Derry-based artist Reevah on the 'journey' behind her debut album 'Daylight Savings'

The popular artist has had a phenomenal year, which included being nominated for two NI Music Prizes for Best Single & Best Video for her single 'Call Me Up'.

The track also opened up the second episode of new Sky Atlantic programme 'The Lovers' which has had a huge amount of press with Sky also pushing out the soundtrack.

She will also support Snow Patrol on October 13 as part of BBC Introducing Live, for which she was selected for alongside some of Northern Ireland’s most exciting and upcoming talent. Reevah has also announced headline shows in Dublin, Belfast and Derry.

The debut album has been described as ‘an encapsulation of her artistic evolution and growth’ and ‘a testament to her journey as a musician and songwriter, reflecting themes of positivity, change, and the strength of women’.

Speaking to the Journal, Aoife said the album also encapsulates her journey into a new sound and has elements of the past, present and future Reevah.

"The album process started pre-Covid. i started writing and I kind of scrapped most of it, to be honest. Then, over Covid, it gave me an opportunity to explore, a little bit more, the genre of music I wanted to go into. Reevah started in one place and was very much associated with the singer/songwriter folk theme and has now ended up in the Indie-Pop world, which I really love. It has been a journey figuring out which music I wanted to write and develop and I only figured out and learned that with actually having a bit of time, over Covid, to progress on writing and think about what I wanted the album to be.”

'Daylight Savings' is a tribute to embracing life's highs and lows and celebrating every fleeting moment. The title track was the first one Aoife wrote for the album. She told how there is a ‘big time reference’ in the album.

"A lot of the album is about spending the time we have with the people we love and how our time here is fleeting and short and things about the human condition.

"The lyrics in ‘Daylight Savings’ are about a rival and being ok with yourself when daylight savings comes. At the time I was writing it, I maybe wasn’t in the best headspace and in my head, I was going to be ok when that time came around. It was like a time stamp for me and now, a couple of years on and being in a good place, mentally, physically and musically, I felt that the track ‘Daylight Savings’ encompassed the album as a whole, in what it means. There’s a significance too, to do with the time it comes out and the title. It all kinds of weaves together and it makes sense as to why it should have been called that.”

She continued: “The album kind of represents the past, present and future Reevah. There are nods to older variations of things I would have written and there’s also a kind of ‘work in progress’ thing within it as well, where you can hear the change. And, there are sounds in there that are very significant as to what future Reevah will sound like as well. It’s definitely more towards 80s pop-based.”

While the album sound may have evolved, the name Reevah is here to stay and Aoife told how she chose it around five years ago ‘to encompass either a band or a person’.

"I wanted to find a name that could lend itself to both and I also didn’t want it to be associated with my own name – to keep a bit of separation between my personal life and my life as a musician. Reevah, the word, is significant too and is connected to ‘free flowing and freedom.’ At the time, I thought it was fitting for the style of music I was writing then.”

Reflecting on her success, Aoife disclosed how she ‘never would have thought’ her music would be featured. on TV shows.

"We are continually getting great news and I suppose you don’t realise everything that has happened until you sit back and reflect. A couple of years ago, I never would have thought any of my tracks would have featured on TV or that I’d be awarded things. You kind of have to be really grateful and reflect on it, as you can tend to forget, as time progresses. You have to aware and grateful. It’s been a lot of hard work as well, but I’m really pleased with how it’s all going.”

Aoife is ‘excited’ for everyone to hear the new album and said she will also be ‘relieved’ to finally release it.

"I’ve been working on it for so long and I have to remind myself that no-one else has heard it yet. I’ll be really relieved to get it out there and it’ll be really nice for everyone to hear the next step in this journey. I’m excited to see what everyone’s response is to it.”

For those eager to catch Reevah live in action, her 'Daylight Savings' Album Tour Dates are as follows: October 13: BBC Introducing Live in Belfast, The Limelight 2 with Snow Patrol

November 1: Dublin - Workman’s, The Cellar; November 2: Belfast - The Empire; November 3: Derry -St Columb’s Hall.

Tickets are available at: https://bloomrecs.lnk.to/ReevahAlbumShows