Cork singer Stephanie Rainey pours her heart into her music

The tragic death of her nephew inspired Stephanie Rainey to write a song in his honour, writes Ed Power

THE words to ‘Please Don’t Go’ came unbidden to Stephanie Rainey as she stood shivering at a friend’s hospital bedside. The songwriter was taken back to the death, a decade earlier, of her infant nephew, claimed by meningitis the day after his first birthday. She went home, cried a little, and poured her feelings into her music.

Six months later, ‘Please Don’t Go’ had charted in the US and Rainey was being sweet-talked by record labels. As you can imagine, she is still pinching herself.

“In hospital, I was suddenly overwhelmed,” says the 29-year-old, from Glanmire, just outside Cork City. “I was struck by the feeling I’d had when I lost my nephew as a teenager. It’s a hard thing to describe — it’s like your heart being broken.”

Rainey was recently unveiled as a new signing by Warner Records, the label that helped make Ed Sheeran a global star.

“‘Please Don’t Go’ went viral, and I was receiving calls from America — ‘you know you’re in the charts here’. It’s funny — it doesn’t strike me as a radio hit. I never imagined people would respond to it. But whenever I play it, the audience goes incredibly quiet.”

‘Please Don’t Go’ is not a therapeutic song: It did not lessen the pain of her nephew’s passing. Yet Rainey takes satisfaction in knowing it honours his memory, and that it has helped others cope with losses of their own.

“I’ve always been a fan of music that makes you feel something. When I sing it, I don’t ever come away completely devastated. It gives me a feeling of loneliness. I don’t think that’s a bad thing. I appreciate songs that help you connect with feelings you have but which you might be cut off from.”

At the time, Rainey was getting by as a music teacher and occasional live performer (she had studied music management and sound at Coláiste Stiofáin Naofa in Cork). Without giving it any great thought, she put together a low-budget video for ‘Please Don’t Go’ and posted it on YouTube. Several months later she received a phone call from an American management agency: Was she aware the track was creating waves in the US?

To date, the video has racked up half a million YouTube hits, making it an invaluable springboard for Rainey: “There is a bit of schmoozing,” she says. “It’s quite nice. There are lot of lunches and stuff like that. But when you get down to it, this is a full-time job. I’m writing the album now and I’ve had to give up all of the other things I used to do. The sort of jobs you have to undertake to fund yourself can be exhausting. This is an amazing opportunity.”

She isn’t naive and understands a record deal is simply a first step. Rainey is also aware many artists have successfully followed a DIY route to the top.

“The main thing about a major label deal is that it takes the financial burden off of you,” she says. “There are definitely opportunities when you have a major at your back. That is where the benefits are. But I know I haven’t achieved anything yet. There’s still a lot of hard work ahead.”

Rainey hopes to put out an album within the next 12 months. It’s too early to go into specifics as she is still assembling material. Some big-name producers have been mentioned.

However, she feels it is best to wait until the songs are written before deciding who would be smartest to work with. “Some really cool names are being put forward. It would be great if we can get them. I’m very excited about the whole thing.”

‘Please Don’t Go’ is out now.