SHANNON-BASED singer-songwriter Shirley Callaghan has unveiled her latest single ‘Quit Fooling Me’, a powerful collaboration that merges emotional storytelling with sharp social commentary, whilst serving as a heartfelt tribute to producer and friend Abe Silva.
The track, which explores themes of societal corruption and emotional turmoil, marks another compelling chapter in Callaghan’s evolving catalogue of socially conscious music. Following previous releases ‘It Will Be Burned’ and ‘Baby Blue’—which tackled human behaviour, narcissism, genocide, and war—’Quit Fooling Me’ delves into the complex relationship between personal and collective decay.
“This is a collaboration where I wrote the song over a friend/producer’s track,” Callaghan explained. The singer-songwriter previously worked with producers Stephen O’Malley and Abe Silva in Shannon several years ago, forging a creative partnership that would prove both fruitful and enduring.
O’Malley and Silva were founding members of Anova, a band formed in New York in 2000. The production duo later reunited with Callaghan to work on an EP titled ‘It’s Not Enough’, establishing a collaborative relationship that spanned continents and years.
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Silva passed away in 2024, lending the new release an additional layer of poignancy. ‘Quit Fooling Me’ originates from a track Silva and O’Malley had been developing together before his death, transforming the song into both a creative achievement and a memorial.
The single is formally dedicated to Abe Silva, Songwriter/Producer/Friend (1971-2024), honouring his contribution to the project and his wider impact on those who worked alongside him.
O’Malley served as producer on ‘Quit Fooling Me’ and created an accompanying video for the release, which is available to view on YouTube via the channel @shirleycallaghanmusic.
According to Callaghan, ‘Quit Fooling Me’ blends emotional narrative with social observation, capturing the tension inherent in a world marked by injustice, corrupt leadership, and systems where the young and powerless bear the greatest burden.
Expect a big few months from Callaghan with an album due for release very soon.
The single is currently available to stream and purchase via Callaghan’s Bandcamp page at https://shirleycallaghan.bandcamp.com/, where listeners can directly support the artist’s work.