To mark International Women’s Day we asked seven of our favourite artists to talk about the women in music who have inspired them. Each offer up an incredible insight into what inspires them as artists alongside some beautiful photography.
AOIBHA – Inspired by Norah Jones
Music was a big part of my childhood. This was largely thanks to my dad, who was always singing in the car and showing me his favourite music from the 1970s and 1980s. Although we listened to a wide variety of music, the usual suspects were artists like Norah Jones, Van Morrison, Joni Mitchell and Carole King. In particular, Norah Jones stands out as an artist who has greatly inspired me over the years and has been central to my understanding and appreciation of music. As a child, I remember listening to the ‘Come Away With Me’ album on repeat; never getting tired of hearing the same songs play over and over.
Norah Jones has inspired me in many ways; as both a writer and a pianist. I always dreamed of being able to play piano like Norah Jones, and I studied hard for my piano exams in the hope that one day I might be able to do a decent rendition of my favourite song: ‘Don’t Know Why.’ As musicians, I think we always hope for that ‘pin drop moment;’ when the room falls silent and people stop to listen. Norah Jones has a way of captivating every room that she performs in, from the moment she strikes her first piano chord. Her effortless playing, coupled with her signature vocal, has always filled me with a sense of calm. I often listen to her music when I’m feeling stressed or anxious, as it slows down my mind and helps me to feel grounded.
I feel grateful that I was introduced to Norah Jones’ music at such a young age, and have no doubt that I will carry her melodies and lyrics with me for the rest of my life and musical career.
Ciara O’Neill – Inspired by Lisa Hannigan
There were so many female artists that came to mind when thinking of my musical inspirations but the person who I kept coming back to was Lisa Hannigan. I’ve been a fan of Lisa’s ever since I first heard her voice on the album O by Damian Rice and have followed her solo career ever since.
There are so many things I love about Lisa; her voice is like no other, her ability to falsetto while staying so beautifully quiet and her poetic lyrics playing with both sadness and humour have kept me coming back to her music. However what inspires me the most about Lisa is her quiet unassuming beauty onstage which is so magical, she holds a room with her voice alone with no need for theatrics and I think that is a really special thing.
From a personal point of view I have always been a very quiet person, I like being the observer in the room and becoming a performer was never something I believed I could do but there was always something inside me that wanted to perform my own songs. A literal turning pointing for me was seeing Lisa live in Belfast back in 2011. It was a beautiful gig but what struck me the most was how human and vulnerable she was and that really resonated with me.
Being on stage is not something I’m totally comfortable with, I do feel very exposed and vulnerable a lot of the time but watching Lisa perform over the years has taught me that its ok to be your own authentic self on stage and your vulnerabilities are what the audience will connect with. From one Cailín Ciúin to another thanks Lisa for inspiring me to keep getting up on those scary stages!
Girl For Sale – Inspired by Carly Rae Jepsen
Last February, I was making my way to Dublin’s Olympia Theatre to see Carly Rae Jepsen. “She has more than one song?” scoffed my taxi driver. Sure, you would’ve been living under a rock to miss the global pop radio hits of Call Me Maybe (2012) and I Really Like You (2015). But there is so much more to the Canadian singer, who first found success on Canadian Idol in 2007. Emotion, her third album, is truly a ‘no skips’ record. She takes her time with albums, each one with its own distinct style and sound. A prolific writer, she also brought back the B-side, releasing bonus albums of songs that didn’t quite make the cut, some of which are her greatest work (‘Comeback’ featuring Bleachers? Perfection).
I love Carly because she is a master of vulnerability. Her songs often lean into the confessional: “If I love you then I love you too much” / “I paid to toughen up in therapy” / “I should’ve asked you to stay, begged you to stay”. She also brings a sense of humour to pop music. “I’ve got a lake house in Canada and I’m probably gonna harvest your organs,” sings one of her less-than-suitable suitors on ‘Beach House’. “Hey Joe’s calling me over, Tino is calling me over,” she chirps on ‘I Didn’t Just Come Here To Dance’, referencing the song’s two co-writers.
I feel lucky – as someone who spent almost their entire twenties grappling with insecurity and keeping my art under wraps – that we have shining examples of women in their 30s and beyond in music who only grow more confident in their craft as they age. I sometimes feel when I’m asked about influences that I have to describe dark nights of the soul wrapped up with Joni Mitchell’s discography. But I’ve never felt freer or more inspired than I did last February, jumping wildly to Carly’s last song, ‘Cut To The Feeling’, thinking, this may be the best pop song ever written.
Lucy Bell – Inspired by The Staves
The Staves are a band who I find to be particularly inspiring. Their music has been incredibly impactful on me and my influences from when I first began listening to them. I’ve been lucky enough to watch them perform live on multiple occasions and after each encounter, I gain a newfound confidence in my own music from being so astounded by theirs. They have an amazing ability to command a room of thousands in such an intimate way that makes it feel like every conversation and song is being directed at you personally.
Their connection on stage with each other is infectiously joyous and is then heightened by their intricately delicate harmonies that blend in a way that only sister’s voices could. I’m drawn to their music in particular because it doesn’t end at being a single song or a band. It’s an experience that has the ability to intertwine into your friendships and relationships. I found this in particular with ‘Good Woman’, their last studio album. It combined a loudness and anger of figuring out what it is to be a good person, a good woman, “and what does that even mean?” whilst also bringing in themes of love, death and birth, making it impossible as a listener to not be moved by their lyrics and music.
Throughout their live performances they share memories of friends, family and each other on stage which allows the audience to, as a result, make their own connections and memories with their songs. I find that they manage to be equally captivating and entertaining, whether stripped back or with a full band, in such a genuine manner that it inspires me to try and write more honest music that would, if I’m lucky, garner some sort of similar feeling that they create for me when I listen to their songs.
ROE – Inspired by Raye
Can we just talk about how incredibly inspiring Raye is. After 5 years of being trapped in a four album deal with a huge label that refused to release her debut, she went on to release it independently. Through this she finally got the recognition she deserved and a record-breaking amount of awards. She’s living proof that standing up for yourself and the art you create is worthwhile. I’m in awe of her artistry and the amount of her soul that you can hear through her music.
My 21st Century Blues is an incredible album, and I can’t wait for the day I finally see her live because I’m obsessed with how powerful of a performer she is. I’m hopeful for independent artists in a broken industry like ours because of women like Raye. Hard work and perseverance pays off and for tiny artists like myself, seeing Raye finally have her moment is one of the most encouraging and beautiful things I’ve ever seen.
After taking a year away from releasing music because of burn out, I’m getting ready to release again. It’s daunting to put music out into the world especially as an independent artist because you have no idea what the reaction might be. Raye is one of the reasons I’m so excited to to embrace the freedom that comes with being independent. I can’t wait for whatever comes next.
Sasha Samara – Inspired by Taylor Swift
My love for Taylor Swift has been a slow burn. Ten years ago, I could be found learning her song ‘Speak Now’ on my tiny, £30 ukulele from Argos for my first GCSE Performing Arts assessment. I was so taken with her storytelling, her voice and her relatable teenage angst. However, fast-forward a few years, and I readily joined in on the criticism of her albums ‘1989’ and ‘reputation’ (now my favourite albums); happy to be critical of her boundary-pushing pop offerings and celebrity shenanigans. Looking back at my teenage self, I see now that I rallied against Swift in the same way some teenage girls, myself included, reject symbols of femininity, like the colour pink, UGGs and pop music to assert “I am unique – I am not like every other girl.” (I have since realised it’s actually really great to be like other girls.)
As I grew up, and decided at 22 to pursue a career in music, I reconnected with her work, enamoured with how she wrote incredible, moving songs while dealing with increasing adversity. Now, she not only continues to push herself creatively as a songwriter and physically as a performer, but has also cultivated her kindness, generosity, and resilience. Reading stories of how she lavishly tips service staff and how well she treats her touring crew encourages me and gives me hope for how the music industry can be shaped into a kinder place. Above all, her resilience is what inspires me the most. In spite of all of the cruel treatment she has been subjected to by the media, and the various setbacks she has faced as an artist, she continues to fiercely pursue her craft, all while championing others and advocating for important causes.
YINYANG – Inspired by Missy Elliott
An artist I look up to is Missy Elliot, she is one of the baddest of them all. She came on the scene and smashed down the male-dominated hip-hop world with absolutely no fear, she had her own unique cutting edge sound, style and everything she did was iconic and totally true to herself as an artist and a person. Missy started out grinding hard, sleeping in the studios, working day and night to cultivate her sound and not only is that inspiring in itself when you see the magnitude of what she created; she is a producer, rapper and songwriter and has produced huge hits for herself, but also for the likes of Beyonce and Whitney Houston. She’s a real boss.
I love that she doesn’t take herself too seriously as an artist and has a lot of fun with it. She’s always seemed to be so ahead of the curve, particularly in her music videos which were so futuristic at the time, and still are. She created her own fun world visually, even down to fashion which was so out of the box and body positive, especially considering this was the era of male gaze popstars. She wore a big blow-up bin bag ffs and still made it cool. It was and still is refreshing to see.
I have memories of putting on Missy Elliot when I was wee, rapping and dancing as if I was her and imagining I was playing Wembley or something daft. I just thought she was the coolest thing about, and I still do. Missy is a whole different fresh feminine force; it is pure powerful freedom. The first time I heard her album ‘Respect M.E.’ I almost lost my mind, it is WILD. She even says herself on the album, ‘my style cannot be duplicated or recycled, this chick is a sick individual.’ How cool.
I have so much respect for Missy Elliot for fearlessly pushing the boundaries of her art, sound and visuals, the sheer resilience and vision is inspiring. She is now the first female rapper to be on the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and so well deserved! This has potentially opened the door for more female rappers to get their place which is amazing. There is only one Missy Elliot, and that’s why she is so influential to me. She has paved the way for more female artists to come through and be experimental and fearlessly craft their art on their terms, which to me is what making art is about.
