Just in time for Mother’s Day, Ryan O’Neal has released Mother, a new Sleeping at Last EP that chronicles his journey through grief following the death of his mother.
“To write and record this Mother collection has been an act of self-care and healing for me,” O’Neal said. “I needed to write these songs. Music is my way of understanding myself and so these songs naturally came to life from what I was experiencing. We have all known loss and longing and so I am honored to share this collection of Mother songs and hope they can somehow be a source of comfort and connection to others – especially those who have lost their mother.
“I miss my mom so much and though I will be trying to reconcile this loss for the rest of my life, in getting to share this music with you, I have felt less alone,” he continued. “Grief, in all its many forms, is absolutely dreadful. But one tiny gift is that it carves out space in us to understand and empathize with one another on an entirely different and richly beautiful level.”
O’Neal’s mother died last year following a brief battle with cancer. In the wake of his loss, O’Neal relied on music to help process and untangle the grief of losing his mom.
“In a way, grief gives birth to a new kind of love,” O’Neal said. “As I’ve processed grief through these songs, I’ve caught my first glimpse of that new love. This Mother’s Day, whether your mom is with you or not, whether you have a good relationship with your mom or not, whether you are a mom or not – I hope you feel the presence of love, new or familiar. And whatever you’re swimming through in this life, I hope these songs can be a friend to you along the way.”
