Megan Nic Ruairí
Singer-songwriter Megan Nic Ruairí enchanted audiences once again with her last single, 'Twenty Two', release on November 22nd last year. The release came as Megan was announced as an act at last year's Other Voices festival as well as with the exciting announcement that Megan will release her debut solo EP 'Made Of Sin' January 19th 2024.
Megan performed at last year's Other Voices Dingle Distillery Music Trail during Dec 1st - 3rd.
Following the success of her previous release, "The Woods", Megan continues to captivate listeners with her unique blend of Irish traditional and contemporary sounds, weaving romanticized love stories with themes of self-exploration.
About the EP Nic Ruairí says “The EP is a journey, bookended by two cinematic pieces and centred by a lover's lament. My love for the song ‘The Whole of the Moon’ is very well known and it felt special to record my own version of it, with Mike Scott’s blessing. ‘See you Better’ is for my mama. I tried to understand her better while she battled cancer but as the song developed it manifested into me wanting to be a better person for the people I love. She’s a tough woman and I’m so grateful for the person she’s helped me become. ‘Made of Sin’ is about not being able to understand why some of the people that work their way into our lives can treat us so terribly and how I was able to find the strength to heal from that. My love songs are about everyone and no one and some of my stories are about nothing yet everything but I love telling these stories and allowing the melodies to work hand in hand with the piano. It’s also incredibly important to me that these tales be told in their own unique way. It’s my diary, a place to hold my memories.
This EP may have taken a few years but this is exactly when it needed to be released. All tracks were recorded three years ago but I believe that I needed to grow as a woman to understand the type of artist I wanted to be and to give the space for these pieces to turn into the body of work that I am very proud to be releasing.
I’m not scared of the spectrum I possess as a writer. I can be delicate but I can be bold and I’ll never be afraid to show it all. I’ve never wanted to be pigeon holed and constantly feel the need to expand and explore what makes me a musician. This EP is only the beginning of that.”
In "Twenty Two" Megan artfully explores the naivety of young love and the enduring impact it can have on one's heart, even in the absence of concrete commitment. The song paints an intimate portrait of discovering and romanticizing a partner, holding onto the hope of them becoming the idealized image we've created in our minds.
Megan Nic Ruairí's musical journey has been deeply influenced by her Irish heritage, a connection that shines through in her love for the Irish language and poetry, showcased as a member of family band Clann Mhic Ruairí. Her upbringing in Donegal, coupled with her experiences in London and Nottingham, England as well as her participation in the Dublin-based alternative rock ensemble, BIG LOVE has shaped her distinctive musical style. Her inaugural release, 'Can't Trust the Moon,' in 2020, served as a foundation for her journey of musical discovery and development.
Megan's forthcoming debut EP, "Made Of Sin" is set to be released on January 19th, 2024, marking a significant milestone in her musical career. The EP promises to further showcase Megan's exceptional talent for blending tradition with contemporary sensibilities.
Reflecting on the release of "Twenty Two," Megan shares, "I wanted the music to feel as soft and romantic as possible, like a late night slow dance over wine. This song is about those intimate moments of discovery and the lingering presence of young love."
Megan's journey through self-discovery, resilience, and triumph is beautifully encapsulated in her music, and "Twenty Two" is a testament to her unwavering dedication to authentic storytelling.
The Whole of the Moon - The Waterboys
Aw I’ve always loved this song. I remember hearing it first in the car driving around Mayo and feeling joy from the get go. Something about the lyrics and the way it’s so uplifting always makes me feel so good and want to get up and dance. My friend and engineer Cian asked me to go and play it when we were recording my EP and we recorded it in one take and I’m delighted to have my own wee version of it. I’ve two tattoos because of this song too.
Ragged wood - Fleet Foxes
I heard this song being blared from my cousin Jack’s room in Nottingham when I was 8 or 9. I never asked him who it was because I thought he was so cool and I was trying to be cool, but the song stuck in my head for years. I stumbled upon it on YouTube years later and I couldn’t believe I’d found it. It started an obsession with Fleet Foxes and big beautiful harmonies and adding ‘oohs and ahhs’ to absolutely everything I write.
Chateau lobby #4 - Father John Misty
I’m obsessed with all of Father John Mistys songs, there’s something so real but so whimsical about them all. I love his storytelling in this one and how you can visualise the whole scene. It’s so bold and beautiful and paints the type of extravagant romance I want. It has my favourite line ever in it too : “you left a note in your perfect script, ‘stay as long as you want’, and I haven’t left your bed since”
If I ever get married, I’m gonna walk down the aisle to this song.
Dweller on the Threshold - Van Morrison
Van Morrison reminds me of my youth. He’d play as I danced and sang along and put on performances for my family. This one in particular was always my favourite and started my obsession with adding brass to all my songs. I’m a sucker for a brass solo.
I Can’t Make You Love Me - Bon Iver
This was my introduction to Bon Iver. I just fell in love instantly. I went straight to my piano and learned how to play it, incorporating his version with Bonnie Raitt’s. At the time I was asked to record a song in Irish for an album my school was releasing and my dad translated it for me. ‘Mur Bhfuil Grá Agat Dom’ was the first song I ever recorded in a studio, I was 15 and it was seriously exciting.
Harrys Game - Clannad
Clannad is Ireland to me. We would listen to their albums when we lived in England and it was the landscape to what I would daydream of Ireland till I could get back over. Moya has always been a huge inspiration to me and her pride for her language and how she takes it all around the globe is what I aspire to. She’s become a close friend of mine and we’ve often worked together which still blows my mind a little.
Man! I feel like a woman! - Shania Twain
I got a karaoke machine for Christmas one year and it was the best thing ever. This track is just so fun and playful and I would make up dance routines and everything. For my own music, with it being very piano heavy and usually very sad and dramatic, I don’t get to move much but when I perform with my band BIG LOVE I absolutely love to get moving and have a dance. Music like this helped me feel comfortable, sexy and confident to do so.
Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence - Ryuichi Sakamoto
I started studying classical music when I was four and like most children I hated it. As an adult, I’m so grateful to my parents for giving me that opportunity and investing so much into my learning. Saying that, it’s pieces like this that really made me appreciate my instrument.
I’ve fallen in love with this song all over again recently after having a late night talk about all the little ‘artefacts’ and textures that I’ve always found so beautiful in recordings that I always try to keep in my own music, delicate little sounds like chair squeaks and pedal noises. It’s like he crawled into my mind and told me everything I’ve wanted to articulate about the music I love.
Wild Rover - Lankum
My dad first showed me Lankum and I completely fell in love with Radies vocal. You could just feel the connection to Ireland and it felt like connecting to something deep and rooted by culture. I love big cinematic sounds and Lankum nails that. Their music just hits you in the chest and is so powerful.
Feel Good Inc. - Gorrilaz
My uncle Dónal introduced me to Gorillaz, driving about in his car. I remember becoming fascinated by the fact Damon Albarn could be in Gorillaz and also Blur and be creating all these different types of sounds and wasn’t pigeon holing himself, creating exactly what he wanted. It made me realise that I don’t have to stick with one genre and how exciting it can be to tap into different styles of playing.
