Bríd Lyons
Bríd Lyons is a Kilkenny-based folk musician whose songwriting blends Celtic roots with contemporary influences like Hozier, Ye Vagabonds, Lisa Hannigan, and Anna Mieke. Her sound ranges from haunting a cappella melodies to layered acoustic arrangements, all while exploring themes of nature and human experience. Having performed at prestigious venues and supported Irish folk legends like Sharon Shannon, Bríd has steadily built her reputation in the Irish music scene.
Since debuting as a solo artist with "October" in 2021, Bríd has released several singles including the award-winning "Mother" and completed her debut EP "Tied to the Turf" in May 2023. Her recent single "Lantern Song" marked a new creative era characterized by emotional depth and artistic maturity, complemented by an accompanying music video.
Her latest release "Mothlight" tells a poignant story of distant yet deeply connected love, featuring atmospheric arrangements and fiddle accompaniment by Jayne Pomplas. The song carries particular emotional weight as Bríd recorded it the same day a significant relationship ended, lending an authentic vulnerability to her vocal performance. Recorded and mixed by Gavin Doyle and mastered by Martin Quinn, "Mothlight" showcases Bríd's evolution as both songwriter and performer.
World Without You - Hudson Taylor
Hudson Taylor were my favourite band at a time when I was really getting stuck into learning the guitar. I had my first job in a cafe at the time and every evening when I got home I would turn to the guitar for some escapism. I would play and sing for hours and hours, and pore over YouTube videos to learn the intricate guitar parts and the harmonies. This was also the time when I started writing my first songs and so their style was definitely rubbing off on me. World Without You is still one of my favourite songs to play and recently, I was even asked to play it at my sister’s wedding ceremony.
High And Blue The Sky - Folk song
When I was a child we had an old songbook of folk songs for every season. The autumn songs were always my favourite. This particular one is a lantern song. These were old folk songs that explored themes of autumn and winter like harvest, migration, hibernation, the fall of the leaves and darkness. In recent years, I asked my mother if she could lend me the songbook. It had been years since I had seen it but it was coming into autumn time and I wanted to refresh my memory of those old songs that I loved so much. To my deep dismay, she had given the book away to the charity shop just one week previously, not realising my personal attachment to it. We immediately went to the shop to try to retrieve it but it was too late. Heartbroken that the book was gone and that the songs were fading from my memory, I went to the piano to try and recall them. This prompted me to write my very own ‘Lantern Song’.
Somebody Told Me - The Killers
I could really have picked any song from this album, ‘Hot Fuss’, which remains one of my favourite albums to this day. But this one stands out to me. Indie rock was some of the first music I was exposed to. My brother had the CD and we used to play it on repeat in the car, along with 'Samstown' and ‘Songs About Jane’ by Maroon 5. We’d sing along to every word. My poor Mam!
Cherry Wine - Hozier
I remember where I was the first time I heard this song, which is a testament to how powerful a song it is. At that moment I was so moved by the vulnerability and fragility of the lyrics. They were like poetry, saying everything that needed to be said in so few words and without approaching the subject too directly. It made me want to be a better lyricist.
The Streets Of New York - The Wolftones
I'll be honest, I have no particular affiliation with the Wolftones’ version of this song because the only version I really know is the one my eldest brother would sing with me. He would sing it every week until my sister and I had learned it off and eventually we could do it ourselves. I adore this tradition of handing over songs. So anyway, we'd recite it and he'd make sure we did it “correctly”. It turns out our version isn't totally accurate but it's still my favorite.
Warped Window - Anna Mieke
I first heard this song while listening to a playlist called ‘the most beautiful songs in the world’. That's a very fitting title because the song is truly stunning. I usually need to hear a song a few times before it really stays with me but this one had me enthralled instantly and I have been a big fan ever since.
Razor Wire Skies - Moon Looks On
The first day I set foot in my music college was the day of my audition. I wasn't sure if I really wanted to be there or whether it was the right place for me. I was just going through the motions. I wasn't very motivated because I wasn't in the best form at the time. Before being called, there was a performance by some experienced students who were currently enrolled. Witnessing their performance of Razor Wire Skies, I was blown away by the incredible arrangement. It made me excited to hear what I was capable of creating with my own music, and that it could be realised in a whole new way. I knew then that I was in the right place and suddenly, I really wanted to pass my audition!
Warm - The Coronas
A beautifully delicate song that I always loved the sentiment of. I think it suited my voice really well and so I used to play often when I first started going to open mics. This my first introduction to public performing so I was very new to it. I would often be disappointed with how my performances went and feel embarrassed and upset in the car on the way home and my Mam would comfort me. She admitted to me years later that every week she assumed that I wasn’t enjoying it, and wouldn't want to go back. And every Sunday I'd ask her for a lift to Kilkenny again. She couldn't understand it, but I just wasn't giving up.
Falling Slowly - Glen Hansard
This is one that my brother would play on guitar and the rest of us would join in with the harmonies. We'd sing together a lot and assign everyone their parts. I think this, as well as being in the school choir, gave me a love of harmonies and definitely made me better practiced in them.
Old Pine - Ben Howard
Another one of those songs that I fell in love with instantly. I find it very moving and it makes me feel very nostalgic. It was also the first song I learned to play in an open tuning. It was a massive undertaking at the time as I was still a novice and it's quite fast and complex. So I was very proud to be able to play it all through after weeks of hard work.