Author: michaelabenson

RootStrings Co-Op Student Feature: Michaela Benson

Published on by michaelabenson

Hi! My name is Michaela Benson.  I am 20 years old and I am from Limerick, Ireland. I am commonly known as Kayla, which also happens to be my artist name, ‘KAYLA’. I am a singer-songwriter who plays several musical instruments. 

I was one of those children who could sing before they could talk! When I was young, I would sing songs that I loved from my favourite movies, such as Dirty Dancing, Grease, Mamma Mia, etc. However, as I grew older I fell in love almost every style of music, such as Soul, Jazz, RnB, Indie-pop. These would be the genres that would inspire me to want to start writing my own music.

 I began writing my own songs somewhat seriously in Spring of 2018. I gained the courage to finish a song I had started to write when I was 15. I realised that writing songs was a way I could get whatever I wanted off my chest without having to say anything, I could just sing it!

In December 2019, I released a demo of an original song named ‘space’, which can be streamed on Spotify and YouTube. The song was written and recorded in a single day after finding a beat I loved on Youtube. The upbeat ‘Bedroom-pop’ style song was a fun, light-hearted way for me to write about how its ok to be overwhelmed and need some time to yourself. It was incredible experiencing the love and support from friends and family. Almost a year later, ‘space’ is an extremely appropriate song about social distancing!

I am hoping to release my debut EP in the near future, and my latest original ‘Bitter’ will be featured on it. I want this EP to tell the story of who I am, what I have experienced and I want people to connect with each song. I wrote ‘Bitter’ at a really stressful time, when I really needed to let my feelings out the only way I knew how. Even though each of my songs have a story behind them, I want people to give my songs their own interpretation. Please enjoy this stripped back, acoustic version with my questionable guitar skills!

Social Media

Instagram – @kaylabensonmusic

Find Yourself ‘Falling’ for Synead Toomey’s New Release, Coming this Friday!

Published on by michaelabenson

Rootstrings Management is ecstatic to announce that  Limerick singer-songwriter Synead Toomey is set to release her highly anticipated debut EP ‘Falling’ on the 14th August, 2020. The Limerick based rising star spared no time after finishing her BA in Voice and Dance to dive back into working on her own music. Her forthcoming EP ‘Falling’ is said to be heavily influenced by everyday life experiences and is described as heartfelt. The title track ‘Falling’ emotionally describes the feeling of falling in love with the right person at the wrong time. This stunning EP has five tracks in total. Three out of the five songs are original songs and two are cover songs.  

Synead Toomey’s music has a soulful, acoustic sound and has a style that is deeply rooted in the genre of Indie-Folk.  It is no secret that Synead has an extensive history of performing, with known collaborations with artists such as Gavin James, Ryan Sheridan, Emma Langford, Dave Keenan, Wyvern Lingo and so many more.  Synead’s EP ‘Falling’ will be available for download and streaming on Spotify, iTunes, Apple Music, Amazon Music and Google Play on August 14th, 2020. It is a release that is not to be missed! 

Synead Toomey Featured as IMRO’s 14,000th Member

Published on by michaelabenson

On 23th June 2020 it was announced that Synead was the 14,000th IMRO member. The Irish Music Rights Organisation (IMRO) is an organisation which aims to protect, promote and develop the collection and distribution of music royalties, foster music creation and promote the value of music to the creative, cultural and business communities in Ireland. This is the first of many huge achievements that is coming Synead’s way. Synead also works with Music Generation in Limerick, an organisation which was founded by the band U2. The goal of Music Generation is to learn, enjoy and share their music with the world.

Synead Toomey is a singer/songwriter from Limerick, Ireland. Despite Synead being the latest musician to join Rootsrings Management, she is far from new in her music career. Synead began busking in 2012 and continues to do so to this day, alongside playing many other gigs locally and nationwide. She has just completed a degree in Voice and Dance in University of Limerick. 

In 2016, Synead performed in one of Ireland’s largest music festival Electric Picnic, alongside many other successful musicians from Limerick such as Hermitage Green, Rusangano Family and many other artists. 

Synead describes her genre of music to be Indie-folk, with original songs that are acoustically beautiful.  Synead Toomey has extensive experience with performing, as she has performed, collaborated with  and supported artists such as Gavin James, Ryan Sheridan, Emma Langford, Dave Keenan, Wyvern Lingo and many more.

Synead is no stranger to original songs, and her much anticipated EP ‘Falling’ is a meaningful, genuine and emotional reflection of everyday life experiences. The title track ‘Falling’ describes the painful feeling of falling in love with the right person at the wrong time. This EP will be released and available to listen to on August 14th 2020.

RootStrings is thrilled to welcome Synead to its catalog, and delighted to see IMRO once again supporting the immense talent of Ireland. Check out the original IMRO post here, and follow Synead on Facebook.