Saturday with Tolü Makay: 'When I’m on stage my main concern is connecting with the audience'

I want the audience to have an experience – to go home feeling that they got an emotional reaction from the show and were communally involved.

Tolü Makay performing at Live at St Luke’s during the Guinness Cork Jazz Festival. Picture: Darragh Kane

11.00

I’ll get up around 11am, but if I’m on tour I’ll need to wake up a bit earlier. I’ll get ready, pack my bag and make my way to the location of the gig. I always bring my clothes, makeup, earphones, black paper and metallic pens for writing out my set list (I can see the writing on stage without having to squint), my water bottle and some lemon and honey.

I like to dress up because it adds to the storytelling of the show. I have loved working with some of the graduate designers from last year’s Ireland Fashion Week. An established designer I’ve spoken about that I love is Claire Garvey – she is amazing. A creative force and such a sweet person. I’m always figuring out my style, my sound and what I want to look like.

12.00

If I was at home I’d have my breakfast, I’ll check social media and maybe watch a show. I love my reality shows and binge heavily on everything Hayu - Real Housewives and The Pitt. Since doing Dancing with the Stars I’ve been taking good care of myself so I’ll have oats with vanilla yoghurt and chia seeds and two sausages on the side which will keep me full for hours.

14.00

I do batch cooking so I’ll have salmon and sweet potatoes for lunch which I’ve already prepared. At the moment I’m living in Clontarf in Dublin and it has inspired me to be more active –every time I open the window I see someone running or walking their dog.

15.00

On a gig day I take things very slowly and try not to do too much because I expend a lot of energy while performing. I like to take at least 30 minutes to myself without talking before a gig because the quickest way for me to lose my voice is to talk too much.

17.00

I’ll have a shower, start putting on my makeup, do a vocal warm-up and go through the set list in my head.

19.00

If I’m at home I’ll have noodles, homemade jerk chicken, two eggs and stir fried veg. I am obsessed with kimchi so I’ll have some of that on the side with some olives. In 2021 when I did my first Irish tour I’d always request sushi because it’s light but filling. My current obsession is seafood chowder so I’ll have that an hour or two before the show. I need energy to perform and don’t like being hungry 30 minutes into a performance.

Tolü Makay. Picture: Evan Doherty

20.00

When I’m on stage my main concern is making sure I’m connecting with the audience. I want them to have an experience – to go home feeling that they got an emotional reaction from the show and were communally involved. I don’t want them to feel that I was just singing at them. It’s also important for me to have fun with my band on stage.

For my upcoming tour I’m going to be doing things differently. There will be more movement on stage for a start – having done Dancing with the Stars why not? And, having seen how stage design and lighting can amplify the storytelling, I would love to incorporate more of that into my show.

Being on the show also gave me more confidence in myself as a performer. During the week I looked like I had two left feet but on Sunday, as soon as the seats were filled, I became a different person – it’s not about you as a person anymore – it’s about making the performance exciting for the audience.

21.00

If I’m not gigging I’ll head over to a friend’s house. We’ll watch random YouTube videos, sometimes political. I need to understand what’s going on in the world – I can’t have my head stuck solely on my own thing. Otherwise I’ll be with my housemates, having a laugh.

22.30

If I’m gigging I love to hang around and speak to people afterwards, look at their faces, shake their hands and see how the gig made them feel. Depending on whether we’ve another gig the next day or not I might have a pint with the band.

23.30

If I’m on tour, I’ll head back to my hotel, wash my face, have a shower, watch a show and have tea to wind down. On nights that I can’t sleep I play Sudoku and puzzles on my phone. If I am experiencing heightened emotions I’ll sing into my phone or write poetry, some of which I’ve been sharing on my Substack.

• Tolü Makay’s EP ‘People Still Cry in the Summer’ is available now. She has announced an Irish Tour for 2026 including a headline show at The Sugar Club in Dublin on November 26. Tickets are available via singularartists.ie.