It is safe to say one of the most important art mediums getting us through this lockdown is music and especially new music! Today, we are introducing you to a new Irish musician, Cork native and singer-songwriter Meghan Ali. She released her debut single ‘Mystic Forest’ last Friday! Although Meghan Ali is only beginning her journey with music releases, we are delighted to join her on her journey from an early stage and cannot wait to see where the music takes her! So without further ado let’s talk more about Meghan, dive into the song itself and the music video which was released today!
Meghan’s music is an exciting mix of the blues, folk and pop genres to create ‘Mystic Forest’. She began playing the guitar from a young age and from that very first time picking up that guitar, melodies and concepts for songs came naturally to her! Meghan avoids defining her music into one specific genre as she explains she crafts her songs around “people, places and life experiences making them instantly relatable.” From this point alone, we here at Our Muchness Guide are excited to see what direction her music takes next! Meghan Ali can be found mostly at the recording studio but she has performed her original material during support slots for the likes of Bagatelle and John Spillane! Once the gig scene reopens, we look forward to Meghan doing her own gigs across the country.
Meghan Ali’s single ‘Mystic Forest was released last week and, honestly, I believe it was the perfect time for this song to be released into the world. The song grew from a period of writer’s block for the artist and began to represent the journey through this period of time; the ups and the downs. During this lockdown, it is safe to assume a number of people are feeling tired and have a lack of motivation to create things. ‘Mystic Forest’ tells us a story of hope hidden within the depths of despair and one’s journey to travel out of that despair to find your own path that will lead you to the light of where you want to be. Meghan says “We all have our demons and must work to open our own doors into the light” which I 100% agree with and think more people need to adopt this mindset during this current climate no matter what their end goal is.
Looking at the lyrics of ‘Mystic Forest’ first, the lyrics feel like a story about a journey we must all embark on and not just a song. The lyrics feel raw and sound bluntly honest as the feeling of desperation and determination seeps through the entire song. Meghan’s haunting vocals here will hit you numerous times throughout the song but, trust me when I say, you need to listen closely to the verses to truly appreciate how inspiring the chorus is. Although the lyrics set the scene, Meghan begins the song with the melody. She describes this melody as the “seed from which the plant grows”. This melody will transport you to the mystical forest where this song is set from the very first note!
‘Mystic Forest’ was written by Meghan Ali, Kevin Ryan, Deborah Maguire and Billy Farrell. Billy Farrell also produced and mastered the song. The message of the song reflects nicely that it was a group effort to write this song! As for the genre, we mentioned before it falls into a mixture of Blues, Folk and Pop. This truly shows that Meghan’s songs know no boundaries when it comes to being written and being told. If you don’t listen to the Irish Blues or Folk genres often I’d urge you to listen to Meghan’s ‘Mystic Forest’, the song truly is a masterpiece in its own right and carves its own stamp in the Irish Music scene today.
Visually, the music video is aesthetically pleasing to the eye and will leave you in awe! It starts with the female character in the video sitting at a desk, sitting inside trying to write. The feeling of despair is introduced from the beginning with the woman looking incredibly lost with tears in her eyes. One device I found incredibly clever was the use of the lyric book to transport the woman to the forest. I also adored the interesting choices within this opening scene.The use of the quill and the outfit choice felt like we were entering a story and not just a music video. The scenery is stunning, it truly does not feel like this music video was filmed in woods across Cork but in mystical woods you read about in fairytales! Be ready to be inspired to go soul searching in one of the following places thanks to ‘Mystic Forest’ music video: Kilnap Woods, Garyduff Woods , Clogheenmilcon Fen & Yellow House.
I’m rather a sucker for visual representation and symbols as our regular readers will know and, because of this, I enjoyed the visual representation of being your own light by the character running with the flaming torch and carving a pathway of light! Most mystic tales like fairy tales usually have a Medieval feel to them. ‘Mystic Forest’ incorporates this into the music video through the visuals, from the costume choice of the female character to the weapons of choice. One aspect I enjoyed seeing that truly hit home the feeling of ‘you need to fight and find your way through the darkness’ was: the female character battling her way through the overgrowth with the sword. The use of the male character reminds us that it is okay to reach out and ask for help during our battles with ourselves. While the ending is a perfect conclusion of this aesthetic and mystical journey.
If you like what you see, please give Meghan a follow on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and make sure to stream her music here.
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