‘I was the only mixed race kid in school’ Irish singer opens up on diversity

'Why do you think it's ok to come up on the street and pet me?'

Erica Cody is making some serious waves on the Irish music scene at the moment. The statuesque singer/songwriter is also a  model and so brimming with raw talent it makes us sick with jealousy. Unexpectedly, Erica has only been performing full time for the last two years. An accomplished basketball player (we did say statuesque) the balance between music and sport was always a struggle, but Erica is convinced she made the right call... we're inclined to agree. Press play below to find out more:   Dabbling in music from a young age, it was only when her mother got sick that the notes Erica had been jotting down began to mean more:

'When my mam was sick I had been keeping journals, then they turned into poems which eventually turned into songs and that's when I began taking it seriously'

Although sport was her first love, at the age of 17 Erica made the call to pursue music as a full-time career:

'I was playing basketball at a really high standard, it was a constant juggling act between the two of them and then I got injured. I tore my ACL and the doctors told me that I'd be out for a year. After I got the operation it was a really long process . I had so much time that I thought I might as well put everything I had into music. It was a big leap of faith for me as I was stepping outside of my comfort zone.'

  Erica also revealed that growing up in Ireland wasn't always plain sailing, her Instagram profile hints at that with the bio reading: ' No, you can't touch my hair' ...

'Honestly, kids are just curious, I was the only mixed race kid in my area at that time. For so long, I allowed people to touch my hair and it was only when I got into my teens that I started asking the question 'why do you think it's ok to come up to me on the street and pet me?'

She went on to explain that if people had questions, she would prefer if they just asked:

'I'm 5' 10'... I have a blonde afro and brown skin, I definitely stood out. When it came to my hair though, it was a bit deeper because with my hair and my ethnicity, it was something I had to learn to love'.

Erica also admitted that she had to deal with bullies growing up but in the long run she came out on top and luckily, it seems, things are moving on now:

'I think it gave me a thick skin and then when I was in my teens I was like 'screw this!'. I am not something for someone else's entertainment, it's MY hair.'

To say this girl is one to watch is an understatement, she'll be performing at Longitude Festival next and has some exciting projects in the pipeline, be sure to follow her on Twitter and Instagram for all the latest updates. We'll be front and centre!