Limerick artist releases 'conscious' EP

RaYche P’s has released her debut EP, Bigotry & Blood. 

Through four tracks, she delves into themes of diversity, bigotry and injustice, referencing personal traumas and struggles regarding sexuality and her mistreatment by church institutions. With this collection of songs, RaYche hopes to spark conversations and contribute to a more empathetic and inclusive world.

Speaking of Bigotry & Blood, she explained: “It’s open to interpretation. But I feel like for me, it references the unwillingness to accept diversity and the destructive consequences of bigotry and injustice, which can lead to violence, conflict, and shedding of blood. It represents a hurtful ideology that can cause division between communities or individuals. I'm also referencing the historical use of blood as a symbol of our ethnicity, ancestral ties and our own like universal experiences of life and death.”

Those puppy dog eyes: Limerick couple put their 'trust' in dog welfare charity

RaYche describes herself as a conscious artist, one who seeks to write meaningful music and resonate with people. Before going solo, she used to perform in a choir.

“I joined a gospel choir in 2005 and that really helped me to gain the confidence to sing solo. I learned how to build up confidence there, how to step out on my own,” she explains. 

In school, RaYche struggled with accepting a side of herself she did not understand. “Anything to do with being gay was never discussed in school, it was never mentioned. Sex education was all just between a man and a woman. I feel like I grew up in a time where I felt like I wasn't normal. I really struggled with accepting that side of me.”

“I do remember being in a really kind of bad place mentally in myself,” she recalls. “I was really depressed, and I tried to find solace in a church. And I went to church in Limerick, but while I was there, one of the very first things that I experienced there was somebody stood up and started to preach out loud, ‘Lord Jesus Christ, delivered the gay people out of Limerick.’ I felt like I went there feeling like Christian people would understand and that they'd be open to welcoming you and making you feel safe, but I felt the total opposite.”