The highly compelling Irish musical project How I Became A Wave, led by Cork songwriter Pat Carey and featuring a collective of Ireland’s finest musicians, has released a brand new single, “05:00” (pronounced “five A.M.”). This beautifully delicate winter track is inspired by the Eavan Boland poetry collection Night Feed and sees the group exploring more minimal, luminous textures. At its heart is piano composed by frequent RTÉ Concert Orchestra conductor Cormac McCarthy and performed by Rory McCarthy, set alongside a delicate yet bold string accompaniment from cellist Laura McFadden that perfectly complements Kealan Kenny’s pedal steel. Carey’s fragile vocal performance echoes the song’s vulnerability, allowing himself space to be beautifully understated in a truly remarkable range.
Carey revealed the inspiration behind the track, stating, “This song was originally inspired by Eavan Boland’s poetry collection ‘Night Feed’. I’ve always been interested in exploring how small, seemingly meaningless moments, can be interpreted as being a kind of portal to something greater, something universal.” He describes that time of night as a “liminal space, a period of magic – a kind of thinning of the veil – where beauty can dwell in the most ordinary of spaces.” Recent live shows at Cork’s Sounds From A Safe Harbour and Dublin’s National Concert Hall have completely captivated audiences, and strong support slots with heavyweight contemporaries such as Villagers, Lisa Hannigan, and Gemma Hayes have solidified the artist as an important emerging voice in Irish music. The single follows acclaimed tracks “Fading Out” and “Cycles,” confirming the project’s defining mix of tenderness, emotion, and quiet strength.