Star Clare and her songs aiming to inspire those that need a lift...

NASHVILLE SINGING SENSATION AND COLLON BORN CLARE CUNNINGHAM SPEAKS OUT ABOUT ANXIETY AND HOW SHE IS NOW DETERMINED TO HELP PEOPLE WHO HAVE ENDURED THE SAME ISSUES IN THEIR LIVES. HUBERT MURPHY REPORTS

SHE has the world at her feet, the audience in her hands, the future gripped tightly in her fist. But Clare Cunningham, the Collon singer who has taken the music scene in Nashville by storm in recent years, has revealed that the picture she paints has taken time to dry, sometimes her glittering and warm persona hiding the secrets that so many of us control and hide.

Inspired to help those with mental health issues through her songs, she has spoken out about the demons that have been part of her life and how she has coped with anxiety. ‘I wanted to show that you can heal and you can get better,’ she stated.

‘Anxiety is something when you suffer it, you think it’s normal. Because it was chronic, it stayed with me from childhood, a constant worry and struggle with life.

‘I was about 27 when external people around me began saying a few things. I was of the pretence that I was ok and never said how I felt. Then I realised I’m struggling now and didn’t have a grip on life,’ she stated.

She went to a doctor in the UK where she was living at the time. ‘ He looked at me and said there were two different methods,’ she revealed, medication, or go to the gym.

‘I was very active anyway, but didn’t have gym membership. He said exercise is the best type of coping mechanise until you get into a therapist. He sent me on my way with list of gym clothes to buy and that was the start of a new life for me.’

She underwent Cognitive behavioral therapy and recalled being told it was ok not to be ok, ‘ but it’s how you cope with it and deal with it.’

Speaking on the Geri Petito show in the US last week, she said she also suffers from OPD and has rituals.

‘I have an addictive personality, I do everything 100%. Food is another addiction of mine. Anxiety is not just about worrying, there’s a lot of categories. fear, worry, stress, there’s an umbrella of things. If some human does not suffer some kind of mental emotional discorder, you are not human. I’m not going to sugar coat that once you have anxiety that it leaves your body forever.’

She feels nutrition can play a massive part in getting over.

‘I have a problem with food and people say ‘you are slim, what’s the problem?’. You don’t have to be overweight to have a problem with food.

‘I became obsessed with fasting and that led to binging and other problems. I empathise with people who have suffered from any addiction or depression.

‘I only see energy, it’s not for everyone, but you are what you eat. You can change your life if you put time into yourself. I do overwork myself trying to do everything, but you have to look after number one. When you get on a plane and they say attend to yourself before attending to others, that is not a selfish act, don’t look it like that. It’s self care so you can be the best person going forward for those around you. The brain is like a muscle and the stronger you make it the better.’

She has found that nobody wants to be in the company of people with depression or other issues. ‘Anxiety is not an illness, it’s an emotion and there’s a massive stigma attached to it.’

Clare is dedicating herself to funding what she can when it comes to mental health.

‘When people go to a doctor and are told it’s months before you can talk to someone, that’s not good enough. You are at your lowest ebb anyway if you’ve gone to a doctor. I’d like to create an institution where music is available, or whatever, a place for support groups, people are not just a number on a waiting list.

‘I want to continue to write songs about struggles and talking to people and letting people know that you are not alone. That’s very important for some people to hear.

‘I’m put together but it’s a jigsaw. I feel like a picture frame and when I fall off a wall the glass breaks but the frame is always there, the study part of me. But over time, if you keep on falling, the frame will break. You are what you believe.’

Her music is full of life stories and last week she released her latest single on all platforms, “Heart Of Mine” and the track features legendary guitarist Steve Cropper and was recorded in Nashville. The song is just the first from her upcoming album set for release in early 2021

Cunningham penned the song with co-writer Jon D’Agostino “There are always tough times and long roads, especially in the world we live in today,” she says. “We will go through heartbreak and struggle inevitably throughout our lives, but with this song I want to let people know that it’s okay to just trust your heart and it will guide you and give you the answers when you surrender and need it most.”

Cropper caught wind of Cunningham and offered to be a part of the recording. “I truly enjoyed playing on Clare’s track because she has such a tremendous voice, no matter what song

‘I’M PUT TOGETHER BUT IT’S A JIGSAW. I FEEL LIKE A PICTURE FRAME AND WHEN I FALL OFF A WALL THE GLASS BREAKS BUT THE FRAME IS ALWAYS THERE, THE STURDY PART OF ME. BUT OVER TIME, IF YOU KEEP ON FALLING, THE FRAME WILL BREAK. YOU ARE WHAT YOU BELIEVE.’

she is performing,” Cropper comments. “She makes me want to play because she sings with passion and feeling. You know you’re getting a true performance.”

Clare’s life and musical journey has been an extraordinary one, starting off in rock and metal bands, the lead singer of the all-female Swedish rock quintet Thundermother.

The band had major international chart success and signed with Warner Music Sweden for their first album Rock n Roll Disaster. Following the release of their second album, Road Fever, the band signed with Despotz Records (Sweden) and garnered support from artists such as Mötorhead, Airbourne, D.A.D, Zakk Wylde, Halestorm, Michael Monroe, In Flames, Opeth, Danko Jones and many more, meanwhile touring all over Europe playing some of the most prestigious festivals including Sweden Rock Festival, Bravalla, Alcatraz, and Getaway Rock Festival.

In 2018, Clare relocated to the U.S. to focus more on her songwriting and solo career.

Making an impact with her great vocal range, she has received industry support and is wrapping up the recording of her upcoming project at the iconic RCA Studios, and with the support of some of the town’s top musicians including Cropper, Audley Freed/guitar (Sheryl Crow, Dixie Chicks, Black Crowe’s, Joe Perry), Steve Mackey/bass (Peter Frampton, Garth Brooks, Dolly Parton) and Jared Kneale/drums (Lauren Daigle, Kacey Musgraves).