Track of the Day: Míde Houlihan - 'Without Me'

West Cork singer-songwriter, Míde Houlihan has released heartfelt single 'Without Me' today, her first of 2021.

'Without Me' follows on from the success of her 2020 offering, 'Idle Words', which was co-written with folk great Mick Flannery.

“It’s about feeling frozen in time, when people you love are moving on to bigger and better things," Míde says of the track's meaning. "And you're missing them so much, torn between being really happy for them, and resenting them for their progress, even though you try not to.”

"I'm holding on by a thread / I know I should hold on to someone else instead / 'Cause it's so cold back here in square one," the folk artist sings on the track.

The song, released on Cork’s Unemployable Records, is taken from the EP, Shifting Gears, and was recorded by Christian Best in Monique Studios.

Míde and hher band closed out last year with a rousing appearance at the online incarnation of the Liverpool Irish Festival, adding to past performances at the Clonakilty International Guitar Festival, The ExChange (Hosted by Folk Alliance International), Quiet Lights, and many more.

As well as a string of festival performances, Míde has becoome a regular touring act around Ireland, including a sold out EP launch in Coughlan’s (Cork), followed by a tour in such prestigious venues as Whelan’s, DeBarra’s in Clonakilty, and Lahinch's White Horse Sessions.

"I think generally most of us are missing someone, or even several 'someones' throughout life. Whether it's because they live far away or because you've become distant over time as you naturally grow into your own individual lives," Míde tells Hot Press.

"Before this pandemic, there was always the comfort that you would check in with these people when you weren't so busy, and that was kind of a safety blanket. But suddenly this happens, and none of us know when we can see these people again, and that distant feeling becomes so much more real and quite scary I think. Missing somebody has never been more of a universal feeling than right now really. In a way it's comforting that we're all in this together, but very scary that our ability to connect can be taken away from us.”

Ever since receiving the IMRO Songwriting Award in 2015, Míde Houlihan’s songwriting prowess has earned her a well earned spot on the list of great contemporary Irish writers, with lots more to come.

Watch the performance video of 'Without Me' below: