Ex-We Raise Bears songwriter Conor Miley has shared his debut solo single ‘Father’s Day’ which charts his experience fighting to establish his parental rights.

The Wexford-based artist discovered that he was to become a father a month after a relationship ended. Mired in a personal crisis, he threw himself into writing and recording music, including ‘Father’s Day’. The song’s intricate musical arrangement reflects Miley’s years studying classical music and jazz with warbling organ and angelic strings, underscored by Rhodes piano and shaggy acoustic guitar.

“Originally written on an acoustic guitar, I set about making an arrangement high on drama and tension, using strings, brass, and dissonance to deliver the musical punch. The music complements the personal lyrics, reflecting my experience as a single parent in Ireland and the institutional and cultural obstacles where the expectation is still on one parent to do most of the child-rearing.

This stone age version of parenting has added immense stress to my life where, as a responsible and loving parent, I have had to fight to be a father to my son. The lyrics were written at a time when I was not even a legal guardian to my child due to the outdated and obsolete establishment views and laws related to unmarried fathers.” says Miley of his debut solo single.

“Being a single parent is not easy on either parent, but it should be a shared relationship with the expectation of equal responsibility.  Ireland is stuck in another time when it comes to progressing this issue, one that goes against all research that confirms that children benefit most from equal access to both parents.”