Singer-songwriter Cathleen Ireland has long been known for her heartfelt storytelling and cinematic sound, but with her new album In The City, she opens the door to a deeper kind of reflection. Rooted in her love for Pittsburgh — its glowing bridges, late-night drives, and unbreakable spirit — the record captures both motion and meaning, a rediscovery of the beauty she’d been too busy to notice. Blending honesty, vulnerability, and gratitude, Ireland invites listeners into her world of charged city lights, quiet strength, and heartfelt perseverance — where every lyric feels like a breath taken in rhythm with the heartbeat of home.
Cathleen, this album feels so alive — like you stepped into the night and rediscovered a part of yourself. What was happening in your life that made “In The City” the story you needed to tell right now?
I think I did rediscover something but it was the city I have taken for granted for much of my life. I’m a Pittsburgh native and most weekends I’m driving to a gig somewhere and that pre-gig excitement is along with me for the ride. I’m usually cramming to learn lyrics while watching the GPS for directions and what time I’ll arrive. More often than not the cityscape is like background music. It’s just on the other side of the windshield but my mind is inside the car. It’s on the way home that I can relax and take in the scenery and one night I was just filled with pride for our beautiful city while at the same time I was listening to new music my producer had sent over.
You describe the city lights as something that “revives” you. What is it about Pittsburgh — its energy, its people, its history — that continues to inspire you creatively after all these years?
I grew up in a Pittsburgh suburb but I moved over an hour away after I got married. I do a lot of driving to get to my gigs all around the city. The energy of the traffic and the downtown lights and the bridges, especially the lights on the bridges, always speak to me. It’s like the feeling Christmas lights give you. That extra excitement in the pit of your stomach. Of course the people are the best in the world! Their team spirit, their loyalty, their friendliness and desire to help one another is unrivaled.
A song like “Breathe” really speaks to women who are juggling careers, family, expectations, and dreams. Was there a specific moment that made you realize, “I have to write this”?
For the longest time I hated to ever say “I’m a busy person”. Because I have friends that are tackling full time jobs and running multiple kids around to various activities and still volunteering and finding time to work out and that made me think I should never feel overwhelmed. But last year I got to a point where I allowed myself to be honest. I’m a wife and a mom and a writer and a performer and a bandleader among other things and it’s ok to feel overwhelmed. I started wondering if any of my band mates had to make dinner for their family members before a gig? I love my family and being a mom but it does occasionally pose some obstacles to getting ready for a performance. I realized that most women are feeling this same type of pressure regardless of their situation. My mom who had six kids and a career as a nurse would tell me “breathe” or “take a breath” when I would be feeling strained or tense. Now it’s kind of my mantra in those times.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbgG2KOv6q4
Your lyrics move between confidence, vulnerability, and joy with such ease. How do you balance showing strength with showing softness in your songwriting?
I rarely ever feel strong and confident. I’m a nervous personality type like my dad and a very insecure person. The strength conveyed in my songwriting is the person I want to be. That’s the beauty of writing and creating, you can be whatever you dream. The softness? I hope that’s the real me coming through.
On “Strategic,” you sing about letting go of the games people play in relationships. Do you think it’s getting harder in today’s world to be emotionally honest with one another?
I don’t think it’s harder today. Etiquette doesn’t seem to be as important to people as it once was so I think if anything, people tend to be more honest, almost to a fault. But when it comes to new romance, I feel like there will always be some small amount of games and strategies until you get to know the person better and feel confident with your partner.
You’ve collaborated with some remarkable producers and creatives throughout your career. What did working with Ryan M. Tedder bring out in you that maybe you didn’t know was there?
Working with Ryan has certainly been a dream come true for me. He has an amazing resume and musically he is in tune with my desired style and genre, more so than any of my past collaborators. He has an amazing talent for songwriting and producing and he’s a very ambitious individual but he’s also a very gentle spirit. In the studio he has a natural way of leading and at the same time he has a calming and grounding effect on me. When I work with Ryan, I feel that the end product always conveys my essence and is representative of my true self. He has a way of bringing that out in our songs but he makes me sound much cooler than I am.
Your videos have earned awards all over the world — which is incredible. How does your visual storytelling connect to the way you approach writing a song?
Well for me, the video is an afterthought. The music comes first, but I do usually write the video treatment or the script for my music videos. Each visual project is independent from the song. I try to either communicate an emotion from the song lyrics or to offer something visually interesting. Definitely on DRIVE, I was pulling from my own life experiences because my husband is a workaholic. On ELEVATOR I was hoping to present a carnival-like atmosphere as a metaphor for a woman’s fantasy with a stranger she sees in an elevator. ARGYLE CHRISTMAS was meant to be funny and also visually stimulating.
When listeners finish this album — when the last note fades — what do you hope they feel about themselves? What’s the message you hope stays with them long after the music stops
Even though the last song, PROUD OF ME, is melancholy, the overall theme of the album is one of gratitude and perseverance. I do hope that is what resonates with the listeners. Gratitude for the beauty in our surroundings whether it’s concrete buildings and bridges or the scenic great outdoors, gratitude for our relationships, familial and otherwise. Also, a willingness to press on toward our goals and dreams regardless of age and circumstances. I honestly believe it’s never too late to be and up and comer and hopefully I will prove it.