Irish singer-songwriter Megan Nic Ruairí releases her second single as a solo artist this week.
Donegal-born Megan Nic Ruairí is a musician you might recognise from playing with the band Big Love or the trad/folk family band Clann Mhic Ruairí. Today, we are premiering the new single from Megan, which arrives officially tomorrow and marks the start of a body of work to come.
‘The Woods’ is a piano-assisted track that draws from trad, ambient and contemporary music, on a song that builds to a swirling crescendo, drawing on a melody that has been with the artist since the age of 14.
The song is a conversation between two versions of the songwriter, ” one filled with happiness and the other grappling with identity and emotions. The duality of the inner conflict is paired with the metaphor of the woods as a representation of self-discovery and self-acceptance.
Megan’s art and lyrics are informed by her experience of being diagnosed with Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a condition that includes having few, unusual or very long periods.
Nic Ruairí was misdiagnosed over the years, leading to mental health struggles and eventually, proper treatment and understanding.
“Releasing this song from such a positive place has allowed me to finally claim back my power, confidence, and sensuality, which had been tucked away for long enough. My love for nature has always been a crutch, and the woods became a metaphor for who I am. This song is a conversation between the happier and sadder versions of myself, and I now welcome both in, with no judgment.”
Megan Nic Ruairí
