The Morning Brew with Chris Bennett

Jinty McGrath’s Country Climb, First Radio Spin, And The Story Behind Medusa

• Chris Bennett • Episode 136

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A first U.S. radio spin is never just a milestone—it’s a jolt. We welcome Irish-born, Boston-based country artist Jinty McGrath for a fast-moving ride through his story, from late-night pub singalongs to the House of Blues stage, to center ice at TD Garden before 20,000 fans. Then we premiere Medusa, a kitchen-written, stage-tested track that slips between covers and hooks a room with a simple progression, a swing you can feel, and a lyric that stares back with green eyes and a knowing smile.

Jinty opens up about the double life that shaped him: carpenter by day, gigging songwriter by night, guided by a childhood note that named two futures—build things, and chase Nashville like Garth Brooks. He shares the pinch-me moments that proved the grind was working: opening for Dropkick Murphys, singing the U.S. national anthem on St. Patrick’s Day, and swapping pre-show jitters with Conor McGregor in a shared green room. We dig into his influences, from Christy Moore’s folk storytelling to the arena-sized heart of modern country, and how those threads let him color outside genre lines without losing his voice.

If you’re new to his catalog, start with Doggie Wide for stripped-back Irish roots and Loved One’s Lament for a more produced, rhythmic side. We also talk process: why he road-tests fresh songs in live sets, why ideas that never hit a stage get left in Google Docs, and how he’s stacking material for an EP and full album instead of trickling out singles. Along the way, you’ll hear listener reactions, a little Irish trivia, and the spark that comes from catching a rising artist right as the momentum hits.

Stream the episode, share it with a friend who loves discovering new country voices, and subscribe for more spotlights on artists you’ll want on repeat. If Medusa grabbed you, leave a review and tell us which track you’re spinning next.

SPEAKER_01:

From the Horn Auto Center Studios, Chris Bennett and the morning brew. Chris Bennett's Country Climb, Star of the Week. And today's Country Climb star of the week is our first international guest, Holy Moly, recently A-listed on the playlisted podcast, originally from Ireland, now based in Boston, Mass Boston, Massachusetts. He has a new song that we're gonna be playing today called Medusa, and we're gonna uh find out all about him and his country climb. Please welcome Ginty McGrath!

SPEAKER_00:

And so yes, the crowd goes mine.

SPEAKER_01:

Thanks for having me, Chris. Heck yeah, Ginty, thanks so much for joining us today. Before we get to the nitty-gritty and find out about your country climb, we're gonna have a little fun with some rapid-fire icebreaker questions. Are you ready? Yeah. How long ago did you move to uh America from uh Ireland? 11 years ago. And do you remember the first concert you ever went to after moving uh here in uh the US?

SPEAKER_00:

No, I can't I didn't go to many concerts because I was playing the last. I kind of uh put my concert going on backseat for a couple years while I was trying to do concerts.

SPEAKER_01:

Oh, nice. What was the first album you ever bought?

SPEAKER_00:

Uh Guns N' Roses, Appetite for Destruction.

SPEAKER_01:

And uh do you prefer a coffee or a pint before a writing session? It's a pint. What's your go-to sing in the shower song? Bob Marley, Three Little Birds. Is there a country artist you'd want to share a pint with? Uh Luke Holmes, or Gar Brooks. And last question, it's the hardest question you'll get asked all day. If you had one country song to request for the rest of your life for all events, what country song are you requesting and why?

SPEAKER_00:

Fall and Baton Rouge, Gar Brooks, one of my favorite songs.

SPEAKER_01:

Heck yeah, this is our Country Climb star of the week, Ginty McGrath! And Ginty, we had some fun with some fun rapid-fire questions. Now I want to find out a little bit about your country climb. You uh uh started your journey in uh Ireland. Tell me how how did music grab a hold of you and how did uh things get started uh for you?

SPEAKER_00:

Um well I kind of had been singing my entire life. I was in school at home. My dad had a guitar in the house. Like as a kid growing up, my dad would come home from the pub with his buddies and at 2 a.m., like buffed in my bedroom door and be like, hey, grab a guitar, come downstairs and play guitar for me and my buddies. So while him and his buddies sang old Irish songs, I'd sit and try and figure out the cards and just pick for those guys until my mom hunted them out of the house with a brush at like 4 a.m.

SPEAKER_01:

What made you decide to move to Boston from uh Ireland or just US in general? And then what made you pick Boston?

SPEAKER_00:

Um, well, when I was a kid, it's crazy, I have this written on a piece of paper back in my house in Ireland. When I was a kid and a teacher in school asked us what we wanted to be when we were older, I roll on a piece of paper. I want to move to Nashville and be like Garth Brooks when I was like four years old. Or I want to be a carpenter, and in my day job, I'm a carpenter. Some when if I sometimes when I kind of go back to work during the day, I'm a carpenter by trade, so that's kind of, I've been doing that for years and years. That's what I always did. Worked as a carpenter during the day, done my gig that night, walked behind the bar a couple of times.

SPEAKER_01:

What would you say are uh three big pinch me moments that you've had in your musical career so far?

SPEAKER_00:

Um, I guess a big pinch me moment will be 2018. In March, I opened for the Dropkick Morphes in the House of Blues Boston, as a seven-piece band with some of my buddies that I just threw together in like four weeks leading up to it, and uh we just practiced at the bar where I walked behind the bar on Monday nights when I was battered and then my buddies would come in and jump and we just practiced for four weeks over for the dropkick morphies 2018. 2019 I thanked the 20,000 people in the TV Garden in Boston for a Bruins game. So I thank the National Anthem, the American National Anthem on St. Patrick's there for a Bruins game in 2019. 20,000 people. That was a bit nerve-wrecking that I had to kind of learn the American National the Fair Patrick fanger banner. And uh pray to God that I wasn't gonna end up on the internet for messing it up and forgetting the words before I actually I actually shared a green room with Conor McGregor that same day. I was like Eminem in the bathroom right before I went on to do it. It was like uh mom spaghetti in the mirror. Um and then another highlight would be probably last St. Patrick's Day. I was playing at the Dobliner from 9 to 12, and Ed Heron came in and done a pop-up from 8 to 9 right before I went on. So I tell everybody Ed Heron opened for me. Uh on St. Patrick's Day 2025.

SPEAKER_01:

We are back with Ginty McGrath. Today is Country Climb star of the week for musician questions for a musician. Alright, Ginty, are you ready? Ready to rock. Top three musical influences.

SPEAKER_00:

Christy Moore, he's an Irish artist. Christy Moore, um musical influences, Garf Brooks. Uh no qualms.

SPEAKER_01:

And how do you know if a song idea is worth chasing?

SPEAKER_00:

Um, right now I seem to be kind of um everything, a lot a lot of stuff I'm writing, I'm throwing into my live show. Um if I don't throw it into live show, it just kind of gets lost in the Google Docs. If it gets lost in the Google Docs, it's probably not worth chasing. But somebody else might find that unlike it and take it.

SPEAKER_01:

Would you rather have a number one hit as uh a a songwriter or sing a song that someone else wrote, but it's a number one hit?

SPEAKER_00:

I'd rather have a number one hit as a songwriter myself.

SPEAKER_01:

Heck yeah. And last question: What's one song by another artist you wish you'd written? Jersey Giants, heaven honor. We've gotten to know you a little bit, Ginty, and uh now it's time to highlight uh some of your music, and we have a new song we're playing called Medusa. Tell us how this song came about.

SPEAKER_00:

This was actually my first release on um Spotify or any kind of uh Apple Music, anything like that. I had a couple on YouTube before that. Medusa came about actually because I had gone to Nashville in December to see how many stages I could play. I went on vacation for a week, brought my guitar with me, tried to see how many stages I could play. Uh landed on a Monday. By the time Friday came around, I had done 25 stages, and I was invited to a songwriter's kind of hangout on a Saturday, so I extended my trip. Um, ended up staying for 10 days, came back to Boston, went to Florida for Christmas, came back to Boston. Somebody that I had met in Nashville while I was there, Vaden Wills, who runs Smash Farm round, texted me and asked me, would I come back and play on Smash Farm? And I said, Yeah, I'd love to, so I booked it. And I went back. The night before I went back to do Smash Farm, I only had uh one like half song or two songs I didn't really have. So the night before I went back to do a couple of rounds, I was sitting in my kitchen and I wrote Medusa. Um, it's just a simple car progression, it kind of like fits into stuff that I'm already covering on stage that I'm just rolling through. So this just kind of fits right in between. Sometimes I slip Medusa in there, like and people are swinging along and they don't even know it's my own song. Just kind of like, oh, it's just one of those ones that you kind of swing along with. And um, yeah, the song kind of tells the story itself. It's about a Medusa. Austin said it on the playlist in pod. About some girls from Medusa that I met on Broadway.

SPEAKER_01:

Well, I love this song, and I think the Q Country audience is gonna love it too.

SPEAKER_02:

Everyone, here is Medusa by Ginty McGrath on Cew Country 925 till I get the will come in I've been praying for someone who keep me from my sins Ten miles of older road in a sketchy by town I heard a voice that stopped me to the ground She's got those green eyes twist that's why to me away from there We won all night till it might do the full wanna go away that twin I be too side With to stop Right flashes distinct past the floating memories Trying to keep control so my soul can be free She cast a spell upon my tent to lean in so What's different me turned out to be so wrong She's got those green eyes twists This wild took me away from me We woke all that till morning She's the only night In that two water goal Close that door That's when I do so kept on my and got where I was gone But damn she looked right at me took my heart to store She's got those green eyes twist that smile Took me away from me All I tell All I've seen all the channel I say And I don't know if I won't go so that was Genty McGrath with his song Medusa right here on Q Country 925.

SPEAKER_01:

Holy moly, Genty McGrath, your song was just played on Arizona Radio for the first time. How does that feel?

SPEAKER_00:

First time on the radio period. That was his first radio player, thank you.

SPEAKER_01:

Heck yeah, man. I love that song. I know uh uh you have a lot of different uh music styles, a lot of different music. If uh our listeners want to learn more about you and do a deep dive, what two songs do you suggest uh they check out uh uh by uh Ginty McGrath?

SPEAKER_00:

I would say the biggest complete cross would be my Irish song. It's called Doggy Wide. And that's kind of just stripped back on Spotify. And then Loved One's Lament is kind of like a reggae up, he's calling the songs like a Sinky song. That's like extremely produced. Loved One's Lament is probably one of the best ones I've ever written.

SPEAKER_01:

Alright, we definitely have to check that one out. Go ahead and check him out on all streaming platforms. It's Genty J I N T Y McGrath M-C G R A T H. Follow him on all socials. Uh, is there any new music, anything new on the horizon that we should be keeping uh our eye out uh for?

SPEAKER_00:

Uh I'm gonna have a Christmas release of an Irish song, a song that I wrote years ago called Echo. And um just working on that right now. I do have like, I'm just kind of trying to stack right now, so I have like probably half an album of stuff that just needs minor tweaks that I'm instead of just releasing them one by one, I'm just trying to kind of gatekeep them until I build an album and try and do in the maybe do an EP first and then do a full, full-blown album launch because that's something I've never done before. So this is kind of my next step in the game.

SPEAKER_01:

Heck yeah. Is there any final message you would like to share with the uh Q country audience here in Arizona?

SPEAKER_00:

Keep the country, rock on. God bless you all. Thank you very much for having me.

SPEAKER_01:

This has been Ginty McGrath today's Country Climb Star of the Week. Good morning. It's the morning brew with Chris. Who's this? Yay, yeah! Yay, yay, everyone's favorite redneck from Beaumont, Texas. It's Paul from Beaumont. Paul, what did you think of today's Country Climb star of the week, Ginty McGrath?

SPEAKER_04:

Hey, look, man. You gotta give it up, man. The guy's good. I mean, he's got a a wide range of musical uh I mean he's he's he's not stuck in one j genre. Right? Um Yeah, I like that. I like that. You can't be stuck in one genre.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, and I uh listening to his voice was fun because we don't get to talk to a lot of uh artists from Ireland before. But it's interesting that he loses his uh his accent, you know, in his songs, in some of them.

SPEAKER_05:

Well, yeah, not not not in that one you did play, the the Wiley Dog or Oh yeah, we played some just for the Facebook Live.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, he has a lot of great songs. So like uh Doggy Wide, I was digging doggy wide, loved one, uh Loved One's Lament. He said we should check out. He is right. And also uh Prayer Got Me Here said it is probably his most country uh song. He's got a lot of songs. Rebels uh are on the rise is uh uh a very popular one there on Spotify. So check him out. How about we play a game where you and I try and do an Irish accent, and then we have Ginty tell us uh, because he's on the Facebook Live right now, tell us who has the better Irish accent. You ready? I'm ready. All right. I'll go first. I'll read the little limerick, a ghost and a witch with a broom and a ghoul with a bat in a room. Stay up very late. Oh, I want a pint of Guinness! I want a pint of Guinness. Alright, that's oh gosh, I'm embarrassed. Alright, that was my Irish accent. Let's hear yours.

SPEAKER_03:

Look, you can come get me only covered, but stay away from my lucky charms.

SPEAKER_01:

That might be a little uh racially insensitive. But we'll see. I don't know, yours is pretty good. Lucky charms! So you and I should do the same one. Alright. Don't come for me, lucky charms! Alright, let's hear yours. You sound winning for me, lucky charms. It is now time for Are You Smarter Than a Redneck? And uh before we get started with that, Paul, Genty on the Facebook Live said you did win, but it did sound more like Borat than uh Irish. Or was he talking to me? I sounded like Borat. Well, uh, Paul, uh, in honor of our country climb guest today, Genty McGrath, we're gonna do McGretneck.

SPEAKER_03:

Today I am Paul McGretneck.

SPEAKER_01:

That's good, man. Alright, we're gonna do uh we're gonna do some Irish trivia today to find out who's smarter, me or a redneck. If you know the answer, say your name. That's your buzzer. Are you ready? Alright, here we go. First question. What is the national symbol of Ireland? Is it A, the shamrock? B, the harp. B, C, Leprechaun.

SPEAKER_03:

Paul McRedneck!

SPEAKER_01:

Okay, Paul McRedneck, what's your answer?

SPEAKER_03:

Shamrock!

SPEAKER_01:

No, it's the harp. At least according to at least according to uh Chat GPT. Alright, I'm up 1-0. Next question. What is the uh capital city of Ireland? Is it Belfast, Galway, Dublin, or Cork? Paul Paul. Belfast. Belfast, no, I'm gonna say Dublin. It is Dublin! Holy moly, I'm one answer away from winning. Which holiday is celebrated around the world every March 17th? Chris.

SPEAKER_03:

Oh my lord! Chris! Oh my lord, it's okay.

SPEAKER_01:

Alright, he's still alive. What color was traditionally associated with St. Patrick before green? Was it blue, orange, gold, or purple? Oh my lord. Chris, I'm gonna say blue. It is blue! I am smarter than a redneck! Ooh, luck of the Irish. Sorry, Paul. We love you, best friend. Shenanigans, man. Shenanigans. Good morning. It's the morning brew with Chris. This is caller number three. Who's this? This is John T. McCarthy. Heck yeah, John T. McCarthy. You want to win two tickets, compliments, and comfort fit dentures to our big uh best of Phoenix stand-up comedy showcase happening at the Elks Lodge November 1st? Yes, sir. Alright, it's uh not quite that easy. You just have to help me with a game I want to play. Today is Forgive an X Day. Have you ever forgiven an ex?

SPEAKER_04:

Uh I played the fifth.

SPEAKER_01:

My wife's forgiving me. I I remarried my ex. Uh so for forgiven X Day, I'm gonna give you a scenario. And then uh you say text or next. If you'd forgive them, text. If you don't, say next. You ready? I'm ready. They left you for your roommate, but the roommate dumped them a week later. And they now want to call it. Hilarious. Hilarious. So you'd forgive him? Uh next. Uh next. Okay. No, he's not forgiving. Let's change it to uh forgive or forget. Okay. I feel like that's easier. They still easy to remember. Exactly. They still use your Netflix account and just added Love is Blind to your watch list. Forget. Forget. You're not forgiving nobody. Uh they texted you happy birthday, but got the wrong day.

unknown:

Forgive.

SPEAKER_01:

Oh, forgive. There we go. And they still owe you$23.17 from a Taco Bell run in 2019. Forget. Forget. You're not gonna forgive them?

SPEAKER_03:

Oh, yeah, heck yeah.$23? Who cares?

SPEAKER_01:

That was Text or Next or Forgive or Forget. We don't know what it is, but it is Forgive and X Day. And John T. McCarthy, I know one thing. You just won two tickets, compliments, and comfort fit dentures. You'll feel comfortable always to our comedy show November 1st at the Elk Slaud show. Starts at 6 30. Doors, Alberto's, and bar open up at 5. If you didn't win, get your tickets today at Chris Bennett Comedy.com. What station hooked you up, John?

SPEAKER_05:

92.5. Woo country.

SPEAKER_01:

All right, it is time for me to head out. What a fun show today. Thank you for everyone that tuned in and listened and started uh your day with us. I hope we got your day started off on the right foot. And a huge shout out to Austin Burke and the Playlisted Podcast for sending us another Country Climb Star of the Week, Genty. Make sure you check him out uh on all your social medias, uh Genty McGrath, or on uh all your uh Spotify and wherever you download music, he's under Genty, J-I-N-T-Y. If you missed any part of the show, you could catch it out where or catch it wherever you listen to fine podcasts. Uh, but we're going to end the show uh with a little uh snippet from another song from Ginti. This is called A Prayer Got Me Here. Make sure you follow him wherever you listen to fine music. Here's Ginti with the Prayer Got Me Here on Q Country925.

SPEAKER_02:

Oh, I'm trying my hardest just to find some peace from the broad lines of Broadway, Nashville, Tennessee. And plant my feet on the ground. So I head out to the leaves and the trees, bird and the travel, bird and beats. I'm his happy lady, drinking whiskey and be. I swear. The prayer's work got me here.

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Chris Bennett

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