Timeless, life-affirming and yet often very notably dark, Reylta’s debut album crosses the parapet armed with a range of oddities that, combined, feel like an expression of humanity’s broad emotional spectrum. From orange chocolate to suicidal dreams, from sex meets religion to a song written as she sat at her grandfather’s wake, the Galway artist, who blends folk and modernity on her debut album ‘Everything Unsaved Will Be Lost’ really does explore the depths.

“This album is something I had to do, like an itch that had to be scratched,” Reylta says. “My whole thing is that I really want to make songs that heal people, or touch on a thought that you might not have had. It’s not something to put on in the car to sing along to, it’s more of a private album, something you listen to and take a journey with, through some sort of emotional realisation.”

“Some of the songs have been really prophetic. You have to give the songs everything when you write them, and then a couple of months later, almost the exact situation I’m describing happens. I end up saying to myself ‘I told you this a few months ago’, and it keeps happening.”

“It’s very much about the stuff I take inspiration from, too. Damian Rice and Hozier, Dolores O’Riordan, all that sort of stuff is what I grew up with, not traditional music, but I knew I wanted to get in touch with traditional music. There are a lot of folk artists at the moment talking about their own perspective.” 

“Stuff like Phoebe Bridgers’ folks pop is through her lens. I wanted to use my lens, but I also wanted to use the Irish culture, which I feel so connected to, the legends and storytelling are so plentiful. There are so many elements to it that are right there, and I intend on using it throughout my music.”

“I think a lot of Irish people do feel a bit of detachment from the magic that is in our culture. We all feed into the chicken rolls, the crisps sandwiches and the drinking, but don’t delve so deeply into things like the cures. Oddly, I never listened to folk as much as when I lived in England.”

There’s also a notable dark side to Reylta’s record. “Writing about it helps with those issues,” Reylta says of her mental wellbeing. “The first song on the album is my letter to my friends and family about my mental health issues. I didn’t realise until I got to college that most people didn’t want to die every single day.”

“Some people got mad when they heard it. I don’t think they’re mad at me, more at the situation. So I wanted to reveal these truths about myself in a softer, more beautiful way. I want people to love me while I’m here, but I’ve been so mentally unwell for so long, I want people to remember me for what I was. I don’t think it’s as easy as just getting help. It’s never worked for me.”

“I’m a very out there, spritely, confident person. You wouldn’t know by meeting me that I’m quite depressed. I think the reality that my type of person is the worse mentally well person they know might have come as a shock to some people. I don’t know if the record helps me, but it is my reality, and I would prefer that people would know that.”

“There’s a darker side to every song, and a darker side to me, and I’d like people to know me. I think it’s a good thing to have that out there.”