- Culture
- 20 Jun 20
Irish Women in Harmony for Safe Ireland: Wyvern Lingo on Dolores O'Riordan's legacy
The trio behind 'I Love You, Sadie' discuss what it meant to have a strong female voice in the music industry when they were starting.
Soul-pop trio Wyvern Lingo’s debut album featured a track called ‘I Love You, Sadie’, a kind of love letter written to the feminine ‘alter-ego’ of one of the girl’s partners at the time. Not only is it an infectious song, it showcased a side of both masculinity and femininity not often explored by artists. That debut album also cemented a new sonic direction for the group, as they shifted from a distincly folk sound to something sleeker, more modern and more radio-friendly.
“Growing up hearing an Irish woman’s voice on the radio was something we took for granted then,” the trio says. “But it definitely gave us confidence in making music from a young age. My big sister was obsessed with The Cranberries and I remember being transfixed in the back of the car the first time I heard ‘Ode to My Family.’”
Unsurprisingly, Dolores O’Riordan played a huge influence on Karen Cowley, Saoirse Duane and Caoimhe Barry. But Wyvern Lingo hope that the Irish Women in Harmony cover of ‘Dreams’ makes plays an influence on the Irish radio and television industry.
“We hope people realise how much Irish media (radio and TV in particular) is missing out on Irish female talent right now,” they say. “The lack of support for female artists here is astonishing. We have so many talented artists spanning all genres who simply are not getting enough airplay, compared to their male counterparts.
“Ruth Anne’s organisational skills are amazing- this grew legs so quickly and soon got the support of Caroline Downey – another incredible woman in the music industry who has given a platform to so many artists, including us. The whole project had an excited feeling of women joining forces musically and behind the scenes to create something special, and to raise money for a worthy cause.
Even the realm of COVID-19 related charity singles has been largely dominated by men, and Wyvern Lingo thought it crucial to appeal to women for this campaign for Safe Ireland. “Covid-19 has highlighted the fact that domestic violence is commonplace in Ireland. It is terrifying to think that so many are suffering in their own homes right now. It is crucial that we support victims of domestic abuse and spread the message that domestic violence is unacceptable in our society,” they tell me.
Cases of women coming forward about domestic abuse have risen by a whopping 25% in the wake of the Coronavirus. You can text SAFE to 50300 to donate four euro to this worthy cause.
Listen to ‘Dreams’ below.
