LYRA on The Magic Of Christmas: “I wanted to add a bit of sparkle to this year”

In addition to the phenomenal success she’s achieved as a collaborator with Irish Women In Harmony, LYRA has continued to establish herself as one Ireland’s most compelling pop acts this year, despite the inescapable chaos of the global pandemic. Her single ‘New Day’ served as an empowering anthem for hope and change in the midst of fear, confusion and injustice, while her latest release, her The Magic Of Christmas EP has arrived as a stunning festive gift for her fans – and further positions her on the cusp of international superstardom.

"It was so much fun to do something Christmasy," she reflects. "I just decided that I wanted to give people something from me around Christmastime – especially after the year that we’ve all been through. I wanted to add a bit of sparkle to this year."

As well as containing a series of festive favourites, including 'Walking In The Air', 'Merry Christmas Everyone' and 'Stay Another Day', the EP takes its title from an original song LYRA penned about "two Christmas decorations who are madly in love."

"They only come alive at Christmastime, when they're hung up together on the Christmas tree," she explains. "So that was my thought behind this whole thing. I had this image of nutcracker and ballerina Christmas  decorations – frozen in the attic all year, and just waiting to see each other when Christmas comes. They come alive and have their own little Christmas while we're all sleeping. I just loved the idea."

Both the magical escapism of the track, and the central theme of enjoying the time we get to spend with our loved ones, are particularly relevant this year.

"Being with a loved one this Christmas is extra special," she nods. "Some people unfortunately can’t. No matter where you are, once you’re with that loved one, your world really does come alive. It’s the simple things in life."

LYRA also self-produced the project – a new challenge she set herself over lockdown.

"At some points I was like, ‘Ahhh, why did I do this?’" she laughs. "It was so much fun though, because it was really challenging. I hadn’t done it before in my entire life, and I was like, ‘You know what? It’s time to branch out. I’ve been given this time to myself, to be able to do things, and explore a bit more’. So I just did it! It was really good, and it was such a learning curve. So much goes into it – you really have to think up everything. You have to know exactly what you want, and put it in there. It was great for my confidence, to know I could actually do this, once I put my mind to it."

"If there wasn’t a lockdown, I would not have done it," she adds. "I just wouldn’t have had the time – we were supposed to be going around touring. So I wouldn’t have had the chance to sit down and say, ‘Let’s give it a go’. Everything has a silver lining."

The Magic Of Christmas also finds LYRA exploring a new, intimate sound: "I wanted to give people something that they might not have been expecting," she says.

"When I was in the studio recording the vocals, I shared a little snapshot of the Christmas lights, and everyone was light, ‘Oh my god, you’re putting out a Christmas banger!’" she recalls, laughing. "They were expecting me to be going crazy: ‘MERRY CHRISTMAS!’ With big drums and everything. But I wanted to show another side to me. It’s very much piano-led, and ‘Merry Christmas Everyone’ is live in the studio. I wanted to bring it all back to a stripped-back element this Christmas, and give them something simple to listen to."

With a new album on the way, 2021 is sure to be another landmark year for LYRA. And in the meantime, she has Christmas in Cork to look forward to...

"I can't fecking wait!" she beams. "I'm so excited – I'm literally just going to eat and drink my way through Christmas..."

Listen to The Magic Of Christmas below: