Originally hailing from Newbridge, Co. Kildare, and currently based in Cork City, Sara Ryan has spent recent years crafting her own unique blend of folk, soul and pop.

Since the release of her acclaimed debut single, 'Belle', in 2016, the singer-songwriter has been crowned 'New Artist of the Year' at the Irish Folk Music Awards, and has brought her stunning live show to international audiences – while earning praise from the likes of Christy Moore.

In November 2019, Sara released her debut album, Breathe, which powerfully showcased the depth of her artistic vision. Next year, you can look forward to a highly anticipated new body of work, immersed in electronic pop.

Kicking off her livestream set with her 2018 single 'Euphoric Recall', accompanied by acoustic guitar and double bass, Sara's vocals are well and truly in the spotlight. Telling a memorable story with richness and empathy, Ryan next offers up a rendition of 'Cravin'', a tale about looking for love in all the wrong places.

Her impressive range is what transports her soulful brand of folk music into another realm, as shown in follow-up track 'The Sea'. Inspired by County Clare, where much of her family live, Sara describes a longing for the ocean and a search for home in a beautiful way. Down-tempo, earnest, simple; 'The Sea' is one of her most effective songs yet. Next up comes 'The Weight', taken from her 2018 debut album Breathe.

A song about the struggle to make a clear decision and learning not to rely on the permission of others, Sara dedicates 'The Weight' to her best friend Grace. Her second-to-last number of the night comes in the form of the gorgeous 'Human', which was written after a conversation with a homeless man on the streets of Cork city. After emerging from a restaurant in the rain one winter, Ryan encountered a man asleep in a doorway, with no home to go to. The story is told throughout the track, her voice as gripping as ever.

Finishing up her set with 2019 track 'Roots', Sara takes influence from country music for her final performance. With new music on the horizon "soon", stay tuned for Ryan's imminent breakthrough.

Check out Sara Ryan's full Y&E Series performance below:

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Up next on the Hot Press Y&E Series...

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Wednesday, September 1: BRAKE LOOSE
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Thursday, September 2: WILLZEE
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Friday, September 3: LAUREN ANN
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