Rosie Carney

How has the impact of Covid-19 affected you and your business?
Luckily, I could record some of my music from home and collaborate remotely over Zoom, but I haven’t played an actual gig in almost two years.

What is the worst aspect of it all for you?
The impact it’s had on people’s mental health, not only for me, but also for people I know. It’s been a severely isolating time and it has really hit home for me.

Some people have been finding it hard to survive. Is that something you’ve encountered?
At the beginning it definitely derailed me. I went into a kind of vicious survival mode, but when I got home to my family, the heaviness of it all eased for me.

Music is a people business – how has the loss of contact with staff, colleagues or others in the business affected you?
Not being able to perform in front of an audience has been tough. I’ve been able to record lots of music, but being limited to promoting it only online has proven difficult for someone like me, who struggles to navigate the online world.

Were you in a position to try anything new or different?
The idea of trying things a new way appeals more to me now than it did this time last year, when everyone was doing live streams, etc. It’s taken me a while to adapt to what may be considered the new norm. If you told me this time last year that I would record a whole album from my bedroom floor, I’d have laughed. I’ve opened my mind to get creative and do things differently now.

Mental health has been a huge issue for a lot of people involved in music. How has your experience been in that regard?
I can only describe it as having the rug pulled from beneath me. luckily, I had the right people around me to help see me through it. It’s been an important and eye-opening experience. Being forced to come to a standstill and look around at where I was, I quickly realised I wasn’t where I wanted to be. There’s been a lot of treading water, but I feel like I’m through the worst of it.

Are you optimistic or pessimistic about the future?
Part of me will always be scared of what’s ahead – that’s just who I am – but I am hopeful there’s a light at the end of all of this. If I wasn’t hopeful, I would really lose my mind.

'Music Industry in Ireland: Where To Next?' is a special feature in the current issue of Hot Press, running to over 20 pages, featuring music industry professionals as well as artists including Moya Brennan, Jess Kav, Luka Bloom, Fia Moon, Kneecap, Gavin Glass, Mick Flannery, King Kong Company, Mary Coughlan, Rosie Carney and many more.