Leeds singer Jos McLaren releases uplifting song about positivity – following terminal cancer diagnosis

Jos McLaren, from Morley, was diagnosed with the illness four years ago. She was told by doctors that she’d likely only live for two.

But her response to the cancer has been an optimistic one, pouring her feelings into her music and living each day to the full.

The 45-year-old explained that her unwavering positivity can be difficult for others to comprehend.

For example, when she was recently asked how she was feeling, one person refused to accept that the answer was ‘really good’.

Jos said: “They’re projecting how they think I should feel. It’s frustrating at times, because it feels like they are limiting who I can be. But that is not my reality.”

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The experience formed the basis of her new track, ‘I’m Great’, which was written during a song writing camp in Spain.

It has since been reworked with Shelly Poole, of 1990s pop band Alisha’s Attic, and was recorded at the famous Abbey Road Studios.

Jos said: “When you walk down the corridor and see all the photos of the famous people who’ve been there, it’s incredible. I feel so privileged to even go into the building, let alone record there.”

The song is about choosing to see the brighter side of life and making the best of it.

Jos continued: “If I’m honest, I don’t really feel like I have cancer. I forget a lot of the time, and feel a bit detached when I talk to cancer charities. It often doesn’t register with me.

“But I feel fortunate in that way. I’m not faking being happy, or sitting at home crying. This is genuinely how I feel. I go out and have fun. I something think I should be feeling a lot worse, but that only makes me more grateful for how I am at the moment.”

The song is not her first, having penned inspirational anthem ‘Dying to Live’ back in 2022 about her diagnosis. Her second single, ‘The One Thing I Would Do’, was released earlier this year and asked the provocative question: What would you do if you only had one year to live?

The latest tune, ‘I’m Great’, has already been used in school assemblies – and has inspired a TikTok campaign by charity Against Breast Cancer.

As part of the campaign, people have been encouraged to use the song as the background to short video clips showing what they’d do if they didn’t have long left to live.

With three songs under her belt, Jos isn’t slowing down any time soon.

Last weekend, she was in London recording a stripped back cover song with Alison Wheeler, of The Beautiful South. It will be released in October as part of a campaign for Against Breast Cancer.