Donegal singer-songwriter Carol Wilson is releasing an emotional song for her daughter in time for International Women’s Day.

‘Lily’ is a love letter, full of soulful, honest and raw emotion.

Out on Tuesday 4th March, ‘Lily’ was written as a letter-song by Carol to her daughter, Lily, when she was 9 years old – around the age where she would slowly be leaving childhood.

Carol said: “I was looking at her playing one day and it dawned on me that she wouldn’t be a child for much longer. She’d soon be entering into the ‘preenage’ world and then teenager. And there was a bit of sadness and worry that came in. I wondered how her life would go. Teenage years are so formative and decisions made that time can last a lifetime. I saw that she was so like me, yet herself, and I started thinking of the mistakes I’d made myself. I prayed that I’d instilled enough self worth in her that she wouldn’t make the same mistakes as me.”

Carol commented “And that’s when I wrote the song – as a wish from my heart to hers. I’ve found that when I play it live people connect strongly to the song, so I’m excited to finally be releasing it now.”

Lily goes live on all streaming platforms at midnight on March 4th and the accompanying music video will be released on March 8th (International Women’s Day).

The track, written and produced by Carol Wilson and recorded at Hedgehog Studios in Donegal, features Laura McFadden on cello, with mixing by Nigel Hegarty and mastering by Ciarán Byrne of CBSounds Dublin (known for his work with U2, Steve Martin, and Elvis Costello).

Carol Wilson from Meenaleck, now living in Rathmullan, has played in venues across the north-west including The Balor, Sandinos, The Guildhall and has opened for Brianna Corrigan of The Beautiful South in Saint Augustines in Derry.

She has released an album (Trouble Me, 2021), a live EP (Live at Balor 2023), nine singles and an Irish language single ‘Grá’.

Wilson placed top three in Music Capital’s First International Singer-Songwriter Competition in Sandinos, Derry in 2023. This led to being invited to compose a song for The People’s Kitchen homeless charity in Belfast. 

Wilson now features on their album ‘Kindness on The Streets’ along with artists such as Ralph McTell, Moya Brennan, Mary Black, Frances Black, Damian Dempsey and more.

Follow Carol’s Spotify here.
Visit Carol Wilson’s Bandcamp here.
Website: carolwilsonmusic.wordpress.com