After a little stint away from the studio to savour family time with her kids Aoife Belle and Tadhg, songbird Una Healy is back with a bang and a brand new selection of tracks. Energised, inspired, and brimming with new ideas, she’s got a renewed sense of self and after pouring her heart and soul into the music, she’s ready to release it out into the world.
Joining us at the 5*Merrion Hotel in Dublin, Una practically bounds over to us, bubbling with excitement. As we nestle into the Waterloo Suite to do hair and makeup for this shoot, we ask for a sneak peek of her new work and she proudly obliges. Since then, one track, Beating Heart, has already landed and been labelled ‘the song of the summer’ by listeners online, much to her delight.
“I’m proud of this,” she beams. “It’s a dance song, something totally different to what people are used to hearing from me, but it takes me back to my pop days of The Saturdays a little bit.”
She lights up when she talks about her music, animated and giddy. The excitement radiates through her – but that delight barely compares to the joy she emits when speaking about her kids.
“They’re my entire world. They’re the best in the world and I can’t believe I’m their mam. Everything I do is for them, I just want to make them happy and proud.”
Which they undoubtedly are! During this shoot, the kids were in the US with their dad Ben Foden as they long-distance co-parent and Una admits the breaks apart can be tough.
“When they’re away, I actually feel a little bit lost. My days are spent with them from breakfast ‘til bedtime, so when they’re gone for an extended stint, the hours are long and sometimes lonely. Absence makes the heart grow fonder and I’m know I’m so lucky to be able to fill my days with work I enjoy, while I wait for them to come back home.”
And a full schedule is nothing new for this Tipperary native, as she thrives in the chaos and madness of day-to-day life. Here, she talks to us about managing it all, comparing her own childhood to that of her children, her relationship with her mammy, the cathartic nature of songwriting and her exciting new skincare collab with No7.
Una, how are you keeping?
Ah, I’m good, thanks! And thank you for having me. These days are always such fun.
Congrats on the new music release! You’ve been busy in the studio, how was that experience?
It’s been so full on as I’ve been preparing to release the new music. It’s been almost three years since I released a solo track, would you believe? I’m really ready for it now. Over the last year, I’ve been writing in the studio with lots of ideas coming to my head. I’ve been very inspired musically and lyrically. My first track is going to be a surprise to some, as it’s a dance track. It’s one that I love, it’s very 90s inspired. I grew up loving dance music, and it’s still one of my favourite genres. It’s really exciting. People know me as a singersongwriter with almost slower tracks – and the rest of the songs follow that – but this particular one, Beating Heart, which is out now, is different and I love it.
It’s already been labelled the song of the summer, that sort of feedback must be exciting for you?
It is! It gets the energy going! It’s very positive, very uplifting. It’s a feel-good summer anthem. Now the rest are very different as I said, so it’s an eclectic mix, but that’s the lead. I’m excited to perform this one on stage.
You’ve had great success in The Saturdays but also in your solo career now – do you enjoy having the freedom these days to pick and choose what sort of music you want to put out?
Absolutely! If it wasn’t for Billy, my good friend and hair and makeup artist who’s here with us today, the song wouldn’t be out. I played him the demo a few months ago and he said, ‘You have to release that!’ I was thinking about pitching it to other artists, but I took his advice and here we are.
Do you do that much, work with different artists when it comes to song writing?
I haven’t been doing much writing in general over the last while. In the last couple of years I haven’t been as inspired as I have been over the last twelve months. It’s been full on which is good because inspiration can come and go.
What do you think brought it on?
I’m not sure, it comes in phases. It’s not always there, creativity. It’s there or it’s not and that’s part of the magic. I personally felt like the desire came back really strong, it’s there again now and I feel great about it.
Do you find it cathartic writing out your thoughts and feelings, putting it all down on paper?
Oh yeah, it’s how I express myself. If I’m feeling a certain way, I’ll write about it. People journal, but I write songs. It’s the same thing. All the songs I have are coming from a place within, something I’ve felt myself and lived through. They’re all quite universal feelings too, nobody will be like, ‘oh, what’s she talking about?’ It’s quite obvious. There’s one called Devil and his Demons, then we’ve got Lonely
’Til I Die, Something More, Beating Heart, Half a Heart and Taken Away From Me. At some point, if not right now, people will definitely relate.
Will you be performing them live? Have you any shows coming up, are you heading back on the road?
I’ve been performing lots over in the UK and I’ve done some shows with Luke Thomas and the Swing Cats and Irish Women in Harmony, but back on my own, I’m headlining two Pride festivals. With the new music I’d love to go on tour again, but I haven’t planned it yet. I’m going to release the music first and see what happens, but it’d be great! I love that, love being on stage.
We love seeing you on stage! We also adored watching you on Celebrity Bear Hunt last year. Do you have any desire to go back down the reality tv route?
Oh I loved that! It was such an amazing experience. It was just incredible and something I couldn’t have ever dreamed of. You could never imagine that, thinking you’ll be out in the middle of the jungle with Bear Grylls, Mel B and Boris Becker. It was great. At the moment I’m not talking to anyone about doing any more shows though. But, I’d never say never. If the right show or opportunity came along, if it was interesting and fun, I’d probably give it a go!
You’re busier than ever, but how do you switch off and mind yourself?
I find it really hard to switch off and do nothing, I don’t do it very well. I can’t, to be honest with you. My mother’s the same. She just won’t stop! I find it really hard to just sit still. My friends are always saying, ‘You need to stop, relax and recharge’ but I just want to do something all the time!
Do you thrive in the busy and chaotic moments?
Yes! There’s always something to do. I love the kids and the routine they give me. They’re away with their dad in the US this week and I don’t know myself – not in a good way! They give me routine and purpose. I love setting the alarm, getting up and getting them ready for school, making the lunch, I love all that. When they’re away and I don’t have the routine, I get a bit lost.
How are they both keeping?
Oh, they’re so good! They’re flying. They’re having a great time with their dad living the American dream out there. They’re so settled in Thurles now though too, we’ve been back about six years and they’re loving it. They’re very happy.
Aoife Belle is your double! Does she remind you of yourself when you were that age?
I can see myself in her, absolutely! She’s very much her own person though, she’s very different to me personality-wise, and I don’t know if that’s a good or a bad thing [laughs]. She’s very calm, she’s very chilled. If I get a bit anxious or wound up about something, she’s great to talk to and she’s got a great presence. They’re like my friends.
Are there many similarities between your childhood and theirs, especially growing up in the same place now?
Completely! It’s the exact same town in Thurles that I grew up in. Aoife’s in the same secondary school that I went to – obviously there’s all new teachers there now, but it’s great. Tadhg goes to school close by. He loves the hurling, Gaelic football, soccer and rugby, whereas Aoife loves horse riding, volleyball, badminton and basketball. They’re very involved in all the sports. I’ve all my family around, my parents, so they’ve quite a similar upbringing to what I had. I loved mine. I had a great childhood.
Your parents must love having you all so close.
They really do, but we love having them nearby just as much! We’re a big happy family. We genuinely get along really well. I’m blessed. My mother was there with me throughout it all, she was by my side every step of the way. She helped me raise the kids. We’re winging it, both of us! [laughs] Me and my mammy are best friends. She’s amazing – and she’s got guts! She’s really, truly great. She’s a great friend of mine, and a great support too. I’d be lost without her.
Do you think you’d ever have the desire to leave Thurles or can you see yourself having a very happy life there for the foreseeable?
I don’t think I’d leave. The kids are so happy and so settled, and I do everything for them. I just want them to be content. I find my happiness through them, and once they’re in a good place and content, that’s the most important thing. Some days I think about how I never expected to come back to my hometown with my kids, and I don’t want to exaggerate, but we’re very happy here now.
Happiness is the most important thing at the end of the day, isn’t it?
100 per cent. That’s all I want, that’s all I’ve ever wanted.
Tell us Una, do you guys have any nice summer plans?
Would you believe me if I said I haven’t even thought about it? [laughs] They’re in America now so they’re fine. All I’m thinking of is the music and getting out there, performing it. Performing is what I love to do. I’d love to do a load of summer shows. But we’ve no holidays booked, I haven’t thought about it yet. We might go away in August, that’s a nice time for a break, isn’t it?
It is! Between travelling, being on the road etc. are you more conscious of looking after your skin? Flying, stage lights and all the rest, we’d imagine it can take its toll?
Oh yeah, you’ve no idea! I teamed up with No7 for their Prime Forever range. I’ve been using it for the last month and I’ve gone through the serum already, I use it twice a day, morning and evening. I’ve a good routine now. The cleanser is great to wash the day away. I apply the serum, moisturiser and then the primer which has SPF 50 in it. I love to protect my skin and this range has amazing ingredients in it. I’m very proud to be an ambassador for them.
What’s your hero product?
I love the eye patches! Once you keep them clean, they can last up to a year. They’re reusable and you can pair them with the other products from the range. I apply the serum and then put the patches on top to let it all soak in. And if you put them in the fridge for 15 minutes before, they’re so cooling! That’s probably a mini form of self care we spoke about earlier.
You said earlier you’re always busy and on the go, so do you love the convenience of the eye patches being able to pop them on and go about the rest of your business?
Anything that double-jobs is good for me! I love any opportunity to multi-task and these are so handy for that. I also love the fact that they’re so sustainable as well since they’re reusable. I’ve had loads of people comment and compliment me on my skin and that’s always nice to hear – this is the reason for that!
Being in the public eye, do you find people comment a lot on your looks, is there pressure to put your best foot forward?
Yes to both. I focus internally as much as externally now though. You have to remember the skin is the largest organ in your body and whatever you put on externally is being absorbed inside. You want to trust what you’re putting on, I’m conscious of knowing that things are science-backed, good quality with great ingredients that I can trust. I want to look after myself as much as possible, in every capacity.
We love to hear it! Well Una, lets wrap that here and go get some photos!
Playing dress up is my favourite part! Thanks again for having me VIP!
