Susan shares message of hope and inner strength

LAHINCH-based singer-songwriter Susan Quirke has shared a new single ‘To the Bone’, which features on her eagerly-anticipated debut album Into the Sea, due out next month.

The single is described as “a timely, soothing, and uplifting song” about drawing on our personal reserves of strength in times of trouble.

“Many people are experiencing deep pain, grief, loneliness and isolation as a result of the pandemic,” Susan said. “In many ways suffering is part of the human journey, as is the tremendous courage, resilience and strength people can often demonstrate during tough times.”

Susan’s reasons for writing the song are deeply personal, but speak to the universal struggles created by Covid-19. “I wrote this song for someone in my life who was going through a difficult time,” she said. “It was written as an invocation for them, calling on them to remember their power and strength. It’s also written as a balm to soothe people’s hearts and minds. It starts off quietly and then builds and builds to a full band sound, creating a call to the vast strength that lies deep within us all. It contains a blessing encoded in the lyrics that sings to the elements of nature that we can receive healing from: earth, wind, fire, water. In moments of pain and grief, there is an ancient well we can draw on inside us. To the bone is a reminder of something we sometimes forget – that we’re strong to the bone.”

Susan is a singer, songwriter, musician, meditation teacher, and also a multi-award-winning social entrepreneur for her work in the field of wellbeing and mental health. Originally from Oola in County Limerick, she has performed for figures such as the Dalai Lama and the President of Ireland in Áras an Uachtaráin. RTÉ presenter Fiachna Ó Braonáin has described Susan as “a gifted Irish artist that needs to be heard” with “a voice that pulls you right in”.

‘To the Bone’ features some Irish musical veterans including Colm Mac Con Iomaire on violin, Colm Quearney on guitar, Robbie Malone on bass, Justin Carroll on piano and Graham Hopkins on drums. The song was engineered by Ruth Kennington and Rían Trench, mastered by Grammy award-winner David Odlum, and co-produced by Susan Quirke and Colm Quearney.

The track is available to stream on Spotify, Apple Music, Bandcamp and other platforms. More details of the release of the album Into the Sea are available on Susanquirke.com.