FINDING HER WINGS Singer-songwriter Rebecca McRedmond has just released her debut single.
Interview
Ger Flanagan
REBECCA McRedmond’s music journey only really began 18 months ago. The Westport native who lives in Islandeady had worked in music promotion for large parts of her life, but she never ventured into the art of writing and performing until the 28th year of her life.
But since picking up the pen, she’s been on a real whirlwind adventure that has seen her perform alongside such musicians as Mundy, John Blek, David Hope and Aoife Scott, while performing in venues such as Galway’s Róisín Dubh, Kenny’s of Lahinch and Garbo’s in Castlebar. She also performed in the recent Hotpress Lockdown Sessions.
Last Friday was another milestone in her fledgling career, with the release of her debut single, ‘The Thorn and The Rose’, which was produced in Galway by Dave Skelton.
“To be honest I was raising my kids for the past seven years and when they started going to school and I had more free time on my hands, I really went head first into music,” the now 30 year-old told The Mayo News. “I started to sit down, play guitar and write songs, and it’s all just kind of happened this year, almost by accident.
“One day I wrote a song, called ‘Hush’, put it on Facebook and I got a great reaction. I had some really good friends in the music industry to bounce things off and one man in particular, Derek McGowan from Westport, would have been one of the first and really set me on the right path.”
The folk music star says she writes songs from the heart, that are ‘very honest’ and about personal experiences. Her sound has gathered some rave reviews from fellow musicians.
“Rebecca McRedmond has played support to me a bunch of times,” Mundy said of her. “She’s got great energy and great songs! She really knows how to work a crowd. I’m a big fan!”
While Pat Ryan of Anan Music said that Rebecca writes songs ‘openly from the heart, respecting love and loss’, and that her ‘fragile lyrics’ captivate her audience with an emotional depth that would ‘make a grown man cry’.
McRedmond was due to perform in Garbo’s Live Venue in Castlebar as a headliner to promote her music in early May, but of course Covid-19 has now put a halt to that. Instead, she’s releasing her new single early and she’s massively excited about ‘The Thorn and The Rose’ hitting the airwaves.
“I’m absolutely delighted with the way it turned out,” she said. “I think it’s got a real summer vibe to it and I think it will do really well on the airwaves, because it’s got a dancey type of folk-pop theme going on.
“It symbolises the feeling of falling in love, with the rose being beautiful, but you also have the thorn coming with that, in the sense that you have to be careful.”
Reflecting on the last couple of years, Rebecca believes that putting herself out there was the best thing she ever did.
“I met Mundy in Galway at a gig a while back, and I was chatting to him afterwards and he told me to send on some of my stuff,” she smiled. “I sent him a recording of me singing in the kitchen, and he then asked my would I do a gig with him. I ended up touring around London and back in Ireland since last December.
“That was such a massive boost to my confidence and I said to myself that I need to start recording my songs. Putting music out there is so risky, but I never put anything out unless I am truly happy with it. I’m very honest in my writing and I love to tell stories – that’s what folk music is about.”
Rebecca’s second single, ‘Hush’, is due to follow last Friday’s release sometime in the near future. That song is about ‘dealing with loss and miscarriages’, and she says it gets a ‘whopper’ reaction when played live.
Covid-19 has planted a small pothole in her musical journey so far, but she’s adapting and getting on with it. Although it did impact the release date of her debut album, ‘One Last Time’, she’s still aiming for a summer release.
“I write music for myself, and this is an album about love and loss,” she said. “I’m hoping to bring a modern and authentic twist to the folk and pop scene, and hopefully it will stand out on the airwaves.
“When this began, absolutely no one knew who I was when I was stepping on stage,” she said. “But this year people are kind of more aware of who I am and I have a bit of a following now, which is so lovely, so I’m just hoping to get my music out there and hope it takes off.”
You can download Rebecca’s new single on all major platforms and follow her on Facebook, @rebeccaredmondmusic.