Inspiring Leeds singer Jos McLaren releases second song about experience with terminal breast cancer

Jos McLaren, 45, was told by doctors in 2020 that she’d likely only live for two more years.

But almost four years later, the Morley songstress has defied the odds and is continuing to do what she loves most – writing music.

She penned the inspirational song ‘Dying to Live’ about the shocking illness soon after she was diagnosed, before going on to record it at the famous Abbey Road Studios in London.

Now, she’s back with her second single ‘The One Thing I Would Do’. It asks the provocative question: What would you do if you only had one year to live?

Jos explained: “Quite often, I’d hear people talking about what they’d do if they got cancer. They would think of things like quitting work, travelling the world, spending lots of money.

“But when it comes to it, you don’t respond in the way you think you would.

“It’s family and friends that are the most important. If you make memories with the people you love, they’ll have something to treasure when you’re not here.”

She added: “I think the little things are really valuable, like playing silly games with my nephews. Seeing the joy that brings to them is far more important than seeing the wonders of the world – what would that achieve?”

Five months after the cancer was discovered, it had spread to her spine and pelvis.

“It was shocking,” she said, “because I had been quite healthy. I wasn’t even ill during chemotherapy.”

Nonetheless, her outlook on life is overwhelmingly positive – and she says she still feels healthy.

“I’m actually really well. I swear they gave me energy instead of chemo, because now I do more than I’ve ever done,” she joked.

Jos was blown away by the public reaction to her first song. She explained: “I felt like I’d achieved what I wanted to. People were sharing it and it was giving them hope. Initially, I’d written it for myself and had never planned on giving it away – but it felt bigger than that.”

She started writing the second ballad, which is available to listen to on SoundCloud, soon after finishing the first. Again, she had not intended on releasing it, but a year-long course in which she was mentored by professionals encouraged her to complete it.

“I’d like to think it will make people stop and think about what’s really important to them,” she said.