“it might be the saddest lyric you’ve ever heard, but you can still dance to it”
Whirlwind doesn’t even begin to describe Tyra-Lee Spry. Born in Johannesburg, raised in Waterford, and now fully rooted in Cork, the young singer-songwriter sits down with Banjaxed to chat about all things ☆Tyra-Lee☆.
“It literally came out of nowhere,” she laughs, still buzzing after being asked to support fellow Cork artist, Lyra at Waterford’s Theatre Royal. “It’s a big step for me.” With Lyra having such a large platform and sitting at 97.5k followers on Instagram, Tyra-Lee admits she’s a bit nervous, but she’s also very aware she’s ready. She’s planning a stripped-back set with just her guitarist Harry Houlihan, and she’s already picturing her most loyal fans, her mam and sister in the front row of that 500-seat venue.
Like, honestly?
With two tracks out and another on the way, Tyra-Lee talks through her lyric-writing process. “I am so extremely honest in my lyrics; people could probably track down the location of where I had that exact feeling,” With an approach that raw, she naturally ends up facing some heavy emotions head-on.
A self-described open book, she uses songwriting as a form of therapy. Taking inspiration from artists like Fred again.. and Adele, she finds this perfect sweet spot where razor-sharp, gut-punch lyrics meet a beat you can move to. “It might be the saddest lyric you’ve ever heard, but you can still dance to it.” If you don’t laugh, you’ll cry and Tyra-Lee somehow manages to do both.
Crucial to her creative process? Her trusty band members “they’re the best lads ever“
- Liam Berry – Drums
- Conor McGoldrick– Bass
- Harry Houlihan – Guitar
- Angelo Presta – Keys
Tyra-Lee admits that working with her band has levelled-up her songs, they each help her arrange the music and feel out the vibe of the song. The band is always available for rehearsals, full of encouragement for her ideas and are “so easy to work with” (I’m sure that has nothing to do with the jellies Tyra-Lee brings to each rehearsal)
Though she admits “As a woman it can be hard to feel comfortable in a male dominated space“, the lads support and enthusiasm has been building Tyra-Lee’s confidence in her songs and as a performer. We love to see it.
One step at a time
Looking at her now, it would be easy to assume that it has always been plain sailing for Tyra-Lee, but she has had her fair share of challenges since moving to Ireland at the age of 13.
“we were homeless for quite a while when we moved to Ireland”
She admits that a huge amount of support came from her school, St. Paul’s in Waterford. From encouraging Tyra-lee to continuously engage with music, to the secretary driving her and her mam to the school uniform shop, her school was there for her and her family every step of the way.
“Things were so hard for us when we first moved here” she explains. Known in the Cork music scene as a hard worker, Tyra-Lee credits her work ethic to her mam. “I owe my life to my mom” having watched her mam’s own determination, she couldn’t help but follow suit. A totally self-sufficient student (with a helping hand from SUSI) people have told her that she’s that hardest working person they know. But for her? “this is just normal for me, cause Ive seen it with my mom“
Teamwork, baby
Tyra-Lee is teaming up with UCC and MTU Crawford students to create two music videos for her tracks Your Mind and Remember Me. She’s also planning a headline, full-band gig in Spailpín Fánach to debut new songs, and she’s already sending off festival applications.
What’s clear when she talks about her collaborators is just how warm she is. She genuinely cares about her peers and the scene around her. Teamwork is huge to her. “That’s what it’s all about though, just be sound.”
Reaching out and taking a chance seems to be her whole ethos, and it’s paying off. “My song plays on WLR’s Ear on Éire playlist, they play it like every two weeks,” she says, still buzzing. Full of gratitude and clued in about how this opportunity to perform with Lyra may have come from those radio plays.
Keep on keeping on
Honest to a fault, driven without even trying, and fuelled by pure love for the people around her, Tyra-Lee isn’t another emerging artist, she’s carving out a space in the Irish music scene that feels entirely her own. With new releases on the horizon, a headline show coming, and that Theatre Royal support slot locked in, Tyra-Lee is stepping into a new chapter, one she’s more than ready for.
If the past few years have taught her anything, it’s that taking a chance can change everything. And honestly? Watching her momentum right now, it feels like this is only the beginning.
Get tickets to Theatre Royal gig here
