Nicola Joyce: empathy in song-writing

Traditional Irish band Gráda are reforming and returning to tour New Zealand in October. Two members of the band, Gerry Paul and Andrew Laking are Kiwis. Gráda is known for its energy on stage. According to Gráda's Galway-based lead singer Nicola Joyce it's this energy that creates moments of empathy in the crowd. After Gráda disbanded in 2011, a song Joyce wrote for her new band The Whileaways, Toss the Bobbin, inspired an invitation from the University of Galway to contribute a chapter to Ionbhá: The Empathy Book for Ireland. Nicola Joyce has been described by The Wall Street Journal as 'a magnificent vocalist who sings with sheer beauty and poignancy'.