions League next year and I would love to see Aston Villa secure a spot in Europe too, but with teams like Manchester City and Chelsea also in the hunt, I think there’ll be an increase in intensity in the remaining clashes.
SP: Who are your favourite players in the Reds current squad?
PB: Salah has to be up there. He’s had a frustrating last few games but his numbers are off the charts. One of the best players to have ever graced the stage of English Football in my opinion. I really love Alison too, not only because of my goalkeeping background but because he has rescued Liverpool from so many sticky situations. He is the reason we’re as good as we are.
Conor Bradley is also one of my favourites. He’s one for the future for sure, and being a fellow Northern Irishman I would love nothing more than for him to succeed. I think if Trent goes he’ll have a spot in the Starting XI no problem.
SP: How important has the crossover between music and football been in your life?
PB: The crossover between music and football is so important to me. Without music, football would be nothing. My mind is immediately drawn to the FIFA games. Their soundtracks were always incredible, shining a light on some great new music and serving us up some memorable bangers with the likes of ‘Kids’ by MGMT and ‘Jerk It Out’ by the Caesars.
I also think of the Champions League theme tune, iconic chants and tuning into Super Sunday to hear ‘Written in the Stars’ coming through the TV speakers. All of these beautiful footballing memories that we look back fondly on are shaped by the music around them. They conjure up a sense of pride for our favourite team or pull us back to a simpler time when we played Xbox after school with our mates. Although sport and art are two very different things, football and music will always go hand in hand. I hope that never changes.
SP: What song do you associate with a cherished footballing memory?
PB: It has to be ‘You’ll Never Walk Alon’ by Gerry and the Pacemakers. Anytime I listen to it I either come close to crying or I do cry! It’s so beautiful and the lyrics are so comforting. I associate it with so many special memories, the most recent of which was at Anfield last year to see Liverpool play Leverkusen.
We were seated in the away end with the German ‘Red Wall’ so it was a little intimidating, but I couldn’t believe my eyes when this song started playing as every Liverpool and Leverkusen fan held their scarves high in the air singing together. The noise in the stadium was deafening but what moved me most was the unity the music brought between the home and away fans. For three minutes it didn’t matter who you supported. It made me realise just how lucky I am to support a team with such a wonderful song attached to it. I’ll never forget that.
SP: If you had to pick one Florentinas song for Liverpool to walk out to before kick-off at Anfield, which one would it be?
PB: It’s a tough one but I’d probably say our first single, ‘Sandcastles’. Although our sound has developed a lot since then it just has this raw, high energy that came from the excitement of our first time recording. Hopefully it’s the sort of song that could get a sold-out stadium pumped up before a big game.
SP: You recently released your new single ‘For You’. Tell us a bit more about the song and the inspirations behind it?
PB: We spent a lot of last year honing our writing craft with the help of Iain Archer. Together we spent a lot of time finding our voice and writing about things that really matter to us. ‘For You’ is the first song we have out that really taps into a subject that’s important to us. It’s a plea for a loved one to stop carrying their struggles in silence and navigating the complexities around breaking down emotional barriers. I think it’s not only an important subject matter to us but also to a lot of people as well
SP: ‘For You’ was released following your live dates supporting Snow Patrol in Europe. What was the experience of getting to tour with and play on the same stages as them like?
PB: It was all so surreal. It genuinely feels now like it never even happened. It was our first time on the road in Europe so to do it with a band as big as Snow Patrol was immense. We had this crazy big tour bus driving us around from show to show so it was pretty mad waking up in a new city each morning. We had the opportunity to explore some cool places too during our days off like Zurich and Munich, and of course, the gigs themselves were off the charts.
We didn’t really know what to expect from the European crowds as they had never heard of us before but we could not have been received any better. They were just awesome. The venues were also nuts. We never thought that we would be playing to 17,000 people in Amsterdam so early on in our musical career. I could go on and on for ages about the tour! I hope we get to do it all again soon.
SP: What plans do the band have in store for the rest of 2025 that fans can look forward to?
PB: We’re lining up some pretty cool shows for summer and beyond. I can’t reveal too much yet but we’re feeling really good about how this year is shaping up. We’re also sitting on 17 more new tracks which we’re really excited to share with the world. We’re super proud of the work we put into them so we’ll definitely be getting plenty more out this year. There may even be one coming next month but you’ll just have to keep your eyes peeled!
