A Chat with Clare Cunningham

Clare Cunningham: 00:00:11

They were like, whatever you're doing, um, Yeah,

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you're gonna have to give it up.

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I don't know what you do.

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I don't know what your lifestyle is,

but you're gonna be dead in 15 years.

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That's what they said.

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And I was like, I just remember sliding

in the wall crying going, I got it.

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Something's gotta change.

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Jason English (Host):

It's probably not St.

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Patrick's day as you listen to

this episode, but today we are

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talking with Claire Cunningham and

I promise you we're all Irish for

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at least the next 30 minutes or so.

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The Irish singer songwriter

currently lives in Nashville and I

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met with her inside her room at the

residence in, in SanDestin, Florida.

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And she had stuff absolutely everywhere.

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Weights, a workout mat and a portable

sauna thing that looks like an igloo and a

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burrito decided to have some fun together.

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Her workout routine is her outlet.

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As she manages her entire venture as

an independent artist, she manages her

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website, social media presence, all

her concert and festival and interview

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bookings, her swag and merch table.

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It's a lot.

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She's got a lot going on and I

was fortunate she took time for

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me right before a performance.

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At the 30, a songwriter festival, 2023

was a breakout year for Clare with the

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debut on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry.

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And I'm sure last year set the

stage for even greater things.

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She hinted at the possibility

of a new Celtic album as well.

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She sings an acoustic

version of her anthem.

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I swear an incredible song of hope

and support, and you'll know the

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inspiration for it after you hear

the passion and commitment she has

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in helping others after the personal

transformation she's experienced as a

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person and artist over the last decade.

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Check her out on YouTube and social media.

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She has a lot of great

performances out there.

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Here's Clare Cunningham.

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Let's dive in.

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Clare Cunningham.

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So nice to meet you.

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Clare Cunningham: So nice to meet you!

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Jason English (Host): Welcome to Florida.

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Clare Cunningham: Thank you.

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Jason English (Host):

I don't live here, but

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Clare Cunningham: Yeah, where do you

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Jason English (Host): I live in Atlanta.

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We're at the 30 a songwriters festival.

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I was here last year.

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It's amazing because it's 30 venues,

all these artists it's impossible to

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see everything, but it's just different

because each venue is so intimate.

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Clare Cunningham: This

is my first 30A I've

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always wanted to play this one.

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Kind of was made aware of when I

moved here to the States in: 2018

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and of course it's a, it's a little

more prestigious than some of them.

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So you kind of have to get like

either invited in or have done some

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good things to be able to get in.

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And this year was, the year I got

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Jason English (Host): Well, congrats.

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That's

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Clare Cunningham: thank you.

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Yeah.

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I'm looking forward to it.

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Really looking forward to it.

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Jason English (Host): amazing.

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Uh, so it seems like 2023, it was a,

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giganticly huge

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year for you.

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You had so much going on.

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What were, what were

some of your highlights?

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Clare Cunningham: 2023 on a musical note

was definitely probably of the highest

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of standards.

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Mainly just because I got to debut at the,

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Opry, that was in March.

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So the year started off pretty, pretty

decent with getting the news of that.

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And then, anybody who gets to

Opry debut, sorry, at the Opry,

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like that's a big deal in itself.

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But then I also got invited, uh,

by Steve Earle, then to perform.

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Galway Girl with him, which like

growing up in Ireland, of course,

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like that's the song I grew up on.

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And then my biggest childhood hero, Mr.

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Garth Brooks, showed up on the

night to surprise everybody.

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And I got to meet him.

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And it was just like, it

was just one of the biggest

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highlights probably of my career.

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But, life goes on and then so the rest

of the year I got to, perform a lot of

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different things and I continue to do what

I do, but really for me, the highlight

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of any year is making a difference in

people's lives and so, you know, just

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receiving more messages of like people

who don't want to commit suicide or

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who say, you know, thank you for being

this voice that, we really still need

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in the world and that to me is like,

that's a successful year if I've managed

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to, , help others through their pain,

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Jason English (Host): That's way more

important than a hit record, right?

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Clare Cunningham: absolutely.

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And I'll say it time and time

again, whether people believe it

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or not, but like, I'm not here

for the Facebook likes and I'm not

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here for the money, the notoriety.

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I really, truly want to just

make a difference in the world.

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And however I can do that lyrically,

musically through my own life struggles,

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whatever, connecting with people on that

level, that that's, that's a good day.

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You know, that, that

to me is real success.

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Jason English (Host): So I, I believe

that every song has a story and

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I actually believe every musician

has a mission, even though they may

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not be so overt about it or not.

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Your mission is very clear.

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Like it's completely obvious in

every, almost every song you sing.

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And then, you know, in, in all the

content and the, in the interviews

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that you've done online and social,

social media, I guess for the

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people that aren't aware of you.

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What is your mission?

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Clare Cunningham: My main mission is

to leave this earth a little bit better

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than I came in, to be a voice of

inspiration, hope, and faith for those

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who feel like they can't talk or won't

talk to de-stigmatize conversations

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around mental health, through my music.

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And also show people that you

can do an array of things like

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you don't have to just focus on.

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One thing only, like it's, we, we are

a spiritual being, we're emotional, we

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have a physical need, we, you know, and

so I think I'm also big on my health and

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my fitness and, and so you as a human,

it, you're comprised of a lot more than

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just your physical body and making sure

that your mental health is in state.

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In check and your physical being and

emotional so it, you know, I'm trying

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to just show people that like you

gotta work on thy self, but also my

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testimony is a big part of that too.

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And so I know not everybody

who listens may have faith.

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But I want people to know, if you ever

just come across me and you think I'm

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all, you know, about Jesus and it's always

been that way, it definitely wasn't.

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And there's been a huge transition

in my life, having left all of

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that beautiful world to go follow

the devil for quite a while.

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Yeah, so I think You know, it's, it's,

it's a journey and, and I just want people

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to know that I'm here as your fellow human

as well, going through the same struggles

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and pain, um, but that, you gotta just

stay focused on, the present moment

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and don't look too far into the future.

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Don't look back.

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You're not going that way and

just continue life and, and

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you'll be, you'll be okay.

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But it doesn't come without

its hardships, of course.

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It's life.

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Jason English (Host): I think in

an interview, you mentioned that

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as a child and growing up you felt

silenced and that you didn't have

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a voice, can you expand on that?

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And was that a.

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Was that sort of like a traditional

religion sort of environment

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that you felt suppressed?

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Was it a family situation?

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Why didn't you feel like you had a voice?

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Clare Cunningham: Yeah, so

not everybody I guess has the,

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same cultural background I do.

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So I come from a very, very, very

tiny village in, in, in Ireland.

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And in general, and especially back,

we're going back quite a while, okay,

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I'm not as young as I used to be.

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People just didn't talk

about their feelings.

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Regardless of what was going on

in the family home or outside of

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it or in school or whatever, you,

never spoke about how you felt.

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That wasn't really the norm.

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So that's nothing wrong with culture,

it was just how it was back then.

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But yeah, I was the victim of some,

different things that happened to me

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in childhood and, due to legal reasons

and also, again, cultural reasons.

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It just kind of had to go under the

carpet a little bit, and throughout my

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adolescence, you know, there was a lot of

bullying that happened and, and different

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things like that, that again, I was so

shamed, even personally, like it wasn't

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even that I didn't have the option to,

I just always wanted to keep quiet about

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everything, and I did that until I was

around 27, 28, until I actually went and

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sought You know, a mental health therapy

and did cognitive behavioral therapy,

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which I highly recommend for people

who, feel like where's the first place

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I should start if you're looking to get

some help, because it kind of rewires

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and

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and rejigs your brain and I love studying

um, Brain, science, neurological

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science, , I think it's so interesting.

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We're all very, very interesting.

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Really my voice was, was

just not allowed to be

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given the

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way it is today.

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Now,

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Jason English (Host): which is

hard to imagine, I don't know you,

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but your personality and just how

strong you are, it's hard to imagine

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that you felt so suppressed, you

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Clare Cunningham: Yeah, well, I was a

completely different, I had a different

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mindset too, because I thought talking

about your feelings meant you were weak.

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If you, Were to admit there was an issue

in your life or that there was problems

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you were looked upon as less than or

that's at least what I thought, and so

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obviously has shifted over the years and

I had to kind of leave like I, I live

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a very kind of solo life if that makes

sense because I get very distracted by

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people and things I can lose myself if I

don't know if that actually makes sense,

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but, um, I had to kind of go on my own

pathway to be able to just focus on my

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calling and what I knew I had to do.

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And in order for me to do that,

I kind of needed a lot of like

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space, because my lifestyle and my.

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Livelihood is always around people.

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And so there's a lot of noise,

like physically but mentally too.

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Um, and I was always wanting to kind

of fit in but have my own way too.

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I would get called weird or strange or

like you're a little, and I still do.

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Like people don't

understand me as a person.

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But I don't really mind anymore

because I know what works.

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I'll take constructive criticism, but.

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I know what makes me happy and I

know how to best serve people around

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me if I've done what I need to do.

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And I think everybody should respect that.

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Like I need to respect others in their

lifestyles but others need to respect mine

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too and so when you tell me I'm boring for

not going out or I'm this or I'm too much

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or I train too much or I eat da da da, I'm

like just, just concentrate on yourself.

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I'll do the same.

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And I'll meet you somewhere in the

middle where, we can both have,

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a conversation or, or whatnot.

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Jason English (Host): What was the

timing of this sort of new focus on

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a mission to help people, be more self

aware and, pursue mental health describe

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that timing with your newfound faith

and sort of your, your testimony that

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you alluded to, did those, was it the

intersection of both of those things?

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Did that happen at the same time or

did they, was it independent of each

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Clare Cunningham: at the same time, or

did they, was it in the first place?

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like, the CBT, the Cognitive

Behavioural Therapy, worked for me,

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I wanted everyone to know about it.

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So I was more open in talking about the

fact that, hey, listen, I've tried this.

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I do believe there is an intersection

between the two for sure.

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Um, previous to me coming to, to Faith

as well, uh, once I had received the

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Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, um,

I actually wanted a lot of people

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to kind of be Be made aware of it.

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So, you know, when you find something

that works for you, you're like,

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Hey, everybody, look what worked.

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You might not get as much positivity

around it, but nobody who's ever

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made a difference in this world

or who is successful has ever come

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against, the grain, so to speak.

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I just kept going on that trajectory

and then, with coming to the, faith

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world that I kind of joined back in

: 2020

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I felt a little more open to be,

I was more free because I realized

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like I'm renewing myself now.

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I don't have to be ashamed of the

past or anything I've gone through.

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I'm a new creation now and that is a.

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Beautiful place to find yourself in

that it doesn't, it doesn't mean you

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go forward and you continue to sin,

but it means that's all forgiven.

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It's forgotten.

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Just go ahead and, and, and live life

now for, for him and, just be the

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person that you're designed to be.

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Jason English (Host): So I grew up in the

church, very active, all, my childhood.

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My earliest memories are, going

to Sunday school and church and I

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love a lot of those memories, but I

don't remember a lot of talk about

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self care and mental health, right?

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So I guess since this newfound

faith or renewed faith, um, has

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totally transformed who you are,

what's been the reception like of.

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The topic of mental health, going

to see therapists, et cetera.

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It feels like it should be more

accepting and more open than it

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would have been 30 years ago.

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I'm just curious, what have

you encountered with that?

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Clare Cunningham: Now, I had received

therapy and I did all of that prior to

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coming back to my faith, but there's

nothing wrong with seeking help.

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And there's nothing wrong

with taking medication if

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it's only for short term use.

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If you have no other way.

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Um, I don't condone not taking

it, but I do condone taking

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pills or taking, medication to

suppress what's really going on.

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Um, because everybody

comes with their issues.

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We don't escape life without that.

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And, um, there's something that you need

temporary, then, you know, But be mindful

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that it should only be for temporary use.

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Look, I've tried and tested, everything.

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I've tried and tested

different substances.

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I've gone to anything and everything

that I thought would give me temporary

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release, and it It does for a while

until you want the next thing.

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You don't necessarily need a church

to be Quote unquote religious, but in

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order for you to have a relationship

with the Holy Spirit like that's

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the most important relationship

You're gonna have in your life.

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You don't need to go somewhere with four

walls however you do need a community

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and you do need to be surrounded by

people who maybe can uplift you and

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Follow the same kind of good things

like we're meant to have them, you

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know, the fruits of the Spirit, right?

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Um,

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and if you're not seeking that You gotta

ask yourself, what are you seeking?

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Jason English (Host): So on that point.

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You were, part of a band

called Thunder Mother, right?

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Yeah.

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Was that the timing of sort of the,

those parts of your life, or was it even

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Clare Cunningham: God,

even before that, I think.

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I didn't really Look, I've always

been a really decent human.

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never been one to go around and

be, like, evil or anything like

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that, but the worldly things that

I was Searching for like, yeah,

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probably I did want more notoriety.

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I wanted notoriety when I was a

bit younger because I needed to

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quote unquote prove myself because

I chose a career that wasn't a real

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job, right, in other people's eyes.

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So when people do bring up like any

accolades I've done around, like,

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I'm just like, don't care for that.

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Like, I really don't like I it's

beautiful and don't get me wrong.

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I think it's it's a nice like ode

to what you're doing, but it's

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not what I strive for anymore.

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Um, but yeah, no prior to even getting

into the band in Sweden, like I

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think I was, I think I was around.

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13,

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when

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14, probably when I decided, Ah,

yeah, this lifestyle isn't for me.

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I'm gonna, I'm, I'm not,

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know?

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Screw the Lord, know.

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I was just like, I'm going, I'm leaving.

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This is, well, I saw

too much hypocrisy too.

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I saw people go to church that

were disgusting human beings

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and I was like, wait a minute.

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Everyone's saying they're nice, but

I know what they're really like,

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like.

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Jason English (Host): For those that

may not know Thunder Mother, what

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would you compare them to in terms

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Clare Cunningham: Oh yeah,

ACDC and Motorhead meets.

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Um, Yeah, it was, it was

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not the, it's not the Spice Girls.

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the furthest thing from the Spice Girls.

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Although I was still Scary

Spice probably, but, um, yeah.

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No, uh, very, very heavy classic metal

rock and roll, but like with a real

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cool groove, you know, ACDC was the

main influence of that band for sure.

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Very talented girls and it was, it was

a, it was a fun time but it was also some

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: 00:17:43

of the worst mental health I had had.

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: 00:17:45

I started having panic attacks.

307

: 00:17:47

I, I was at my illest when I was

in that band because just years and

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: 00:17:52

years of touring and dealing with um,

severe narcissism within the band.

309

: 00:17:57

I just, I wasn't enjoying myself.

310

: 00:17:59

I was living in a country that, you

know, and I had, unfortunately, I had

311

: 00:18:03

some severe cases of, uh, of stalkers.

312

: 00:18:07

I just wasn't even living.

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: 00:18:08

I was living in fear continuously.

314

: 00:18:10

it was a combination of all of that.

315

: 00:18:12

And it wasn't.

316

: 00:18:13

The band wasn't worth it then for me, I

remember being one of the last doctors

317

: 00:18:18

I went to over my mental health, and

just my physical because I started

318

: 00:18:22

getting, um, this really, rare form

of psoriasis because of the complete

319

: 00:18:27

trauma my body was going through.

320

: 00:18:29

They were like, whatever you're doing,

um, Yeah, you're gonna have to give it up.

321

: 00:18:33

I don't know what you do.

322

: 00:18:34

I don't know what your lifestyle is,

but you're gonna be dead in 15 years.

323

: 00:18:38

That's what they said.

324

: 00:18:38

And I was like, I just remember sliding

in the wall crying going, I got it.

325

: 00:18:43

Something's gotta change.

326

: 00:18:44

attacks.

327

: 00:18:45

Jason English (Host): This

328

: 00:18:45

Podcast is inspired by the mindset

that was illustrated by the television

329

: 00:18:51

character, Ted Lasso, right?

330

: 00:18:52

Positivity, empathy, vulnerability,

all those great things.

331

: 00:18:56

Empathy as positive as he was,

and as inspiring leader as

332

: 00:19:00

that character illustrated, he

had his own stuff going on.

333

: 00:19:05

Including panic attacks and what

was interesting was, as the series

334

: 00:19:09

progressed, it's like, there's

nothing wrong with this guy.

335

: 00:19:12

He's got everything going, he

was going through a divorce.

336

: 00:19:14

Yes, but he was able to lead, he was

able to motivate all those things.

337

: 00:19:18

But then you saw that he was dealing

with stuff, the panic attacks, and then

338

: 00:19:22

he sort of battled this whole idea of

self care and going to see a therapist.

339

: 00:19:27

Right.

340

: 00:19:27

So I think, on one hand, the positivity

was a good thing to, to sort of

341

: 00:19:32

say, okay, I want to emulate that.

342

: 00:19:33

Right.

343

: 00:19:34

But everybody's got their stuff,

especially after, during and after COVID.

344

: 00:19:39

And, he came around on the mental health,

like the therapist ended up being one of

345

: 00:19:42

his best friends, but I guess, could you

relate to that in terms of putting out a

346

: 00:19:46

public face of, maybe not a soccer coach,

but a rocker, you know, but like inside

347

: 00:19:53

Clare Cunningham: you're dying

inside soccer coach, but a rocker,

348

: 00:20:02

you know, but like, inside.

349

: 00:20:10

2023.

350

: 00:20:11

Look, I did four house moves.

351

: 00:20:12

I was going through so much in my

personal life at times, especially

352

: 00:20:17

only like as of recently, um, that I,

I hit a really, really big wall and

353

: 00:20:25

I had some really dark days that I.

354

: 00:20:29

Would, would have had it been in

the past and I didn't have the Lord.

355

: 00:20:33

I, I'll just, I'll leave it there.

356

: 00:20:35

But here's the thing, when people

would see me, they're not gonna know.

357

: 00:20:39

But, nowadays, if somebody

says, how are you?

358

: 00:20:42

I'm like, you know what?

359

: 00:20:43

I'm actually not good.

360

: 00:20:45

I'm going through a moment right

now, but I know things will be okay.

361

: 00:20:49

So I think it's really

important that I don't lie.

362

: 00:20:52

I don't tell them, Oh my God,

everything's great like I used to.

363

: 00:20:55

I'll just say, look, do you mind?

364

: 00:20:57

And if they're the praying kind,

I'm like, just throw me up a prayer,

365

: 00:20:59

would So that's how I do it now.

366

: 00:21:02

And so I think it's really important that

you don't dwell on the bad too much, but

367

: 00:21:07

that people around us need to that we're

not doing okay sometimes because On the

368

: 00:21:13

outside, everyone says, oh, but you're

so happy and so positive and so did it.

369

: 00:21:16

I'm like, yeah, but you

don't know what's going on.

370

: 00:21:19

But

371

: 00:21:20

I want to be honest and raw, but

I also need to Show that you can't

372

: 00:21:25

like stay in that funk either.

373

: 00:21:27

It's okay.

374

: 00:21:28

Yeah, you're gonna have your days,

but don't let the days turn into

375

: 00:21:31

weeks, into months, into years.

376

: 00:21:32

That's when you need to

like do something about it.

377

: 00:21:36

And don't leave the world because you

think the world is too much to bear.

378

: 00:21:41

I, I can sit here and safely say that

most of the things that are happening

379

: 00:21:45

to me that are bad and distractions

and all the setbacks, you know, I'm

380

: 00:21:50

going through a whole rigmarole of

visa stuff where I don't know what's

381

: 00:21:55

happening in my life as we sit here

and talk right now, but I do know.

382

: 00:22:00

That whatever is going to be, is

going to be, and I have to trust.

383

: 00:22:03

Jason English (Host): How, how does

that show itself in your songwriting?

384

: 00:22:07

Clare Cunningham: It definitely

comes across, I think, in the sense

385

: 00:22:10

that when I'm in that kind of mind

frame, and the Lord wants to give

386

: 00:22:15

me a song, then that just pours out.

387

: 00:22:17

So however I'm feeling, and usually

that's when I'm feeling at my lowest

388

: 00:22:22

sometimes, is when those kind of

creations come out, because you're

389

: 00:22:27

really feeling what you're going through.

390

: 00:22:29

Jason English (Host): So

you're obviously Irish

391

: 00:22:32

Clare Cunningham: how'd you know,

392

: 00:22:33

Jason English (Host):

questions about that.

393

: 00:22:34

So sometimes in your songs and

whether it's, prerecorded videos

394

: 00:22:38

or the, live, content that's on

YouTube, the Irish accent comes

395

: 00:22:42

out in some songs and others it

396

: 00:22:44

Clare Cunningham: I know.

397

: 00:22:45

Jason English (Host): that intentional

or is it just, is it just a thing?

398

: 00:22:47

Clare Cunningham: I would love to

sit down and have something wired

399

: 00:22:52

up to me to figure out why that is.

400

: 00:22:56

And I think because of that, people

actually think I intentionally put on

401

: 00:23:01

an accent and I really, really don't.

402

: 00:23:04

And if I were to sing you a

song that wasn't of my culture.

403

: 00:23:09

In an Irish accent,

you'd, you'd just laugh.

404

: 00:23:12

It's, it's next to impossible

to try and do that.

405

: 00:23:16

So I think it's whatever to do with

the music, the scales and the culture.

406

: 00:23:20

It just seems to really,

really come out naturally.

407

: 00:23:24

And then when I sing something of a

pop or blues or something else like of

408

: 00:23:29

a folky type thing, then it doesn't.

409

: 00:23:31

And I have no explanation as to

why that is or isn't the way.

410

: 00:23:36

It's definitely, it leaves it more

authentic for the Celtic stuff, but

411

: 00:23:40

it's, it's certainly not put on.

412

: 00:23:42

It's just, I think it's just due, I'll

tell you what I, as I'm sitting here

413

: 00:23:47

trying to figure it out, I'm pretty sure

we grow up on American music, right?

414

: 00:23:52

So when you hear a pop song,

you hear the inflections, you

415

: 00:23:55

hear the way it's pronounced.

416

: 00:23:57

That's what you do.

417

: 00:23:58

That's how you learn.

418

: 00:23:58

It's like people who learn English as a

second language in a different accent.

419

: 00:24:02

Right.

420

: 00:24:03

So it's similar to that.

421

: 00:24:04

Whereas the Irish stuff, of course,

is all sung by mostly Irish and

422

: 00:24:08

their accent kind of is integrated.

423

: 00:24:10

So I think it's just, again, the

inflections and how you pronounce

424

: 00:24:14

the words just seems to naturally

flow with the accent more.

425

: 00:24:18

Jason English (Host): That makes sense

426

: 00:24:18

I'm

427

: 00:24:19

not an

428

: 00:24:20

an expert on Irish.

429

: 00:24:22

Music, U2 is one of my favorite bands,

but there is something like, whether

430

: 00:24:28

it's U2, especially the early stuff,

Sinead O'Connor, there's, there's a

431

: 00:24:31

certain sort of tension in the music

of, those, artists that you don't

432

: 00:24:38

feel or sense with a lot of other

bands from other parts of the country.

433

: 00:24:42

Like what, what is it about that?

434

: 00:24:46

I

435

: 00:24:46

Clare Cunningham: think as well,

I mean, there's so many more Irish

436

: 00:24:49

artists that you guys wouldn't have

437

: 00:24:51

Jason English (Host): no, I picked

two, I probably picked two of the most

438

: 00:24:53

Clare Cunningham: No, you've

picked two great ones.

439

: 00:24:55

But I think it's due to the suppression

and oppression in our culture.

440

: 00:24:59

It's, it's in the lineage there, I

don't think people realize how bad

441

: 00:25:04

things were in Ireland, like most of the

citizens in Ireland back in the day had

442

: 00:25:09

to emigrate, there was a lot of slavery.

443

: 00:25:11

There's a lot of the famine.

444

: 00:25:13

And, when you look at any culture

that comes from, from struggle or

445

: 00:25:17

pain it's just, there's like hard

times and struggle pain, poverty.

446

: 00:25:23

Yeah, all of Like, black

music, it's the same.

447

: 00:25:28

It's like anything that comes from

all of those kind of suppressed, kind

448

: 00:25:32

of painful, um, cultural dealings.

449

: 00:25:36

It's in the DNA.

450

: 00:25:37

It comes right through and it

comes right through in the music.

451

: 00:25:39

So Irish music is, is probably loved on

a scale because it's, it's storytelling.

452

: 00:25:44

It's unwavering truth.

453

: 00:25:45

It's raw.

454

: 00:25:46

It's real.

455

: 00:25:47

There's songs you guys

will have never even heard.

456

: 00:25:50

And we're just , that's,

what I grew up on, you

457

: 00:25:52

grew up on,

458

: 00:25:53

Jason English (Host): Who's,

who's an Irish artist that a

459

: 00:25:56

Clare Cunningham: Oh, uh, Christie

Moore, Mary Black, Frances Black.

460

: 00:26:00

You guys already know the Cranberries,

they're amazing obviously.

461

: 00:26:03

The Wolftones.

462

: 00:26:05

Obviously you have the Pogues and

the Irish Rovers, The Bards actually

463

: 00:26:09

were a band, a local band, that I

used to go and see in concert, and

464

: 00:26:14

they became a good family, kind of,

like, they, they got to know us as

465

: 00:26:17

well and they were amazing as well.

466

: 00:26:19

Jason English (Host): Well, you wrote

a song that's an ode to your home

467

: 00:26:22

country, that's not full of tension

and strife and struggle, right?

468

: 00:26:28

Quite delightful.

469

: 00:26:29

What prompted you to, write that?

470

: 00:26:31

Clare Cunningham: McCree, right?

471

: 00:26:32

Oddly enough, that was the very, very,

very first song I wrote about Ireland.

472

: 00:26:36

Jason English (Host):

when you were living here

473

: 00:26:37

Clare Cunningham: when I just moved here

in: 2018

474

: 00:26:42

a show, it was, the Nantucket Project, and

it's out in Nantucket in Massachusetts.

475

: 00:26:47

I was gonna be performing at this event,

and this is the biggest yearly event

476

: 00:26:52

that they put on, like, every year,

and, like, ex presidents, I knew it

477

: 00:26:58

was a big deal and I was like I gotta

get a song and I remember sitting in my

478

: 00:27:03

sister's spare bedroom in her house on

Nantucket, where she, she resides and

479

: 00:27:10

I was just started writing the song.

480

: 00:27:12

And it came out in like 15 minutes

and it's odd because the very first

481

: 00:27:19

song that I write about my country

is the one that like has just proven

482

: 00:27:24

to be time and time again a timeless

number that I can do and I finish

483

: 00:27:28

absolutely every single show with it.

484

: 00:27:30

Or if I have only one song to perform

for any event, that's my go to.

485

: 00:27:35

Jason English (Host): It's like absence

makes, makes the heart grow fonder,

486

: 00:27:38

Clare Cunningham: yeah, and I've

since wrote another one, it's

487

: 00:27:40

called, I'm on my way, bhealach.

488

: 00:27:43

And, uh, yeah, I just got that one

recorded in the studio last week and I'm

489

: 00:27:47

really excited because I'm going to put

out a full Celtic record now this year.

490

: 00:27:50

Uh, it was meant to be out like

at the end of last year, but house

491

: 00:27:53

moving and visa stuff and life

just got in the way of everything.

492

: 00:27:57

I'm gonna be, yeah, there's a lot

more of that stuff coming your way.

493

: 00:28:01

Yeah.

494

: 00:28:02

Jason English (Host): Well,

you talked about 23, I was

495

: 00:28:04

going to ask you about 2024.

496

: 00:28:05

So this new album, what

else is on the docket?

497

: 00:28:08

Clare Cunningham: loads

and loads of festivals.

498

: 00:28:10

I've got, some mini tours.

499

: 00:28:13

I've got, what else?

500

: 00:28:14

Um, yeah, I'm still, to be honest,

when January hits, that's the

501

: 00:28:19

time, it's the quiet time, but it's

most of the time when you start.

502

: 00:28:23

Getting in all the bookings.

503

: 00:28:24

So yeah, I've got pretty much the whole

year mapped out for the major like

504

: 00:28:29

festivals that I'm still getting more.

505

: 00:28:32

Jason English (Host): Well,

thank you for the time.

506

: 00:28:34

Could you play a couple of

507

: 00:28:35

Clare Cunningham: Yeah, 100%.

508

: 00:28:37

Jason English (Host): Awesome.

509

: 00:28:38

Thank you.

510

: 00:28:39

Clare Cunningham: So this song I

swear It goes out to anybody who needs

511

: 00:28:47

a song that will help them through a dark

day because everybody has a dark day at

512

: 00:28:53

some point in their life where you know

somebody and one in four adults, um,

513

: 00:28:58

suffers from some form of mental health

issues in their life at some point.

514

: 00:29:04

And I actually think that number is

probably higher after the pandemic.

515

: 00:29:07

Um, so.

516

: 00:29:09

Just know that if you're

going through something that

517

: 00:29:11

it's not going to be forever.

518

: 00:29:13

This too shall pass and you'll, you'll

get through it and hope this helps.

519

: 00:29:22

It's not a race as long as you get

where you're going it's not always easy.

520

: 00:29:32

Living life not knowing

what's on the other side.

521

: 00:29:39

Close your eyes.

522

: 00:29:41

Promise don't be afraid.

523

: 00:29:45

Dream of the better times to

come and just keep the faith.

524

: 00:29:58

I promise you, like me,

you'll see it through.

525

: 00:30:04

It's taking all of your

strength to just stay strong.

526

: 00:30:13

When you feel like giving

up, keep holding on.

527

: 00:30:20

It's gonna be alright, might not be

overnight, With a lot of love and

528

: 00:30:33

mercy, and a little less pride, You'll

get there, you'll get there, I swear.

529

: 00:30:50

I know cause I felt what you're feeling

When the well has run dry, it seems

530

: 00:31:02

like your dream, only nightmares.

531

: 00:31:12

Like a battle,

532

: 00:31:16

that you'll never win.

533

: 00:31:21

Broken record, always on.

534

: 00:31:25

And the worries just don't fit.

535

: 00:31:31

Taking all of your strength

to just stay strong.

536

: 00:31:41

When you feel like giving

up, keep holding on.

537

: 00:31:47

It's gonna be alright,

might not be overnight.

538

: 00:31:55

A lot of love and mercy,

and a little less pride.

539

: 00:32:04

You'll get there, you'll

get there, I swear.

540

: 00:32:11

It's gonna be alright.

541

: 00:32:27

Bright might not be often, but with a

lot of love and mercy, and a little less

542

: 00:32:38

pride, you'll get there, you'll get there.

543

: 00:32:46

You get there, you get there, you

get there, you get there, I swear.

544

: 00:33:43

Jason English (Host): Thanks so

much for joining us for another

545

: 00:33:44

episode of Curious Goldfish.

546

: 00:33:47

Please follow and subscribe to

the podcast and on social media.

547

: 00:33:50

Also, tell your music

loving friends about us too.

548

: 00:33:54

Until next time, stay curious.