Athlone singer Lucy Fitzgerald releases first solo single 'What We Do'

by Rebekah O'Reilly

Athlone native singer-songwriter Lucy Fitzgerald, known as Lucyy, released her first solo single titled 'What We Do' on Thursday last (August 14).

The 21-year-old performer grew up in the town, having attended Athlone Community College secondary school, before moving on to study music at the British and Irish Modern Music Institute (BIMM) in Dublin.

Lucy first started writing her own songs at the age of 19, and has since focused her efforts on creating music with her band, Retrograde.

The six-piece band met studying music in Dublin and have since nurtured their signature sound which focuses on Indie Soul-Pop fused with elements of Disco, RnB and Reggae.

Their single 'Goodbye Boy' was released in February of this year and garnered quite the response. Lucy said: “I think it was more exciting than scary – when you're in a group it's definitely less scary.”

The band played a number of gigs in the capital city - which Lucy credits for developing her performance skills. The gigs included performing at venues such as Whelans, and Workman's Cellar, as well as their first headliner gig at The Soundhouse's Summer Series event.

Now the young woman is stepping into the spotlight on her own with her first solo single, 'What We Do'.

The single received quite the response from Lucy's fanbase, with the singer saying that the reaction has been great so far.

“It's scary to put yourself out there in a creative way, of course, [but releasing music] is even more fulfilling when you get a good reaction,” said Lucy.

Speaking about what inspired her to go solo, Lucy said that it took time to find herself as an artist.

“It took a lot of time to figure out what my sound was. I was experimenting with RnB, and then I figured it out at the start of this year.”

The 21-year-old names artists like SZA and Amy Winehouse as some of her biggest influences due to their openness in their song writing. “I love vulnerability in music,” Lucy said.

When asked whether she might have anything exciting planned for the year ahead, Lucy said: “I'm working on new music as a solo artist, and I'll definitely be gigging in the next year.”

'What We Do' by Lucyy is now available on all streaming platforms. You can keep up with Lucy's music journey on Instagram @itslucyythesinger.