Having emerged as one of the brightest stars on the Northern Irish music scene at the moment, Ryan McMullan found himself launching his new EP, Ruthless Cupid, in an unusual way at the weekend.
The 26-year-old singer performed songs from his new EP live on Belfast Live's Instagram on Friday, April 10, as well as talking through the songs with an online audience.
The live session came just as Ryan was set to start on a tour that would take him into the summer.
Due to Coronavirus fears though, he was forced to postpone his upcoming gigs.
Speaking to Belfast Live, Ryan told us: “I got home to Belfast thankfully. I was away at the worst time but luckily managed to get home. It’s been such a strange time. One one hand I have the chance to be creative at the moment, but on the other hand, my head is full of how to avoid coronavirus and avoid spreading or carrying it and also how to just survive. I’m just taking it day by day like most people I imagine.”
Ryan’s new songs take a deeply reflective look at love and where it comes from.
Explaining the message behind the EP, he said: “These songs reflect a handful of times where it felt like Cupid has been toying with me. Amusing himself by throwing me into situations where I’m either out of my depth, hoping for reconciliation, or unable to escape the truth that even at the end, I’m still holding on to even the worst of my attempts at love.”
The EP will bookend an incredible twelve months for the Portaferry star. He fulfilled a life-long dream last year when he got the chance to perform as an honorary member of Snow Patrol while guitarist Johnny McDaid was recovering after surgery. This culminated in their magnificent Ward Park 3 homecoming gig in May 2019.
“Other than the Beatles, Snow Patrol are my favourite ever band,” he said.
“To have been given that experience was insane. I got to play Chasing Cars at the Sydney Opera House as an actual member of the band. I mean - talk about bucket list!
"Then to go from that and also play Ward Park with them, it was incredibly special.”
