“‘A voice as rich as velvet and killer musical instincts” - Clash

Following a string of widely praised singles in recent months, including “Plastic”, “Old Ways” and “Follow Me”, emerging Irish alt-pop singer and songwriter Lucy McWilliams shares her eagerly awaited debut EP ‘Third Second Chance’, and celebrates the release with a live show at The Grand Social, Dublin, this Thursday 28th March.

Cementing her vibrant aesthetic these last few years, ‘Third Second Chance’ looks to broaden the progressive and emotive journey she has been on lately. Teaming up with the renowned Zach Dawes for the release, best known for his work with the likes of Lana Del Rey and The Last Shadow Puppets, this new collection highlights the warm and majestic energy she has been cultivating since her earliest beginnings.

Ireland has a rich history when it comes to storytelling. And so, it’s perhaps no surprise that Dublin-born singer-songwriter Lucy McWilliams makes music steeped in candour, her sweet vocal lithe and mellifluous as she sings about the joys and pains of letting yourself be open to love. Her songs – which, at the time of writing, have over 16 million streams on Spotify alone – do not sit neatly under one genre; expansive indie, slinky R&B, swaying acoustic pop, ‘90s-rom-com-style rock, all find a home in her sound.

Collaborating with her producer friend Charlie Hugall on a slew of singles that have garnered plenty of buzz with their soft intimacy, she shares her EP, Third Second Chance, featuring work from Zach Dawes. Traveling to LA to work with Dawes, their collaboration has allowed McWilliams to explore her sharper edges.

The result is a record that sounds bigger and more assured than anything Lucy McWilliams has ever done before. On buoyant, soaring lead single ‘Plastic’, she interrogates her past amenability in relationships, airing her frustrations with her own willingness to lose sight of her real self and her true desires in the pursuit of being loved. The rest of the EP, on tracks like ‘Mr Useless’, ‘Old Ways’, ‘Follow Me’ and ‘I’m OK’, find her similarly exploring themes of anger, boundaries and loving, recognising that as she gets older her openness to love also has to include love and respect for herself. These are anthemic tracks about womanhood in your 20s.

This is the sound of an artist stepping into a new era, still open and tender but with a sense of assured self-respect running through it. Having already supported the likes of Arlo Parks and Jake Isaac, as well as playing festival dates and gigs across Ireland, London, and Paris, this is just the beginning of Lucy McWilliams’ journey.

Lucy McWilliams celebrates her EP launch at The Grand Social, Dublin, Thursday 28th March. Tickets

PRAISE FOR LUCY MCWILLIAMS

RECORD OF THE DAY - SotD - "Old Ways"
"Taken from her new EP, ‘Third Second Chance’, ‘Old Ways’ is a warm, tender and at times explosive affair as she explores breaking free from old ways. With its anthemic indie rock notes and sweet vocal lithe, the song highlights a bigger and more assured sound. "

CLASH - "Follow Me
"The songwriter won our attention with a string of single releases last year, finding acclaim with ‘Slow Dancing’ and ‘Plastic’ in 2023. Opening the New Year with something fresh, her song ‘Follow Me’ dares to play it simple. A song that comes straight from the heart, it’s dubbed “a straightforward love song” by its maker – but there’s something complex underneath."

HOT PRESS - TotD - Old Ways
"'Old Ways' exhibits the sound of an artist striding confidently into a new era, still openly vulnerable and tender but with a sense of assured self-respect bleeding through it.

EARMILK - "Old Ways"
"With her warm and vibrant signature stretching through it, the track delivers a strong message on breaking free from everything and everyone you’ve grown out of – whether that be from your hometown, a relationship, or just the desire for more from life. A reminder to embrace change with open arms, the track unveils more of the progressive and emotive journey she’s been on lately after reintroducing herself last year with a string of widely-praised singles including “Slow Dancing”, “Plastic” and “Follow Me”, as she leaves us in anticipation for her expansive EP."