Name: Fi McCluskey
Occupation: Singer, songwriter, composer, vocalist
Nationality: Irish
Current release: Fi McCluskey's latest single “Die Young” is out now.  
Recommendations: The work of Penny Slinger, a true trailblazer. Her work, in what she describes as ‘feminist surrealism’ spans photography, collage, film and sculpture.
Secondly; I would recommend one of my favourite albums by Cocteau Twins, Treasure. This could be because Elizabeth Fraser challenges the listener by creating her own language, pushing the boundaries where lyrics are concerned. See for yourself …

If you enjoyed this interview with Fi McCluskey and would like to find out more about her music, visit her on Instagram.



Do you think that some of your earliest musical experiences planted a seed for your interest in writing lyrics or poetry?

I’m Irish, music and poetry are a huge part of our culture, they have both been very present in my life from the day I was born.

I'm pretty sure we sing before we speak.  

How and when did you start writing?

I have what you could call an ‘old soul’. I've been writing songs and poetry for as long as I can remember.  

Entering new worlds and escapism through music and literature have always exerted a very strong pull on me. What do you think you are drawn to most when it comes to writing?

For me writing and creating music is extremely cathartic. It’s a form of expression and release.

I draw from my personal life experience. My hope is that my raw honesty resonates with people, perhaps opens the minds of some, to offer a different perspective.  

What were some of the artists and albums which inspired you early on purely on the strength of their lyrics?

Being a child of the 90s, underground music was crossing over into the mainstream. You had bands such as Massive Attack, Portishead, The Cranberries, Nirvana, Skunk Anansie, The Verve and Primal Scream to name a few, all being played on commercial radio.

This meant you were exposed to great music, without having to look too hard, which, for a music-loving, seven-year-old was pretty lucky.

Heartfelt tracks with poetic lyrics spoke to me on a level that, as a child, I did not yet fully understand. “Zombie,” “Teardrop,” “Bitter Sweet Symphony,” “Movin’ on Up,” “Weak” - these tracks, still to this day, inspire me.  



What moves you in the lyrics of other artists?

Music connects people like nothing else. Lyrics are your best friend, a type of unconditional love, there whenever you need them and for whatever you are experiencing in your life.

You may have recently suffered a great loss, for example, all of a sudden a song that you have heard a thousand times but have never really ‘heard’, speaks to you directly. There without judgment or expectation - lyrics are letting you know that you are not alone.   

I have always considered many forms of music to be a form of poetry as well. Where do you personally see similarities?

If you take artists such as Patti Smith, Leonard Cohen, Shane Macgowan and Annie Lennox … we could go on … this is poetry in motion.



A heightened sense of sensitivity connects most creatives.  

What can music express which may be out of reach for poetry?

Music is transversal. Even when sung in a different language, it has the power to move you like nothing else.

Just take opera. A fine example of this; when the BBC used Pavarotti’s ‘Nessun Dorma’ as the theme song for television's FIFA World cup coverage.



You had British football fans being moved by this piece of music. Not to draw on stereotypes ... but ... I'm not sure a poem would have had the same impact.  

The relationship between words and music has always intrigued me. How do you see it?

Putting words to music, creating songs.

This medium has been used as a vehicle throughout history to change the landscape of the times, moving them forward by uniting individuals and creating movements.

Just take hip hop, punk and rock n roll, for example - music is powerful!   

What kind of musical settings and situations do you think are ideal for your lyrics?

I'm available for weddings, funerals, birthdays, Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays outside of that ...

When working on music, when do the lyrics enter the picture? Where do they come from?

For me, they come from the same place that makes you laugh, makes you cry - they are an extension of self. Without sounding too fromage they come from the soul.

Therefore, they are always in the picture, they do not enter, nor do they leave. They exist; in the same way thoughts and feelings do.    

Do lyrics need to grow together with the music or can they emerge from a place of their own?

This varies. It’s open, it depends on the moment.

Do you feel like the music triggers specific words inside you?

Yes, but again, it depends on the piece.

More generally, in how far can music take you to places with your writing you would possibly not have visited without it?

I love to free-style and jam, let it all out, enter a different zone.

I find a heavy, repetitive bassline works for me. Like a form of meditation, it unlocks something.

Do you need to have a concrete concept or can the words take the lead?

It’s always good to keep an open mind in my opinion, as sometimes your work can take on a life of its own.