Conleth McGeary: "It's about knowing that people can still belong to you even when they're gone. I'm still hers, y'know?"

We all carry someone we've lost with us. For Tyrone singer-songwriter Conleth McGeary, that person is his aunt Kate, whose memory inspired his new single, 'Still Hers.'

"I spent a lot of time with my aunt when I was younger. I even lived with her for a while; we had a really lovely bond," he explains. "When she passed, as everyone does, I found it difficult. Instead of talking about my feelings, I thought I'd write a song about them."

McGeary initially hesitated to release the track, but after some encouragement from his manager and friends, he realised it deserved to be heard. "I thought it was a bit heavy at first, but I lightened it up. To me, it's not a sad song; I loved singing it. It's about knowing that people can still belong to you even when they're gone. I am still hers, y'know?"

'Still Hers' captures the sense that, even after someone has passed away, the world they leave behind can remain deeply connected to them. For him, that connection is rooted in two of his aunt's possessions.

"There's a piano in her front room, and I still don't know why I felt drawn to it, but that's what started the song." Another lyric, "Your words live on the wall," came from a blackboard that remains a particularly precious memory for him. Covered in chores and notes written by his aunt, almost 15 years later it's never been rubbed off. "When you write songs, it's a journey, but for this one, I just closed my eyes and walked through the house. I did that for every line."

Emotional storytelling has always been at the heart of McGeary's music, but 'Still Hers' presented a different kind of challenge. With so much of himself invested in the song, opening up about his grief meant taking a greater emotional risk. "I don't like telling too much of a story; I like people to put their own story to it. But this song came from a super-personal place," he says. "We all know what it feels like to lose someone; to share that is another thing."

Ultimately, deciding to share something so personal has brought him to a new level of honesty. "That's what real songs are: the most honest ones. It's scary to share that, but honesty is that goal now." The song also marked a shift in how McGeary understands one of the recurring themes in his songwriting: home. Beyond the vulnerability that sets the single apart from his previous work, it has helped him realise that home isn't always a place. Sometimes, it's a person.

"All of my songs are based around nostalgia and the feeling of home. I realised this is about home too, because she was home for me. I was thinking about the song and went, "This is about fucking home as well! All my songs seem to carry a homely nostalgia."

That sense of home extends beyond his songwriting. Having spent his early years in the music industry as an independent artist in Liverpool, McGeary has made it his business to help other musicians find a place to belong, too.

He opened The Beeswing on Smithdown Road, naming the venue after Richard Thompson's song of the same name. For him, it was an opportunity to give something back to the community that helped him along the way.

"I know how grateful I am to have had small stages to play on as an independent muso. Things are going well in Liverpool; I saw an opening to make a home. Musicians are trying to find community in places, so I thought, 'why not just make our own?"

The idea was to champion Irish musicians and fellow artists, giving them a space to perform, launch albums and find an audience. "It's a little home where we can come together and enjoy pints, share music - we're championing each other."

 

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Of course, support doesn't have to mean opening a bar in Liverpool. Sometimes it comes down to a simple gesture from someone further along the road. One of McGeary's most memorable examples came from a fellow Irish artist whose generosity left a lasting impression.

"It teaches you the type of person you should be as a musician. Mary Black, for one, was amazingly welcoming - shockingly so. I'm a massive fan, but I'm an even bigger fan of how she made me feel as an up-and-coming artist," he laughs.

"I remember soundchecking, and the first time, I messed up a line. I was so nervous; she put her arm around me, told me not to panic, to go for it. I just thought, 'Wow, you are a cool cat.' I thought I was potentially about to ruin her show, but instead of being worried, she propped me up."

 

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The Beeswing has given him a place to pay that kindness forward, offering the next generation of musicians the same encouragement he received. It's a tradition he hopes will continue. "I think it's a trait you find in Irish artists. They love to see you coming along, and they help you along. I've gotten some good opportunities, and I'd love to keep doing that for someone else."

Judging by the momentum behind his own career, McGeary is well placed to do exactly that. He has been performing across Ireland, the UK, the Middle East and Australia, while his latest tracks have found audiences in all four corners of his touring circuit. Having progressed from playing crowds of around a hundred to filling rooms of a thousand, he is beginning to see the impact of years spent honing his craft.

"I've been doing this a long time, and it's really kicked off in the past year. But before that, I've been writing, travelling, touring; I've done the 10,000 hours ten times. I like it like that. There's been no massive shoot, but recently I have seen a difference in people connecting, which is delightful," he says. "It's not about numbers - but you'd be mad if you said you didn't enjoy it."

The coming months promise another significant step forward. This December, McGeary will join The Coronas for their six-night residency at Dublin's Olympia Theatre. Before that, he'll take on his biggest headline show yet at Belfast's Mandela Hall on December 3. "I have my biggest headline show in Mandela Hall coming up. It's a big show in Belfast; it's terrifying, but there's no better place to do it."

The Olympia dates, meanwhile, feel like an early Christmas present. It's a venue that holds a place in his heart, having first experienced it as a young fan in the audience. "It's wild; if you told me this two years ago, I would've laughed at you. I remember going there when I was younger, watching the shows, seeing the bands. To have those memories as a child there, being the kid in the crowd to opening for one of your favourite bands - it's just class."

Alongside the live shows, McGeary is already back in the studio, working on what will be his first full-length studio album. It's a painstaking process, he admits, but one worth taking the time to get right. "It's painstakingly long, but it has to be done," he laughs. The next chapter will also bring him closer to home. After many years away, he plans to spend more time based in Ireland next year. "There will be more time in Irlanda for the first time in many years. I haven't been based here in a long time, so to be back in the homeland? It's a gift."

• 'Still Hers' is out now.