Athlone musician releases debut single

by Emily Sheehan

Athlone based musician, songwriter and producer Leah Moloney – performing under the pseudonym Liadh – is set to release her single 'Can't Face The Day' this Friday, August 2.

The vibrant song echoes with a blend of alt-pop upbeat rhythm set to insightful and emotional lyrics.

'Can't Face The Day' is Liadh's first single from her upcoming EP, Illusions.

The song balances upbeat tempo with vulnerability, with Liadh seeking to “inspire hope, and make people feel less alone” through her discussions of issues relating to mental health and sobriety.

“I've always been fascinated by the mind,” Leah notes, crediting her background in Psychology, in which she has a degree from Trinity College Dublin, as allowing her to “stand out.”

“I know how powerful and just how healing music can be.”

Liadh previously contributed her vocals to a song by fellow Athlone musician Rob Irwin, recorded in Lakeland Studios in 2021, though Liadh is to make her solo debut with the release of her EP.

'Can't Face The Day' delves into themes of mental health and sobriety, with Liadh drawing on her own experiences to provide a voice to issues she “has never heard mentioned in songs”.

Speaking to the Westmeath Independent, Liadh spoke about depression, disassociation, and sobriety as motivators for her work.

“I want my music to reach the people who need it most, though I know it sounds cliché to say”, Leah noted.

Speaking on her experiences with disassociation, she recalled that “I thought I was the only person in the world with these issues, I thought I was going insane.”

“I'm very vulnerable in the song, but there is hope running through it too. I'd like to inspire people to look into these topics,” Liadh continued, “To let people know that it's not over, it's not the end.”

The creation of the single was the work of an all-female team – with award-winning producer Lisa Murray co-writing, mixing and producing the song, Bristol-based Izzy McPhee acting as the mastering engineer, and Róisín McGrath acting as the art director and photographer.

Speaking about her experience with her co-writer, Liadh was resoundingly positive, noting that labelling Murray as "so freaking cool".

Finding a good producer “is like dating”, Leah laughed - noting that with Lisa, it was like “magic”. “I am so in awe of everything she's done.”

“Lisa has a real talent for bringing the artist's vision to life – she really listened to me, she's absolutely incredible.”

Illusions also seeks to explore the relationship between pop culture and literature, an area of particular interest to Liadh. “I'm really into psychological thrillers” Leah laughs, commenting on the blurred lines between literature, music, and pop culture.

“All different art forms merge into each other, they bleed into each other, and this is something I hope to explore”

“With pop music, it doesn't have to be just about love – it could be influenced by a book, or by a character.”

'Can't Face The Day' was recorded at The Playground studios in Dublin, and is now available on all major streaming platforms.

Further information is available on Liadh's social media pages on Instagram, Facebook, Threads,

and Tiktok.