I wrote “Dancing with Diego” as a song about the paradox of addiction. I used Maradona because he embodied an almost impossible contradiction: he could be magical and self-destructive at the same time. But I’m not only talking about cocaine. I’m also talking about alcohol addiction, the kind that can hide behind charm, parties and normality. And I’m talking about social media addiction too — the endless need for attention, approval, image and distraction. The song keeps blurring the line between glamour and damage because that’s how addiction often works. It doesn’t always arrive looking ugly. Sometimes it arrives in brand new shoes.
After writing the song, Jarlaith and I spent many bleak Saturday afternoon’s in Belfast studios, AMPS in Conway Mill, recording the vocals, guitar parts, drums and melodies, before I persuaded him onto the roof of the building one sunny Friday evening in April 2026 to shoot the video. We had permission to use the roof top for an hour, so the timing was tight. But the sun gods played a blinder with us that day and I was able to get all the required footage within the allowed time.
The next 10 days were consumed with the editing process but the result was worth it in every single way.