Groove Tube with Cian O’Connell

After a decade of build-up, Ryan McMullan’s debut album arrived last November – establishing a springboard for a singer/songwriter who has been lauded by the likes of Ed Sheeran, Foy Vance and Gary Lightbody. Postponed several times over, and arriving after a period in which the Down native took a break from music to look after his mental health, he describes Redesign’s eventual release as a weight lifted.

On April 15, as part of a spring tour that will take him as far as Germany and Australia, McMullan plays Monroe’s Tavern in Galway, showcasing the songs that make up that LP, as well as new ones set to feature on In This Room – an EP scheduled for the start of next month.

“I think the pressure of the first album is always much bigger than it needs to be,” he says.

“As soon as it got released, I felt like oh, that really didn’t need to be as heavy as it was. I suppose with it taking what felt like 40 years to come out, that probably added to the pressure of it. I’m really happy with how it all went and I’m really happy to be moving forward.”

“There’s always going to be a constant questioning of myself. The idea is to strive to create something that really connects to everybody but when you look at the odds of it, it’s knocking against a door until it finally opens.

“In a more positive sense, I’m definitely more intrigued to continue with the obsession of it all as opposed to giving up on it. Whenever life is sort of getting on top of you, you can’t really see through it at times. Things change and you get to the other side. I’m just enjoying that other side of it all.”

The title track on the new EP was a co-write, penned with Ed Sheeran for the 2018 film The Delinquent Season, which starred Cillian Murphy, Eva Birthistle and Andrew Scott. It came from a hectic and, at times, bizarre period of McMullan’s career.

“At the time, I didn’t really know what I was getting into,” he says.

Pictured: Ryan McMullen…tour stops off at Monroe’s Tavern next month.