Fi McCluskey: "This kind of new thing of hyper-individualism is not making us happy."

Fi McCluskey’s adoration of music is noticeable right from when our conversation begins. Having grown up in East London with Irish immigrant parents, she has always been surrounded by music.

“I’m pretty sure I sang before I could speak,” she laughs. As a kid, I was quite dramatic. Going to Dublin for holidays, if it was a windy day by the beach, I’d walk ahead of my parents like I was in a music video.

“It’s just ingrained in the culture in Ireland, it’s so rich with it – it definitely played a huge part in me in becoming a musician, from The Cranberries to Sinéad O’Connor. I was like, ‘Oh God yeah, that’s me, I get it!’ There’s something in Irish music, there’s a soulfulness to it.”

She muses further on the inspiration for her music.

“It’s definitely a reflection of my life experience,” says Fi. “It’s an artist’s duty to reflect on experiences. We have the ability to turn emotion into something tangible, to create deeper human connection. That’s where I get my inspiration, from life. It’s an extension of the soul. Creating is very cathartic – a lot of creatives have a heightened sense of sensitivity. We feel things more.”

Fi further considers the nature of creativity.

“Sometimes songs just exist and come to fruition,” she continues. “They’re an extension of self – they might be within your grasp, brewing. It’s the same place where sadness and laughter come from; it’s another form of emotion and expression. Without sounding too cheesy, they definitely come from deep inside. That kind of cathartic feeling – once it’s out, it’s the equivalent of getting something off your chest.

“Having the ability to turn emotion into something tangible, that’s what an artist can do, whatever the medium is. You might be moved by a painting, or a sculpture, or a poem. When you look at that piece of work you think, ‘Oh god,yeah, I get that.’ That’s where they come from, that same place, wherever that is.”

Her new single ‘Die Young’ tackles the subject of postnatal depression, a topic often neglected in society.

“I’ve been the main source of support for several loved ones and friends that have gone through postnatal depression,” she says. “Help is out there, sure, but it’s not accessible to everybody. Unless you have the financial means, you’ll be put on a waiting list, by which time the kid is gonna be 15 anyway. I don’t know why this specific area seems to be getting left behind. Maybe it’s the narrative of, ‘well it was her choice to have the baby,’

“Also, the ‘advertisement’ of new mothers and what I call the ‘Hallmark film effect’. You’re watching these films where it’s like, ‘Aw, she’s bringing the baby home and isn’t it the best time in the world!’ The reality is very different. It’s something I really wanted to shine a light on, to open the door for conversation.

“Whether it’s postnatal depression or menopause, these are very common issues. There’s nothing for women, especially in the corporate world, that allows you to take time off and get support. It doesn’t exist.”
Fi wanted the song to function as a reassuring anthem for women everywhere who may be struggling.

“When I made the first vocal for the track, the way it runs is almost like a mantra,” she says. “It has repetitive phrasing and an encouraging tone, because in essence, you are not alone and people do care about you. It’s about educating, awareness and destigmatising. Saying, ‘It’s okay to feel like this.’

“One thing that I’ve really noticed that helps is letting people know that they are not alone. This new thing of hyper-individualism is not making us happy. I’ll scream it from the rooftops because what someone very close to me went through, no one should go through. A few structural changes in society would really help.

“How is anyone supposed to go back to work, get a decent career and provide for their children, when the state doesn’t offer any kind of proper childcare? For example, a friend of a friend tried to get help. The number that the nurse gave her took ages to get through to, then it was a waiting list. Even when people say, ‘Ok I do need help’ and they try to find it, it’s not that easy to find.”

Reflecting on the subject matter at large, Fi maintains that the overarching sentiment experienced by women post-pregnancy is isolation.

“The overall feeling that I’ve been receiving from women which led me to create the song, to create these conversations, is a feeling of isolation, and that is a really scary place to be. Then add on sleep deprivation, hormones, all of these things. Your body has just been through this big change, a massive process. So not only are you hormonal, you then find you’re in an isolated environment. You’re vulnerable, it’s not good enough and we need to do better.”

Finally, another vital element of ‘Die Young’ is its powerful video.

“I wanted to show a raw, strong woman,” says Fi. “There’s a scene of me tearing the pages of a patriarchal book and throwing them into the wind. With the body paint on me, you see my body as a canvas, to change the audience’s perception of a naked woman. We spoke about childhood memories and drawings. It’s quite animalistic, with all of the symbols, drawings and paintings layered to create textures and tones.

“When we shot the video, it had a lot of strong themes that I wanted to get across. On set I had several different members of the crew coming over to me and sharing their personal experiences. So already I thought, ‘Okay, people talking about this is working.’ It’s 2024, come on people, we’ve come so far with destigmatising mental health, which is amazing.

“We also took phrases and words from women that I had spoken to, along with my own words. ‘Solidarity’ was written in paint across my back, and that was the message from me to the audience, almost like a call to arms. I don’t know why this one specific area seems to be getting left behind. It seems to be stuck in the dark ages, where there’s this kind of stiff upper lip. ‘Well, we just have to get on with it, you’ll figure it out’ – and that’s just not good enough.”

• ‘Die Young’ is out now.