Meet Caitríona Sherlock | Irish Singer Songwriter

We had the good fortune of connecting with Caitríona Sherlock and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Caitríona, where are your from? We’d love to hear about how your background has played a role in who you are today?

Hello, thanks so much for having me! Well, I grew up on a Dairy Farm in the countryside of County Monaghan in Ireland. My childhood consisted of playing in the sand pit with my older brother Oisín, feeding the calves and literally singing songs ‘till the cows came home’. I have to say my Mum and Dad truly embodied the old Irish proverb “Mol an óige agus tiocfaidh sí” when raising us – which basically means praise the young and they will flourish! They were at every football game, competition and recital and I am sincerely blessed by their unconditional love. They taught me to lead with integrity, to believe in myself and follow my dreams wherever they lead, but also to learn to laugh in life and not to take things too seriously.

They’re certainly the reason I ended up heading down the performance career path as there was always a theme of entertainment within the household growing up. My Grandfather was a keen Irish fiddle player, my father wrote poetry, both he and my brother acted, and my Mother would sing Danny Boy as her party piece! Being from an area steeped in traditional music I naturally got involved myself. I started Traditional Singing lessons and Sean Nós singing which is the oldest form of singing in Ireland. Through these songs I felt connected to the earth, and to my ancestors’ history and stories. This tradition was handed down by ear so I had to really concentrate and listen to the sounds of the melody and each word to then internalize them. This gave me a much deeper appreciation for the music and history of the tradition and what it means to now pass them on to the next generation.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?

There are no two people the same in life, and my individuality is a badge of honor that I wear with pride! It’s important to always be true to you. I wear my heart on my sleeve and invest 100% into everything that I do – you’ve got to have that mindset of giving your all. If you don’t work hard for something you’re never going to get it. I have always pursued singing and performance to a certain level but I never actually imagined it would be something I could make a career out of. Growing up I competed for many years and won numerous titles, which in turn afforded me recognition and invitations to sing at various events. Opportunities I was so grateful to get as each one taught me something new and helped me grow. One career highlight so far would be that whilst studying for my Bachelor of Music degree I got the opportunity to sing a solo in Carnegie Hall, New York, with the Choral Scholars of UCD! This truly was a pivotal moment for me and cemented the idea that the stage was where I felt truly alive.
Although, for me, it’s not about being in the spotlight, it’s about inviting people into that magical space. Storytelling is my first love and singing these songs lends itself to that, to telling the history of my ancestors and songs of the earth. I love to weave tapestries to not only allow myself to escape but to bring the audience on that journey. If I can make one person in the room feel something, that is what makes it all worthwhile at the end of the day. I definitely think my background of traditional singing lends itself well to many of the other genres that I now sing and even to my own song writing. I can just be free, I don’t feel tied to anything or feel like a copy.
Music has become my passport in a way and I’m very proud to tour with Irish Christmas in America and Téada. It’s funny to look back and think about how many people laughed at the style of singing I grew up learning, it was never popular amongst my peers. But I believed it was important to nurture and share my Irish identity and culture. I’m glad I stuck with it. While yes there have certainly been many disappointments along the way, and lots of self-doubt creeping in, over time I have learned to pick myself back up and believe that what’s for me won’t pass me and to keep working and progressing each day for what’s ahead.

Looking to the future, I have recently joined a new group called SYSTIR and I am truly excited about what’s to come for us as we’ve just finished up a tour of The Netherlands and Belgium! My creative side was kindled during that time simply from being in the same stimulating circle as likeminded people. The bedrock of Systir is the power and combination of our uniquely different female voices coming together as one. Getting to sing with that body of sound behind makes for a feeling of power and stability that I haven’t felt as strongly before. Not to be cliché but there is a sense of girl power and unity and strength within the group which when tied in with the concepts of the female voice make for something super special. We believe in creativity and being able to truly express ourselves as artists in an authentic and free way. There is no road map, it is we who are allowed to come up with the ideas and arrangements, not simply being handed something to sing which in itself is incredibly liberating. So watch this space as we’re currently working on an album…!!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I think Colorado is incredibly beautiful. While on tour here with ‘Irish Christmas in America’ I visited The Garden of The Gods, which was insanely beautiful. I could walk around there for hours and just breathe the clear air, take in the vast beauty of the red rocks and be still in the moment – something you appreciate on tour! Our fiddle player Oisín loves his coffee fix so one day we happened upon this beautiful coffee shop in Pagosa Springs called ROOT House Coffee and it was one of the most delicious coffees ever and an adorable gift shop! Another amazing place to stop into is La Loma Castle Rock for mouth-watering Mexican food! Venue wise I would recommend checking out Stargazers Theatre in Colorado Springs. It has a super unique domed roof and amazing acoustics in a perfectly intimate setting. I’ve never sang in anything quite like it before so I’m super excited to be back performing there this coming Christmas season. I’m still relatively new to Colorado experiences but I’m going to see my idol, Taylor Swift in Denver this July so I’ll hopefully do more exploring with some family then. I’m manifesting performing in Red Rocks Amphitheatre someday… a girl can dream right?!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?

My Mother is the strongest woman I know. She is my anchor and has always been my number 1. She drove me to every single singing lesson, competition, concert, workshop and drama rehearsal. She held me when I cried and cheered me on in everything that I took on. Mum is the kindest woman I know on the planet, the epitome of selflessness and unconditional love and I am so proud to be her daughter. I cherish our evenings drinking cups of tea, having chats and binge watching NCIS! I honestly don’t know what I would do without her, she is my hero today and every day.
Not only am I blessed with having an amazing mother, I am blessed with an amazing friend called Emma. Emma is a woman who lights up every room she walks into, is constantly encouraging not only me but everyone around her, she’s the cheerleader everyone wishes they had on their team and an amazing director!. She continues to be a huge lifeline, sounding board and voice of wisdom to me as I navigate growing up and also growing into this rollercoaster career. Everyone needs an Emma in their life and I hope she realises just how special she is to everyone that has the pleasure of knowing her.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/caitrionasherlockmusic/

Linkedin: https://ie.linkedin.com/in/caitríona-sherlock-91b94a204

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/caitrionasherlockmusic/

Youtube: https://youtube.com/@caitrionasherlock

Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@caitrionasherlock

Image Credits
Michael Mc Glynn – Image credit for Systir Photos and Forest Headshot