Dublin spoken word artist Caoimhe Weakliam has released her new single, Storm. We asked her the BIG questions . . .
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Caoimhe's poems cover topics such as women’s experiences, contemporary inequalities and loss of connection to nature and she has performed at the Dublin Fringe Festival, Culture Night and Electric Picnic.
Her debut poetry single? Hiding’ was released in July 2024. She has recently moved to Bergen, Norway, where she is pursuing poetry projects for release on streaming services.
Photo credit: Lise Hendrix
Tell us three things about yourself . . .
I’m from Dublin, but have recently moved to Bergen, Norway. I’ve had a lot of people question this choice, but I wake up surrounded by the mountains, the water, and plenty of good, creative people so it’s where I want to be right now. I’ve always loved poetry but have somewhat struggled with its traditional form and felt a desire to reinvent that. I spend a lot of my time musing on the condition of modern society and its failings.
How would you describe your music?
The work I release on streaming platforms blends spoken word poetry with music. This format allows the poetry to exist as I want it to - a listening experience where the poem can be illuminated by a musical journey and each word be felt from the voice of the poet. I create these tracks in collaboration with musicians who I trust to bring this vision to fruition. My poetry is philosophical, and critical of societal structures such as loss of connection to nature, wealth, power or gender inequality. However, I try to weave these broad topics into a more personal narrative, to tell a story of their effects in a way that might resonate. I love the curiosity and freedom of playing with words and using metaphor to artistically explore the world we live in. I’m also very passionate about making poetry accessible and not confined solely to the page, which is why I’m pursuing these projects that allow poetry to be listened to just like music.
Who are your musical inspirations?
I'm really inspired by musicians with unique and thought-provoking lyricism, Tom Rosenthal and Hozier inspire me a lot in that way. I’m also very inspired by the work of Stephen James Smith, an Irish spoken word artist who has paved the way for blending poetry with music.
What was the first gig you ever went to?
Honestly, I was pretty late to the gig game and didn’t go to any until I was about 17/18. I remember going to see some niche electronic band in the Olympia in Dublin with my friends from school one year. It wasn’t particularly memorable except for sharing the experience with friends, but I’ve grown to love going to small gigs to support independent artists and just enjoy the intimate environment with good people.
What was the first record you ever bought?
I think it might have been a Justin Bieber album when I was about 12 or 13.
What’s your favourite song right now?
I Went to Bed and I Loved You (one song?) by Tom Rosenthal.
Favourite lyric of all time?
One that always sticks with me is from the song Awake My Soul by Mumford & Sons – "In these bodies we will live, in these bodies we will die, And where you invest your love, you invest your life".
If you could only listen to one song for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Blue is the Eye by Ye Vagabonds.
Where can people find your music/more information?
I’m under Caoimhe Weakliam on all the streaming platforms and my Instagram is @caoimheweakliam.
Alan Corr
