Always on
This project successfully funded on 2nd June 2025, you can still support them with a donation.
“Everything Was Silent; The Stories Silence Held”.
Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
Aim
Everything Was Silent — an album of Irish songs honouring sorrow, strength, and survival.
Bringing Music Back to Life: A Collection of Irish Songs Inspired by “The Mad Lady”
"Sometimes you realise that what you are listening to is what a real singer should be—someone with a direct connection between soul and voice. Jake Cogan is one of those rare few." – Dick Gaughan
Irish music has been the soundtrack of my life. These songs speak of love, loss, resilience, and hope—woven into the history of a people, and the private moments of my upbringing. Though I’m a Scottish lassie through and through, Irish songs were my lullabies. They shaped my voice, my heart, and the way I understand the world.
For years, I’ve felt called to gather these songs and record them—to honour their stories, their spirit, and the people who carried them. The time is now.
Why This Project Matters
Music has always been the centre of my life. When I’m not making it, I’m lost. This album is about much more than preserving traditional songs—it’s about healing, reconnecting, and honouring cultural memory.
A few Fridays ago, a close family friend, Eric, was killed in a tragic accident. Just days earlier, we had been singing in the kitchen, making plans to revisit Edinburgh’s Royal Oak, where he once told me I “brought the house doon.”
Eric and his partner Sylvia often requested the song Grace—a tragic Irish love ballad. It was one of their favourites, and one of mine. After his passing, it was clear to me: I could no longer delay making this album. These songs deserve to be heard, sung, and passed on.
A Personal Journey of Healing
Many people have asked when they’ll hear me sing again. The truth is—I’ve struggled.
I live with depression and anxiety. Panic attacks have kept me offstage. At times, I felt silenced by fear and grief.
But music keeps calling me back. This collection of Irish songs is my way home. It’s part of my healing—and I hope it offers something meaningful to others too.
For several years, I stepped back from performing to work in frontline women’s services—supporting mental health, survivors of domestic violence, and trauma recovery. I saw, firsthand, how music and storytelling can offer profound comfort, resilience, and belonging. I’ve lived that truth myself.
The Mad Lady, My Godfather, and Me
On my first album, I recorded The Mad Lady and Me—a song about a young woman who tries to take her own life in the River Lee. It spoke to me in a way I can’t quite explain—because I’ve known that darkness. I’ve lost loved ones to suicide. I’ve stood near that same edge myself.
Just before I recorded that song, my godfather—my Uncle John—took his life at age 40. He was my mentor, my music man, the one who introduced me to The Clash, Christy Moore, Carole King. He gave me my first copy of Tapestry. I still play it.
Eleven months before that, my father died suddenly on holiday in Spain. I was 18.
They left me with music—and with the reminder that songs carry love where words fall short.
Join Me in Preserving This Musical Legacy
This album is not about nostalgia. It’s about living history—a bridge between generations, carrying voices long gone into the present day.
Irish and Scottish songs have travelled the globe—across Canada, America, Australia, New Zealand—carried by people searching for home. If you have a memory of a grandparent singing at the fireside, or a tune passed down through generations, I’d love to hear from you.
This collection is a living, breathing tribute to those voices—and to the ones still finding the courage to sing.
A River of Song, A Tide of Souls
These songs travelled across the water to Scotland, borne by waves of people fleeing famine, loss, or seeking hope. In recording them, I’m answering their call—and keeping that lineage alive.
If I can bring these songs into more kitchens, more living rooms, more quiet nights of shared listening, then I’ve done something worthwhile.
How You Can Support the Project
Your support will help bring this record to life. Here’s how contributions will help:
£20 – Helps cover studio time and musician fees
£50 – Supports production, mixing, and mastering
£100 – Contributes to physical copies and distribution
£500 – Sponsors a portion of the album’s completion
Every gesture of support matters. This is not just an album—it’s a contribution to heritage, healing, and the power of song.
Listen to “The Mad Lady and Me”
🎵 Click here to listen
Let’s Keep the Music Alive—Together
This is a celebration of shared culture and survival. A thank-you to those who came before us. A reminder that music connects us across time and place.
If this music resonates with your own story—your roots, your grief, your joy—please consider supporting this collection.
Tomorrow is never promised. But today, we can sing.
Thank you for being part of this journey. Let’s make this music live again.
Listen to The Mad Lady and Me
Watch the Video
How Your Support Will Help
Your contributions will bring this record to life. Here’s how your support will help:
• £20 – Helps cover the cost of studio time and musician fees.
• £50 – Supports production, mixing, and mastering.
• £100 – Contributes to physical copies, artwork, and distribution.
• £500 – Sponsors part of the final album production and release.
Every contribution, no matter the size, moves this project forward. This is more than just recording an album—it’s about creating something meaningful, something that gives back.
A Global Community of Song
Another way to support this project is by having a listen to some of my recorded works - all available on Bandcamp@ https://jakecogan.bandcamp.com/album/parcel-of-rogues-2
Join me in this journey—not just as a listener, but as part of the story.
Your support, whether through donations, song suggestions, or artwork commissions, means everything.
Let’s Keep the Music Alive—Together
This project is a celebration of heritage, healing, and the power of music to connect us across time and place. If you believe in keeping these songs alive, in honouring our shared history, and in music’s ability to uplift, please consider supporting this album.
👉 Donate today and be part of the journey.
Funding method
Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made