Erica-Cody on turning heartbreak into art and setbacks into comebacks

Jody Coffey

Introducing our gorgeous May cover star… Erica-Cody

Erica-Cody is a name that, by now, most Irish households are familiar with.

Through a number of talents and mediums, the 27-year-old is dominating multiple industries and she isn’t showing any signs of slowing down.

Singer, songwriter, podcaster, broadcaster, and social media personality — the resume of Erica-Cody just keeps growing.

“I love the chaos,” she tells me and I believe her. I could never picture Erica sitting behind a computer in a nine-to-five.

Erica exudes ‘cool girl’ energy as she sips her Matcha Latte with extra vanilla. She’s comfortable with who she is, proud even, and isn’t one bit apologetic about it.

“Therapy, girl,” she laughs when I tell her this.

From pain to power

While Erica may present as effortlessly confident, she’s worked damn hard to achieve this in both professional and personal respects.

In fact, the last year for the Love Me Like I Do singer has been one filled with setbacks and heartbreak across all areas of her life.

Erica’s relationship of eight years came to an end, she lost her pet, and her professional relationship amicably parted ways all in quick succession of one another.

Despite all of the emotional turmoil, she arrived in 2024 with a fire in her belly, stronger than ever it would seem.

“What I keep saying to myself —a cliche — is ‘I haven’t come this far just to come this far’. What am I gonna do, just give it all up after ten years and all the hard work I’ve put in?” the singer reflected.

“Something has to give… and something always does give. If you stop caring, you’re not going to attract the right opportunity that’s actually sitting there waiting for you.”

Back in December of 2023, during this difficult period, she picked herself up, dusted herself off, and rose from pain into power.

She decided to take a chance on herself by emailing Universal Music to meet with one of their leading directors just days before their offices closed for Christmas.

Erica convinced him to take a meeting with her which, of course, he did.

“I was like, ‘Look can I have a meeting with you? I just really want to talk to you. I went for the meeting and I played the song and I was like, ‘I think I want to do Eurovision’

“He called me the next day and said, ‘We’d love to sign you’.”

And that is how you turn your setback into your comeback.

Eurovision 2024

By January 2024, the Cry Baby singer was an entrant to represent Ireland at the Eurovision this year.

If Erica wasn’t already a pillar of inspiration and power, she not only used her voice at the Irish national final of the Eurovision, she used the platform that came with it to vocalise her stance on the competition’s refusal to ban Israel from the contest amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

In the past, she has referred to herself as an ‘accidental activist’ using her platform and lyrical creations to educate and advocate for important social and global issues.

The songstress says she would like to see solidarity from the entrants going to Sweden to represent their countries in May. However, she understands the difficult position they are in.

“Obviously I could sit here and say ‘I’d pull out’, but it’s hard to judge until you’re in that position,” she ponders.

“I can’t even imagine what the entrants are feeling because, you know, it’s a privilege to represent your country for Eurovision. But there are strings attached to it at the moment with what’s going on with Israel.”

This strong urge to stand up, defend, and champion others is something that was instilled in Erica from a young age through her parents, Gerald and Kiki.

She says through their parenting, it became second nature to speak up when she feels passionate about a cause or injustice, be it through her music or on her social media platform.

“It’s not something that I’m forcing myself to do. It’s just comes with the territory,” she explains.

“I make myself accessible through my music but there’s also no ignoring who I am as a person, you know with a black and Irish identity too.

“So, when it comes to Black Lives Matter or what’s happening in Gaza or just injustices around the world, I feel compelled to talk about them. I’m gonna talk about it.”