We sat down with Lyra to catch up on the songs that made her and what she’s listening to on repeat…
The song I listen to on repeat is…Weird Club! Not just because it is mine, but because it carries such a
strong message about belonging and finding your tribe.
My favourite sing-along track is…Oh, it has to be Let It Go from Frozen. My sister has two little girls and we regularly end up dancing around the living room in plastic high heels and clip-on earrings, singing our hearts out. Secretly, I think I love it even more than they do.
When I’m in a bad mood I listen to… Africa by Toto. There is just something about that song that lifts my soul. Those harmonies and that chorus are pure magic. The second it comes on, I cannot help but sing along and suddenly whatever was weighing me down feels lighter.
An artist I’m loving at the moment is… Sofia Isella. I came across her music recently and was instantly hooked. Her songwriting has this raw honesty to it and her voice just pulls you right in.
When I was growing up I listened to… A lot of Enya and Sinéad O’Connor. Their music showed me the power of an Irish voice on the world stage and it made me believe that someone from a small place could reach big audiences. Hearing them gave me the courage to dream that maybe one day I could do the same.
The best concert I was ever at was… Beyoncé at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The staging, the lights, the ten-thousand-million outfits, it was pure spectacle from start to finish. I spent half the night trying and failing to copy her dance moves and the other half screaming my lungs out.
My favourite show I’ve ever performed was… Headlining Cork Opera House. To walk out on that stage in my home county and see it packed with people who have supported me from the very start was a full-circle moment I will never forget. The energy in the room was electric, and I felt so proud to be up there representing where I come from. It was pure magic.
The albums or vinyls everyone should have at home are… Rumours by Fleetwood Mac and 25 by Adele. Rumours is unbeatable songwriting, every track is a masterpiece. 25 is proof that raw emotion never goes out of style. They are the kind of records you put on and instantly feel something deep in your bones.
My guilty pleasure track is… Barbie Girl by Aqua. I know every single word and I sing it with far too much passion. If someone handed me a plastic tiara and a pair of glittery heels, I would be straight up there giving it my all, full choreography included. I reckon it should be on every karaoke playlist ever made.
Lyra is going on tour nationwide this winter, with shows across the country including Kilkenny, Waterford, Drogheda, Cork, Castlebar, Galway, Mullingar, Limerick, before closing at Dublin’s 3olympia Theatre on 4th December. For full tour information visit Lyra.ie.
