I’m Malachy Tuohy I’m a singer and a songwriter probably best known as the singer and songwriter of Dublin band the Riptide Movement.
I’ve been in various bands since I was 14 and my band the Riptide Movement have been together 17 years, we’ve had a number 1, gold selling album have played Glastonbury, Reading and Leeds, played with the BBC orchestra, with the Rolling Stones in Hyde Park and have supported legends like Neil Young.
I love song writing and I write with lots of artists and I’m just about to release my first solo album.
- What inspired your latest song/album/release?
‘I Cross this Universe’ was written and recorded over the covid lockdowns. It’s my first solo album and it’s quite a personal album and in a way, it’s kind of a concept album in so far as it’s got a common thread throughout that explores the power of the universe and our connection to something greater than ourselves. I love the concept of time travel and the multiverse and the songs fit into this idea.
It’s an album of love songs, tributes and Eulogies, there’s love songs like ‘I Cross This Universe’ ‘Tonight’ and ‘Lemonade’ and tributes to friends, family and fellow artists who have passed over, in songs like ‘A Song For Suzie’ ‘Jarlath’ ‘Rainy Boy Sleep’ and the ‘Artist’.
The time travel idea of jumping timelines comes through in songs like the ‘Artist’, a song about the life of the great Irish portraiture artist Patrick Tuohy, born in 1894 and a ‘Song for Suzie’ where Albert Lee who played on the original in 1971 plays on my version 52 years later in 2023, Gavin Glass really captures this merging of different times on the record.
Also, in the song ‘I Cross this Universe’ it tells the story of two lost souls who get separated in time and space and go to great lengths to be reunited.
- Will you be bringing your music to any music festivals this year?
I’ve an album launch gig in Smock Alley on June 28th which sold out after a couple of days of been announced, which is great and I can’t wait for that but In terms of festivals, I have a busy summer of festivals lined up with my band the Riptide Movement which I’m really looking forward to, so it may be difficult to tour my solo project too this summer but I’ll be playing a few dates later in the year with the solo project.
- What began your love of music?
There was always music in my house growing up, and sing songs or poetry recitations at family get-togethers, and everyone sang – including my grandad, who was a great singer.
I think everyone in Ireland can play an instrument or sing. Music is a big part of who we are. The catalyst for me, though, was seeing Oasis live in the Point Depot in Dublin in 1997.
That’s when I decided that I not only loved music, but I wanted to make music too, so the very next day myself and a few friends set up our first band called The Relic, and our first gig was not long after that. It was a big one, too; we got to play a half-hour set at our local teenage disco to around 400 people.
I remember being so nervous before that gig, but then when the gig actually started, I loved every second of it, and after that, I was hooked.
- Probably a hard question but what’s your favourite album?
That’s a tough one, but here’s three that I always go back to:
Bob Dylan – Blood On The Tracks
The Beatles – The White Album
Nick Drake – Five Leaves Left
- If you could perform with any other musician (alive or dead), who would it be and why?
I think I’d like to perform with First Aid Kit, they’re a really cool band and I think we could do a good song / collaboration together.
6. Where can people listen to your music and what are your socials?
You can check my music out here:
https://linktr.ee/malachytuohy
https://open.spotify.com/artist/0LbFz6bzWbwt5nzees0DtR?si=WVEFChHHQxaJJxH0Z AsV7A
https://www.instagram.com/malachy_tuohy/ https://malachytuohymusic.com