Looking for a heatwave this weekend? If so, the cows will be on the hill… according to Derek Ryan.
Derek releases his brand new catchy single ‘The Cows on the Hill’ today taken from his upcoming album out later this year.
Revealing how a young fan inspired him to write the new track after receiving a letter addressed to him in the post, Derek says “Some time ago, I got a letter from a kid in Cork and it was simply addressed to ‘Derek Ryan, Country Singer, Fermanagh, Ireland’. Believe it or not, it found its way to my home there. He said he was a big fan of mine and told me all about his life as a farmer and how he looked after his 70 cows. His favourite song of mine was ‘Thank God for the Farmers’ but at the end he said, ‘I would love for you to someday write a song about cows’.”
“So I wrote him back a letter and thanked him for telling me all about his wonderful life as a farmer and said ‘You’ll be happy to read your letter inspired me to write a song about cows and it’s going to be my next single. It’s called ‘The Cows on the Hill’. I also sent him a CD. I’ll hopefully see him at one of my shows when I’m next down in Cork, it would be great to see his reaction to the song performed live.”
Derek who co-wrote the song with Gerry Carney muses about times being tough but getting through these days by dreaming of brighter and new beginnings.
“We will dream of a brighter day / When better times will come our way / Flowerboxes on the windowsill / The sun’s in the sky and the cows are on the hill.”
“I always remember hearing the old Irish tale growing up that it ‘would be a nice day if you see the cows on the hill.’ And when I was inspired to write the song, that saying was always in the back of my mind and I knew that could be a great line, along with a catchy hook, for people to jive to!” Derek who has written many of his previous hits, including ‘God’s Plan’ and ‘Hold on to your Hat’, is excited to release the new material he has been busy writing and working on in his home studio and further afield.
“I love performing live, but song writing has always been one of my favourite parts of the job, and I’m lucky to have got back into the studios with some of the best producers here in Ireland and in London, so I’m excited for my fans to hear more of my new songs soon.”
It’s been a busy summer for Derek with festival slots across Ireland as well as a headline spot at Craic by the Creek festival in Manchester.
“After the summer festival season, my band and I are looking forward to heading across the water for our English Tour in September and our Scottish Tour in October, so the rest of the year is looking to be a busy one for us, along with plans to release my new album before Christmas – I’m looking forward to it all.”
Derek adds, “if there’s a heatwave this weekend, look out for the cows on the hill!”
Derek Ryan’s new song ‘The Cows on the Hill’ is available to stream now on all platforms.
Click here to see Derek Ryan tour dates for his upcoming 2023 Irish Concert Tour
