Cork singer-songwriter Lyra has said she is gearing up to be "match ready" for Electric Picnic this weekend and said while she's "starting to get quite nervous" she knows she is going to be performing in a "lovely environment".
Speaking to RTÉ Entertainment ahead of the event, which takes place between 2 - 4 September in Stradbally, Co Laois, the 36-year-old Bandon native said she is thrilled the much-loved festival is back after a two-year hiatus.
"I can't wait. I'm actually starting to get quite nervous now, but I think everyone is so up for it. We're out of lockdown, life is good, life is healing.
"I think there's going to be a really lovely, positive vibe down there. It's going to be such a lovely environment to be in. I'm really looking forward to it now," she said.
"Everyone is going to be so happy to be seeing live acts that it's going to be a gorgeous atmosphere."
"Obviously, coming out on stage is nerve-racking enough and with it being the first Electric Picnic back, I have to make sure I'm match ready," she said.
The Falling hitmaker explained how she wanted to do a costume change during her upcoming set, but said it was a toss up between that or playing new music.
"I'm on for about 50 minutes. I wanted to do a costume change but I didn't want to miss out on playing a new song. I'm contemplating coming out with something on over my outfit and then taking it off and that being my kind of costume change.
"I'm putting some new songs in. I'm going to be singing my new single that's coming out in October. It will be the first time I've sang it live, so it should be eventful," she laughed.
"I'm also going to perform Edge of Seventeen which I don't usually do, but it's such a banger that EP is the perfect place to do it," she said.
With a host of stellar acts taking to the stage of EP this year, festival-goers are in for a treat. But who is Lyra looking forward to seeing?
"I can't wait to see London Grammar. I'm obsessed with them and haven't seen them live yet. I also can't wait to see Picture This and Anne-Marie - she'll be great craic. Obviously, I'm going to go and see all of my other Irish girls too."
When it comes to dishing out festival tips Lyra admits she's "the world's worst person ever to answer that question".
"I went to Electric Picnic the last time it was on and I stayed in tent with my sister and we didn't know what to expect or what to bring, so we brought hardly anything and our tent ended up flooding. We ended up sleeping in the car for half the night. I'm shocking at it so unfortunately I've no tips to share, unfortunately."
Teasing what the future has in store for her after Electric Picnic, Lyra said she'll be embarking on her very own headline tour.
"I'm doing a headline tour. OMG, it is going to be so good. I'm going everywhere from Cork, Galway, Limerick, Wexford, Killarney, Kilkenny - everywhere!
"Kilkenny and Galway sold out in a day. It's going to be my own show and I'm planning a lot of things for it. I'm going to put in a second single, which is coming out after this single, that no one has heard at all.
"I want to put in some exclusive things that people who went out of their way to buy tickets to see my headline tour will look forward to getting something a bit extra because they are the people that really keep me going, and keep me on the stage," she said.
You can catch Lyra at Electric Picnic on Saturday, 3 September from 5.15-6pm at the Electric Arena.
For more info on Electric Picnic 2022, including gig times and more, click here
