On Our Radar Q&A - Banríon: "That has taken a lot of time and effort to come to terms with – having a new body"

What’s the background your single, ‘Forgiving’?

I acquired a disability when I was 17, from a surgery that went wrong on my spine. That has taken a lot of time and effort to come to terms with – having a new body. When I was 22, I started doing college counselling, and whilst I was in the sessions, I was also writing ‘Forgiving’ about my process.

What was the inspiration for the ‘Roseland’ video? 

It was the first music video I’ve ever directed. My auntie’s deaf, so our house is full of ISL, English and sometimes Irish being thrown around. I thought it would be nice to have sign language in the video, because there’s so much movement. I was working with my cousin Aoife, translating the lyrics into ISL. We also did it in my grandparents’ house in Donegal – me, my two cousins, my grandparents and three friends.

When did Banrion become a solo project? 

Banríon started shifting towards more of a solo project in 2024. I went on a residency to Athens for two months, and started writing solo songs without a band in mind. I also did a songwriting course with Adrienne Lenker. The album is a mix of band songs and solo ones, because that was Banrion’s life from 2022 to 2024. It’s fully a solo project now, so I presume the next album will sound quite different too.

What’s on the horizon for the rest of the year?

I live in London at the moment, but I’m moving to Limerick in two weeks. My goal is to get a band together and then go on a little tour in January and February. I’ll probably do some in-store shows for the album release, but nothing too major in 2026.

• Untarnishing is out now.