Róisín Nic Ghearailt departs M(h)aol & pens heartfelt explanatory essay

Lead singer of the intersectional feminist post-punk band M(h)aol, Róisín Nic Ghearailt, has announced she is parting ways with the band.

In a post on the band's social media, the group bid a heartfelt farewell to the singer/lyricist, with wishing Nic Ghearailt the best.

"We find ourselves in a transitional state," the post begins. "It has been a wonderful three years packed full of highs and lows and everything in between. We are so delighted to have connected with so many of you incredible people and we hope to connect more deeply and with many more of you.

"The last year, however, has taught us some very important lessons, the relevant one here is that life as a musician is not for everyone. Róisín has brought such a powerful voice and drive to us over the years; She has helped us connect with each other as well as all of you and we thank her for all her hard work, emotional, lyrical and otherwise. It is time for us to release her from the overwhelming pressures of band life to pursue her own dreams and find her own path to contentment.

"We are no strangers to change, we strive for it. We will continue to work to spread awareness, joy and hope. We look forward to having you all follow us on this new chapter of our journey."

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by M(h)aol (@mhaolmusic)

In the October issue of Hot Press, Róisín tells her side of the story in an emotional, goosebump-enducing essay, discussing the stress being in a touring band has had on her mental health, and the toll "living the dream" has on a person.

"I wouldn’t have given being in the band such a red-hot go if I didn’t believe in it and my band mates," Róisín states in her essay, entitled: Now they, they are the real deal.

She adds: "Performing my heart out night after night with all my earnest on-stage talk and my high kicks. But it never became my dream."

Nic Ghearailt also discusses living this erratic band lifestyle as a chronically ill person in her essay, saying: "And in the end the physical reality of being someone with a chronic condition and having no routine, no regularity combined with the toll that touring took on me made it impossible. And the further I get away from being in the band, the more I understand how hard this must have been on my bandmates."

In a topic widely discussed by musicians, Róisín talks about the small percentage of a musical career that music actually takes up. The singer delves into the nitty gritty of how difficult the rest of her daily tasks really were.

"I always have mixed feelings about saying this because it is such a profound downer, for a touring band performing and writing music is at best 20% of what your life consists of," the musician states. "Particularly for a band that didn’t live in the same city and couldn’t practice regularly. The rest of it was admin, endless admin, touring, travelling, sitting in vans till your ass was numb. Identikit hotels which for someone who has struggled with sleep my whole life posed huge problems."

You can read Róisín's entire essay – powerfully emotional, genuinely moving and beautifully written – in the new issue of Hot Press, available to purchase in stores over the coming days, and online now.