Ryan Cahill EP Launch at Sugar Club
By Aideen O'Flaherty
EMOTIVE lyrics and raw vocals that are bolstered by acoustic guitar strums are the hallmarks of Palmerstown native Ryan Cahill’s music.
The talented musician, who is a past pupil of Coláiste Phádraig in Lucan, draws inspiration from legendary musicians like Otis Redding and Bruce Springsteen and can fluidly switch from performing ethereal covers to bringing his own moving self-penned songs to the stage.
The 26-year-old’s cover of JP Cooper’s ‘September Song’ catapulted him into the shortlist of the Le Crunch Apple of My Eye Song Contest last year, and now Ryan is preparing to release his debut EP ‘Ghosts’ which will showcase his original material.
Ryan took some time out to speak to his local paper about what inspires him to write music, the theme of his upcoming EP and playing his biggest headline show to date in The Sugar Club next month.
When did you realise that you had a passion for making music?
I always loved music from a young age, but I never played any instruments. I started writing songs when I was 17 and then I didn’t actually pick up a guitar until I was 21. I’ve never really looked back since.
How did you feel when you wrote your first song? What was it about?
My first song was actually about when two friends passed away in a car crash when I was in school, I’d never written a song, or even really sang in front of anyone except my parents, before that. As soon as I found out what happened, I just kind of wanted to get my feelings down on paper and that ended up being my first ever song. I don’t play it anymore but I still remember all the words.
Where do you get the inspiration for your songs?
The inspiration for my songs comes from so many different places. Sometimes they can come from my own experiences, sometimes from things I see happening in my friends’ lives. The majority, if not all, of my love songs are usually based on my grandparents and my parents. They’ve both been together from a very young age and have stayed strong the whole way through – it’s easy to take inspiration from them.
You made it to the semi-finals of the Le Crunch Apple of My Eye Song Contest last year, what was that experience like?
That was a really cool experience, it’s always nice for someone to recognise you for something, and kind of be like “Hey, you’re actually pretty good”. This year I got to go down to support my friend Dan who ended up winning the contest, so that was great too.
Can you tell me about your debut EP, ‘Ghosts’?
‘Ghosts’ is my debut EP, a lot of the songs on it are pretty close to my heart. There are five songs in total, the first four songs for me are arranged in an order to tell a story. They tell the story of how relationships grow from start to finish.
How does it feel to be releasing an EP for the first time?
It genuinely feels amazing. I have some incredibly talented friends who have worked hard with me to put this EP together. It’s fantastic to finally be getting something I’m really proud of out there. Also, after selling out my Whelan’s date at my last headline show, I’m really excited to Launch ‘Ghosts’ in The Sugar Club next month, it will be my biggest headline show to date. All in all, it’s an incredible feeling.
‘Ghosts’ will be released on June 10, which will be followed by the EP launch in The Sugar Club on Friday, June 15 at 7pm. Tickets for the EP launch are €12 and are available from Ryan’s website, www.ryancahillmusic.com
