Singled Out: Malachy Tuohy's Most Of The Time

Keavin Wiggins | 04-21-2023

Single art

Folk-rock artist Malachy Tuohy (The Riptide Movement) just released his debut solo single, "Most Of The Time." To celebrate we asked him to tell us about the song. Here is the story:

"Most Of The Time" is the first song to be released from my upcoming solo album "I Cross This Universe". I wrote and recorded it over the Covid lockdowns, and I think this song best encapsulates that time for me. There was so much uncertainty and anxiety everywhere and such a sense of isolation and disconnection; I wanted to write a song that reflected that feeling.

I usually write lyrics to the melody, but this time I had the lyrics mostly written, so I shaped the melody around the words. The lyrics have a stream-of-consciousness vibe to them; different fears and anxieties are amplified throughout. I like the way the lyrics are a bit quirky, too; they've got a sense of realism to them. So instead of trying to construct this picture-perfect life and shape our emotions to fit, "Most Of The Time" accepts that our lives are all over the shop and full of ups and downs. There's a lot going on in the song. That stream of consciousness jumps from relationships to self-expression to anxiety to the creative struggle; everything is a little disconnected and amplified. I went with the reoccurring repetition of the line 'Most of the time' because, as creatures of habit, it can feel like we're on a hamster wheel most of the time or in a constant state of repetition, but importantly it's not all the time, there are times when we get some perspective and become aware, and this awareness is like a mini epiphany, it's an opportunity to break that chain or break the mould, and I think the Covid lockdown offered me that break to re-evaluate my own life and what was really important to me.

Gavin Glass was the producer on this album, and I think it was a great collaboration; the whole process just flowed. Gavin brought some great ideas to the plate and played a lot of different instruments throughout. He's a great guitarist, and you can hear some of his great slide playing on 'Most of the Time' The music brings balance to the song and gives it a really lazy, relaxed, warm summer vibe; it lightens the mood. Paul 'Binzer' Brennan from the 'Frames' also plays the drums on the track. It was Gavin's idea to get 'Binzer' to play on it, and I think that drum beat really adds to the song's vibe.

We all have our own internal struggles, and for me, this song 'Most of the Time' is about embracing them struggles and overcoming them. I hope people enjoy the song and that it brings some chill vibes into their lives; at the end of the day, we're all on our own journey through this life, and I hope this song can be a little part of that soundtrack.

Hearing is believing. Now that you know the story behind the song, listen and watch for yourself below and learn more about Malachy here