Cork singer Lyra: 'I spent a long time trying to be a different person to fit a box, and I was miserable'

Ahead of a headline slot at Live at the Marquee, Lyra talks to Ciara Byrne about heartbreak, hot-girl summers and sticking to her guns 

Lyra: “Coming from a little village where there are always sing-songs in the pub come 12pm — music has always been in me.” Photo: Mike Aldridge

Authenticity is not just a word that Lyra demands to live by, it’s essential to her being.

The Cork popstar is fast becoming known for her one-of-a-kind outfits and candid persona, but when she joins me from her couch on Zoom, the social media-dubbed ‘Bandon’s Beyoncé’ says it wasn’t always this way.

“I spent a long time trying to be a different person to fit a box, and I was miserable.”

The 31-year-old, who will headline Live at the Marquee tomorrow before embarking on the summer festival circuit with Kaleidoscope on June 28, spent her early 20s signed to a major label where she says she was constantly told to lose weight, change her accent.

“Obviously, I speak in a Cork accent and I don’t pronounce my ‘th’s’. My diction’s shocking,” she says, but Lyra didn’t want to be put in a box. A move to Irish label Rubyworks, who also look after Hozier, has given the singer the freedom to exist fully as herself.

“It is a place where I can 110% be myself. And I’m extremely accepted for that.

“There’s no questioning of me or my art or my vocals or how I look or how I talk or how I sound. It is extremely freeing. And it makes me a better artist.”

Off the back of a number one debut album and two sold out shows in Cork’s Opera House, the popstar is well-placed to headline the Marquee, but she admits she asked “who am I supporting?” when the call for the gig came in.

Headlining both hometown venues in one year stands as a career highlight to the singer, who started her career singing with her sister.

“I was like my sister’s backing vocalist at the start of my career,” Lyra laughs, admitting that she wanted to do whatever her older sister was doing — relegation to backing vocals, a natural part of any sibling dynamic. 

She was brought up “with a very musical background,” the tradition a huge part of both her family and community.

“Coming from a little village where there are always sing-songs in the pub come 12pm — music has always been in me.”

Shining through the screen is Lyra’s open nature. A will to be her whole, honest self is a character trait that Lyra affirms through her songwriting and live performances.

And the aforementioned couch has been the birthplace of many lyrics, holding a significant role in the singer’s otherwise traditional songwriting process.

“I wish to God this was more exciting,” she says with a smile. “Like, I start a lot of my songs at home on my couch in my pyjamas on my iPad.”

Down to earth couldn’t describe her better. The songs in question are a mix of heartbreak ballads and self-empowerment tunes.

Going through the motions of a breakup, Lyra recounts that a lot of her lyrics were “very angry and very sad,” but she didn’t want to make a breakup album.

“I was never going to have an album that was linear. I wanted to explore my sad songs and ballads.” Lyra says, “But I went out to LA and had a wild time after my breakup. I wanted those songs to sound a bit sexy and a bit gritty.”

Told repeatedly by the industry to stay in her lane and “stick to one genre,” the pandemic provided a reality check for Lyra. When taken away from all that she loved, she dropped the rules and started doing things her own way.

“Before covid, I might not have put this string of songs on an album. It took everything away from everyone and I realised that I might never get to do this again,” she admits. “Two years in lockdown is like a century in the music industry.”

Fatefully, the singer had a frank conversation with herself.

“I told myself; you need to start enjoying yourself and stop putting rules and regulations on your songwriting. I had so many emotions, and so many stories to tell. They couldn’t all be told in one genre.”

Lyra: "A lot of the outfits from the Irish tour were dresses that I bought in secondhand shops. I brought them to Carmen in Phoenix V and asked her to cut one into a leotard and make gloves out of the scraps." Photo: Mike Aldridge

Cork also plays a huge role in Lyra’s lyrical expression and the music that she creates.

“The first song that I wrote Emerald is about my nan,” she says, who lived on the opening of castle grounds in the county. White Lady follows suit, inspired by the ocean and roaring waves of West Cork.

Big, anthemic drums and Celtic sounds are a major influence that runs through the heart of her music. Previously compared to Kate Bush and Florence Welch, Lyra takes these comparisons in her stride, but ensures that her music
remains diverse — allowing her to step outside of the confines of comparison.

Her self-titled debut album Lyra was released in April, compiling an anthology of her life, experiences and influences in 14 tracks.

Opening the album, America creates an exposition for what’s to come. The Bandon star left her then home in Brighton to take a trip to LA after a heart-shattering break-up.

Having had her own hot-girl summer, America reflects the journey of leaving a long-term relationship and diving headfirst into the unknown of singlehood. “Gave it all, left my heart in America” the chorus rings.

Does she find that her life bleeds into her songwriting? In her own words, Lyra tells of the gut-wrenching end to her four-year-long relationship, which influenced a large part of her album.

“Some of the things he said to me really brought me down,” she reflects. “You don’t want to be told by someone that you love — who you thought might be the one — that you’re not intelligent enough, that you don’t have enough emotional intelligence. Hearing that from someone you’re so close with is heartbreaking. But I still wanted him back.”

When it comes to love and heartbreak, the messy details so often spared are no restraint for Lyra. The actions she’s not proud of. The messy reality. Lyra lays it all bare, admitting the naked truth and singing it with authority.

“People don’t tell you about that side of things,” Lyra begins, talking about how tightly she held on to a relationship that wasn’t working. “There was one really special moment in Galway, where I was explaining what [ Love Me For The First Time] was about, you know, my ex
dumping me and the things he said to me.

“There were three girls in the front row. And I felt like one of them was going through something similar because she was bawling crying and her two friends were hugging her. And I was so glad I told her how I felt — that it’s okay to let your guard down. And when love comes into the realm of the world, there are no rules.”

Music, of course, isn’t Lyra’s only passion. Style plays a huge role in her public image, and the role of stylist is one that she falls into with ease. Working with Liza Brennan of Phoenix V in Cork, Lyra brings a grand idea and Liza brings her vision to life in return.

“A lot of the outfits from the Irish tour were dresses that I bought in secondhand shops. I brought them to Carmen in Phoenix V and asked her to cut one into a leotard and make gloves out of the scraps. I really find that fun. It’s like taking something that someone else has worn and loved and completely recreating it.”

“Two of my top outfits from the Irish tour are recycled outfits.”

• Lyra plays Live at the Marquee tomorrow, June 16, Kaleidoscope on June 28 and Bulmers Live at Leopardstown on July 18. Her debut album ‘Lyra’ is out now