Ailbhe Reddy: ‘The Irish music scene is deserving of lots of funding and love’

An artist who’s been carving out her own alt-indie-folk niche since she first arrived on the scene with her 2016 EP, Hollowed Out Sea, Ailbhe Reddy’s emotional sensitivity has made her a force to be reckoned with. Her debut album, Personal History, was nominated for an RTÉ Choice Music Prize, and her sophomore album, Endless Affair, released last year, asserted the artist as a lyricism with a unique ability to delve into the personal, and emerge with the universal.

Currently working on her third album that’s set to be released next year, Ailbhe is travelling into The Burren this weekend to tease crowds gathered at Common Threads: A Voyage of Music & Art with some new songs. Taking place from 11-12 October in North Co. Clare, the festival also includes performances from John Francis Flynn, House Plants, and Negro Impacto.

Read on for our interview with Ailbhe…

Tell me about your start in the industry. Was a career in the music business always something you aspired to?

I always wanted to be a songwriter, as a kid I was always making up songs and teaching myself instruments and different covers to play. I would come up with incredibly depressing songs and a life I hadn’t really experienced yet, which is pretty funny looking back. I took myself really seriously too, much to the amusement of all the adults around me! So yeah, I always wanted to be in a band, or something. I never thought I’d be a singer, but I suppose that’s just how things shook out because I was always writing.

Who else are you most looking forward to seeing on the Common Threads lineup?

Dan Smith and Sorcha Richardson, but of course.

What has been the highlight of your career so far?

Getting to work with people I love and admire, getting to travel, getting to do something I love and make something new from scratch every few years.

Who are some of your big sonic inspirations?

Big Thief, Julia Jacklin, Jeff Buckley, The Shins, Andy Shauf. I could keep going. It’s changing all the time.

Who are three up-and-coming acts we should have on our radar, Irish or otherwise?

Maria Kelly, Patricia Lalor and Dose.

Over a year on from the release of Endless Affair, do you have plans for your next release?

Yes, I’m almost finished my third album, which will be out next year, so I’ll be doing some touring and such by the end of 2025.

Photography by Su Mustecaplioglu

Common Threads: A Voyage of Music & Art takes place 11-12 October in The Burren, Co. Clare. Find out more on their website.