Following his acclaimed 2022 EP ‘Warm’ and a massive series of spectacular, sold-out shows across Europe, Irish-born singer and songwriter Moncrieff kickstarts 2023 with a sonic declaration of love – his new single ‘What Am I Here For’ out via German label energie.
Filled with 80’s tones, glistening guitars and a sense of urgency ‘What Am I Here For’ is a gripping and utterly invigorating new single from Moncrieff. It’s easy to get lost in the lush intricacies of ‘What Am I Here For’ as the track builds into a sing-along delight and fist-pump anthem. As a songwriter, Moncrieff continues to showcase his impressive ability to capture emotion through gripping and earnest lyricism. His passionate vocals perfectly express the intensity of the lyrics and instantly create a vivid image for the listener of a person rushing to save a relationship before it’s too late “running every red light and stop sign just to realise what I’m fighting for, cos if I’m not here to love you what am I here for”. Moncrieff crafts this track beautifully creating a light indie pop number that boasts the artist’s expressive and infectious sound in all its glory.
Belfast singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Owen Denvir has released his new single ‘Best Of Me’. With 400,000 streams on Spotify, Denvir has featured on BBC NI’s “The Nolan Show”, Dublin TV3’s “6 O’Clock Show” and previously supported Dodie, Ryan McMullan and JC Stewart in concert. His split-screen covers and mashups have amassed almost 800,000 views on Youtube, while also garnering attention from Coldplay.
Overflowing with heartfelt emotion and exquisite songwriting, ‘Best Of Me’ is a passionate new single from Denvir. The artist takes a minimalist approach to his new single by using just piano accompaniment to express heartbreaking emotion while passionate vocals express his regrets and fears after a breakup. ‘Best Of Me’ is moving and beautifully presented and is a fine display of the natural talent of this singer-songwriter. He doesn’t need large-scale production and fluff. His pure vocals fill the song with a tsunami of emotion while the simple piano accompaniment adds elegance and tenderness. ‘Best Of Me’ is a wonderful listen.
Singer-songwriter Pauric O’ Meara has released his new single,’ Come Home’. Pauric O’ Meara is an independent Alternative/indie singer-songwriter from Co. Tipperary, based in Dublin. He has become known for his raw luring vocal. Over the last few years, with his biggest coming in 2022, O’ Meara has seen his headline shows sell out all over Ireland, including venues such as The Workmans Club, The Grand Social, Monroes, Dolans and Cyprus Avenue, as well as supporting major acts such as Hermitage Green and Hudson Taylor, and stand out performances at festivals such as Electric Picnic, Sounds of Summer and Kaleidoscope.
‘Come Home’ is a passionate and emotive indie banger that boasts O’Meara’s magnetic and compelling musicianship. The song exudes a sweat earworm melody while swagger-drenched guitars, punchy drums and elastic bass create a foot-tapping foundation. Within the soundscape, warm brass elements and twinkling keys provide an ethereal breath of fresh air that adds an undertone of hope throughout the track. O’Meara is developing his sound beautifully and ‘Come Home’ is a fine example of this. The song is an irresistible musical delight.
About the track O’ Meara said : ”This song came from a place of vulnerability and desperation. A long time friendship ending for reasons beyond my control or capability. Living with addiction is difficult for all involved. We often see the negative impact that it has on people as they invest all their time and effort into helping, but unless the person in question wants to help themselves, the rest becomes obsolete. The love I had and still have for my friend will always be the same, and after years of trying to help, all thats left to do now is hope that they will find solace and ‘Come Home’, come back to the people who love them and live the life they deserve to live”
Eastbound Dublin makes its highly anticipated return in 2023. The festival will host a range of diverse performances spread across various venues in the city in late February 2023. In its fourth year, Eastbound Dublin still is about capturing the spirit of new and breaking artists and capturing the imagination of a devoted, music-hungry city like Dublin, and bringing it all together to create meaningful beginnings.
I caught up with indie pop artist Jack Cullen who is performing on February 26th in The Grand Social along with Really Good Time, Ruti and YINYANG. We discussed his latest album ‘Dark Days and Nightmares’, how he creates his glorious sound and what he has planned for his performance at Eastbound Dublin.
“Yeah. I can’t wait. It’s my first time playing in The Grand Social. It’s been a long time since I’ve played in Dublin. It’s one of my favourite cities in the world and I absolutely can’t wait.”
Cullen’s recent collaboration with rappers Snow and Rxseboy, ‘Spilled My Coffee’ ( a remix of Cullen’s ‘It Doesn’t Matter’ ) became one of the “most viral lo-fi rap tracks” of the year. It was added to over 30 channels on YouTube and used by 20 million creators on TikTok. It’s an irresistible remix that showcases another facet to his sound while elevating the soothing earworm of the original.
“Yeah, it’s really cool. It’s funny how that all came about. I wrote a song called ‘It Doesn’t Matter’ down in Cornwall and we sent it to some guys over in America and they came back with ‘Spilled My Coffee’. Yeah, it was really nice to begin releasing music, that way, kind of the wrong way around, as it were, you know, we released the remix first and it was cool to collaborate with people in America. It was nice to kickstart stuff and hopefully, it made sense when I released ‘It Doesn’t Matter’ my track alongside my album, because it was obvious then it was the remix of my own song.”
Cullen creates lush indie pop tunes that are just glorious on the ears. Each song oozes subtle instrumentation, delicate indie pop embellishments and soothing tones that are simply a delight to the ears. Cullen has a talent for expressing a range of emotions and feelings within his tracks. We discussed how he achieves this.
“I think I just tried to be as honest as possible. I like to be honest with what I want to say. Sonically working with The Roots over in America, and having Questlove on drums it really helped open my ears and eyes to that kind of sound and I think it definitely helps sculpt the sound of the album. “
“ I’m a positive person. I like to try and look at the brighter side of things and try and be as positive in any situation as possible. So in light of darker times where I was when I was writing the album, I definitely tried to look at it from as much light as possible and like you say, try and be as big a ray of sunshine as possible. That being said, I think it’s naive to think that’s all that life is and it’s important to say the harder things sometimes, I think they’re very important. But I guess I’ve tried to then bring that into a happier light.”
Cullen released an album last year called ‘Dark Days and Nightmares’ and it’s an absolutely beautiful listen. The songs flow effortlessly into one another while maintaining their own unique identity. I wondered if there was a concept behind the album.
“It was from years of writing. It’s about three years of writing. It really took a long time to release any music. I think moving forward the concept behind my releases will make more sense.”
The song Hurricane is the perfect example of Cullen’s ability to wrap earnest tender lyrics in sweet soothing musicianship. Cullen explained how he crafted the track.
“Hurricane is a really good example actually of a dark place that I was in, you know the lyrics “wish we could just fly away to another place, but I’m stuck in a hurricane”. I think, my mind was in a complete pickle, and I felt like I was just in this hurricane in my mind and I couldn’t get away and it is a perfect example of the blend of darkness and sadness [in] the song. But the way we created it was actually like this celebration almost of that. I think in those times, I look to the people that I love and that love me, friends and family and they get you through those times. That’s really what that was about. It was a celebration of those people and the love left”
Cullen has a smooth and easy-flowing tone to his voice however, he told me singing wasn’t something he really thought about before he started.
“No, I don’t think so. I was, in another life playing rugby in Ireland. That’s where my Irish roots comes from and that’s all I wanted to do. I never thought that I would be a singer. I never necessarily did it much in school or it came quite late to me when I had lots of surgeries playing rugby and I was then beginning to write a lot of music and therefore singing a lot. So I think it came quite late that I realized I can sing”
We discussed what fans can look forward to from Cullen’s show at Eastbound.
“ What I always like to do, especially at these shows is strip back the songs. It’s nice to play them in their rawness. I think the emotion comes out a lot more and it allows me to even reflect on the lyrics a lot more because there’s not as much noise and production around the songs. I think it’s going to be a nice way to really connect with people who come and I really can’t wait to do that.”
Jack Cullen is an outstanding singer-songwriter. The melodies within his songs elegantly interplay with soft indie pop soundscapes and mellow guitar embellishments to create musical gems of delight. Cullen’s performance at Eastbound is not to be missed.
Gabrielle Aplin is set to release her new album ‘Phosphorescent’ on January 6th via Never Fade Records. Recently previewed by the new single ‘Call Me’, her fourth studio album to date marks a fresh back-to-basics approach as she continues a career which has already seen her amass over a billion streams. I caught up with the singer-songwriter to discuss creating the album, her upcoming tour and what inspired the title.
“I wrote most of the songs on my own in lockdown, but I really didn’t want it to be a lockdown album. But there was this kind of isolated natural feeling, I guess around the time I was writing everything. I watched The Blue Planet episode with the salt brines. I may have told you this before when we spoke last, but they went down into the Mariana Trench and I just could not believe how deep and dark it was and they were talking about how they previously didn’t think that there was life down there. Then they found all these phosphorescent creatures and there was life down there and not just phosphorescent creatures, but I was drawn to the ones that glowed and it really reminded me at the time what was going on and that there’s human resilience and so much light in the darkness. It made me think about how I wanted the songs to sound as well because they were so isolated and reflective in the composition. So when I went to record them I wanted it to be very human, for there to be very physical space which felt like a coming together to counteract the loneliness of the writing and how reflective it was. Then as well I felt very connected with nature during the time as well. I made it [ the album] on my friend’s farm, but I’d also at the time moved to Somerset. So I wanted there to be a natural element to everything. The recording studio has renewable energy, and I thought that was really cool. I thought, so if the songs are made from that, what if the artwork and the photos are made from kind of a renewable source as well? So we printed like cyanotypes in the sun, and everything was connected to a natural source in some way. It just felt amazing because I could really engulf myself in a project that had themes and its own kind of morals and these pillars for us to kind of go through that everything had these threads.”
There is a very chilled vibe about the album but Aplin expertly and carefully allows the music behind each song to blossom gently at its own pace, making for a truly magical listening experience. The opening track ‘Skylight’ is a beautiful example of this as the ethereal music highlights Aplin’s soulful vocals and compelling range. I wondered if she found it difficult to decide what track would begin the journey into ‘Phosphorescent’.
“Yeah, in some ways. I kind of get them all on a playlist and muddle them around, but actually what I really thought and loved about ‘Skylight’ being the opening was that I wanted it to feel like the morning and I want it to feel like waking up on a sunny hazy morning and then ‘Don’t Say’, the last track, I wanted it to feel like the night-time, you know, and like a celebration. So the start and the end were easy. It was the in-between bits and the journey that they go on that I probably found the most difficult.”
Aplin writes very catchy, relatable songs and this album seems to have these elements at its heart. Songs such as ‘I Wish I Didn’t Press Send’ are extremely relatable and it is gloriously presented with light instrumentation and a soulful tone.
“I wrote it with my friend Nick. It was, middle of the third kind of big lockdown that we all had and it was the winter one so it was so bleak and I was thinking about all the times that I had or hadn’t done something, taken an opportunity. It was just a kind of very reflective time and I had this idea about all the things I wish I didn’t say and wish I could take back but obviously in the age of a pandemic it was, you know, everything was virtual. It was like, we were texting. That was literally what I was doing, I didn’t do any zoom quizzes. It was just about kind of missing opportunities and regretting that and then we made it into the story about drunk texting.”
Previously Aplin said the album is not a lockdown album, but it is the product of the solitude and strangeness that she experienced throughout that time. We discussed if she thought her sound would have evolved into the musical treasure that is ‘Phosphorescent’, had she not experienced that time during lockdown or experienced that solitude.
“I don’t think it would have. I think as well it was unlike my other albums. I wasn’t told oh you’re due an album lets go make one, and I was like, okay. I was just writing for fun again, which was really.. it was like, I was so bored. I’d made every banana bread I could possibly make. I’d cleaned every part of the house. I’d been making sure I’m keeping well and everyone around me are well. Made sure I fed and walk the dogs at that point. I was like, What do I do now? What did we do? We just kind of have to wait and at that point, I was like, I suppose I’ll write some songs. It was writing just because it was something I do not because I had to or because I had a job to do and it meant that the songs were just so natural and so real.”
I also wondered if this organic songwriting is something she would like to hold on to for future releases.
” Absolutely. I think what’s amazing is, for me now anyway, my previous album was written all over the place. I wrote with different producers in different countries and we just pieced the songs together and made them a thing. But with this album, I wrote them all in the exact same two square meters. I wrote them just on a piano or on a guitar. So I was able to just play my songs. I could perform my whole album before I even recorded it because it was singer-songwriter in the truest sense. Maybe with my previous album even though I wrote the lyrics and I wrote the songs I was working with producers. So I’d write a song and then have to go and teach myself how to go and play it on my own and that was you know, a fun thing to do. But it didn’t feel natural to me in a way that this feels really natural that I write songs and I’ve already got it regardless of the recording, it is me and an instrument. I feel like it reminded me that that’s a really strong thread in who I am as an artist.”
‘Phosphorescent’ is an album to be listened to as a whole piece of work. Each song has its own identity and is a journey, yet flows beautifully into the next with ease. It’s a lush and ethereal album filled with cinematic vibes, passion and wonderful highs and emotionally tender moments.
Aplin explained to me how important it was for her to create an album where each song tells a part of a story that the listener can immerse themselves in.
“I agree I think like obviously depends on the artist but for me personally, I hope we never loose albums because I love to get lost in a project. I spent a year and a half on this album, from starting it to finishing it and then even working on the artwork up until very recently. I like to engulf myself in the project. I do feel there’s a lot of pressure with artists maybe having to put a song out every month, just do more and more for less and less. I just hope I don’t ever have to do that because I don’t think I’d be very good at it because I will go through patches where I write loads and loads and loads and loads and then I won’t write anything for a really long time and I’ll just collect ideas for the next batch, you know. I really love albums and I’m really glad that you picked up on it as like a piece where everything flows because I really wanted to make it do that and wanted it to be listened to as a whole. As much as I really loved the individual songs it was important to me that the whole thing was a piece and a journey from start to finish”
Aplin has some shows early next year to promote the album. With many selling out fast we discussed her excitement to tour.
“I felt like Beyonce when they text me .They were like Kingston sold out already and it literally had gone on sale about 10 seconds ago and I was like that must be a glitch. I was like surely, did they put up on sale beforehand? Like it actually happened. Then we did another one it sold out and then another one. It’s great. That was amazing and I’m excited to play the songs. You know, songs and people who want to listen to them they’re my two favourite things.”
Gabrielle Aplin is a master of her craft. Her powerful vocal delivery and ability to create thrilling, emotive arrangements is a joy to experience and ‘Phosphorescent’ is a fine example of this. The album is a wholesome and refined body of work that showcases Aplin’s immeasurable songwriting talent and is a must-listen.
‘Phosphorescent’ is set for release on January 6th. Until then stream her recent single ‘Call Me’ below
Irish singer-songwriter Moncrieff has released his heartfelt new single ‘Perfect’. Moncrieff has already performed with Adele and impressed greats like Elton John and Avicii with his songwriting, yet he is only getting started. His single ‘Warm’ released earlier this year was an instant hit at Irish and German radio and was performed live with The RTÉ Concert Orchestra & Dublin Gospel Choir on The Tommy Tiernan Show. A self-produced six-track EP also titled ‘Warm’ followed in September, which served as an introduction to Moncrieff’s poignant, vulnerable and deeply personal songwriting and clocked in 6 million streams in just two weeks.
‘Perfect’ floods with intense emotional lyrics as Moncrieff displays his striking ability to create moving and memorable songs. The passion in his soulful vocal delivery is goosebump-inducing and is enhanced by the track’s cinematic soundscape. Accompanied by warm piano and soft strings the song glows with uplifting tones between melancholic melodies. It’s a wholesome, honest and captivating tune that beckons repeat plays.
Speaking about the single, Moncrieff says: “Perfect is a very personal song for me about all those small moments in a relationship that make you realise that something isn’t as perfect as it once felt. It can be so hard to admit that something just isn’t right in a relationship and, despite your loyalty and care towards each other, sometimes good things come to an end.”
Drop The Shadow has released his new single, ‘Cross to Bear’. Drop The Shadow is the alternative music project of Irish songwriter and musician Mike Walsh. Joined both in the studio and live by his brother Eric (drums), Sean Carey (bass) and other musician friends. The track was originally recorded in HellFire studios, Dublin and later produced/ mixed by Darkin in Black Mountain Studios. It also features additional backing vocals by Cliodhna Gahan and keys by Killian Browne.
‘Cross to Bear’ presents Drop The Shadow’s passionate indie rock through a cinematic soundscape and brooding atmosphere. Filled with pulsing beats, chiming guitars and ethereal tones the song is tastefully crafted and showcases complementing elements throughout. ’Cross to Bear’ is a tight and impressive musical display that highlights the wholesome and powerfully evocative sound of Drop The Shadow.
Irish electronic producer Gavin MacDermott, better known as Dashoda, returns with his new single, ‘Looking For You’. The track was written and produced by Dashoda with London-based Ross Fortune (A.K.A. Benny Smiles), who has worked with Jonas Blue, Clean Bandit, Hotline Miami Soundtrack, on additional production. I caught up with MacDermott to chat about his upcoming stripped-back video, his exciting plans for new releases and how this infectious retro-hued bop was created.
“Originally the track started as something a little bit more Lo-Fi than the final version which I worked on with a mate called Ross Fortune he makes music actually as Benny Smiles and a lot of his music is quite synth wave. I was a fan of his years ago when I started making music. So it was really nice to get to work with him years later on this. So I’d say in terms of inspiration, I bought this keyboard a while ago off a friend called a Korg SV- 1, and it has like a Lo Fi sound, its quite analog. I was just playing some chords and they went over to a guy called Richey McCourt’s house, who is a writer. He invited me over. We just started working on and I think I was listening to a bit of Caribou at the time, kind of the older stuff and I was coming out with a little bit of that in mind. But then when I was working with Ross, on the co production, he said I’m going to try a shot in the dark here. I’m gonna try something a bit different, feel free to tell me no, don’t talk to me again if you don’t like it. But what he came back with was what you heard like the much more upbeat almost French indie thing. I just really liked it because it brought it in another direction and taught me to be more open-minded about other avenues and yeah, that’s where it came from. Yeah I gotta give a lot of credit to Ross as well for guiding the sound there.”
MacDermott is releasing a live video for ‘Looking For You’ in the coming weeks. It’s a slower and stripped-back version of the song that allows the melody and lyrics to shine throughout.
“Actually, funny you mentioned that.The keyboard part that’s played in the video by Alma Kelliher who’s a great player. That is the original part from my original demo, and I’d asked her, I thought it would be nice to show that because the song kind of worked on its own just as a keys part. There’s very little of that sound actually in the recorded track version. So yeah, it would have sounded like that and a much more obvious drum machine and the bass part I think was the same. Then there’s a bit more chorusy kind of 80s electric guitar. I actually think I might at some point bring out that version maybe further down the road if I ever get to the point where I can do you know rarities and B-sides that will be nice to show and certainly when I get to do the song live I’d like to do that version. So yeah, the one on the live video, at least the structure and the timbre of the sound is similar to the original demo”
This song comes after a 3-year hiatus and MacDermott explained how the break gave him a new perspective on how he writes and crafts his songs.
“Yeah, I definitely think differently about music and art in general now [it] has taken on a very different meaning for me, I see it as all sort of connected. I’m a musician and this is what I do and what I know but I watch a lot of film and I love film and I would love to get into it a bit more and the guy who shot that video actually is Ror Conaty, the live video and it was really great working with him because it awakened me to how everything is connected in the art world. When you talk about the stripped-back version of the song it actually required me to meditate a bit on what am I doing and why am I doing this and what’s the meaning of it and often you don’t really know the meaning or significance of things until you put a distance between you and them, you know, in terms of time. So, yeah, I’ve leaned more into the cathartic aspect of creating art. You’re trying to understand something about yourself and the world that you’re in and art is sort of a psychoanalytic Freudian thing. When you put something out in the world, you don’t know what’s going to happen with it and you have no control over that in many ways. So if you just focus on what is within your control, then it’s the pursuit of the art. I think it’s made me a lot happier about making music and art as well because I realized I could go on and do this forever, you know, until I’m dead”.
I wondered if this more artistic view on releasing music eased the nerves that come with releasing music.
“No, I’m still really nervous. I was trying a lot of self-talk and trying to frame it that way and it’s just fine, but whatever way you frame it, it’s still a huge investment of time and there are a small number of people who are close to me and care about what I do, even if I’m not necessarily feeling it so there are actually people that want to hear this because they’ve been invested in the journey I’ve been on as well. That helps me relax a bit about it and try not to be too worried. But yeah, absolutely. You worry have you done enough to give it the platform it deserves. Have you presented it in the best way possible. [I] definitely think about things like that and probably preoccupy about them. But I think most people I know that are into this sort of thing they worry as well. Actually my friend Ror who shot the video, he had an exhibition in Cork in August and up to the last minute he was thinking have I done all this correctly and right and of course it was very well received and I was very proud of him. So hopefully I get the same, who knows.”
‘Looking For You’ is a chic number that struts on a slinky bassline and swanky guitars presenting the tight and refined sound of Dashoda in all it’s glory. With a sweet melody teamed with smooth vocals and chiming keys, the track is sure to have you dancing and singing along in no time. This lush sound isn’t set to stop any time soon, MacDermott told me that he has some exciting plans for next year to delight fans with.
“I have a couple of releases in the pipeline and I worked a bit with Ror on some video accompaniment so even though I was quiet for three years I was chipping away at a lot of different stuff and eventually a pattern of songs started to emerge. So yeah, there’s gonna be a few more releases in the new year and into spring and I’m really excited about that because I’ve been sitting on this for a while and it can take so long for things to actually come together and then the actual release process is another thing. So yeah, I’m hoping that because we approached it thematically, myself and Ror and Mark O’Brien was involved in that. He performs as Royal Yellow, and some other people close to me. They helped me put together the visual stuff with the music, and come up with a central idea which I’d never done before. You know, try to think that deeply about what I’m doing. So hopefully thematically people will see something like that emerge. So there will be a few more of these. I suppose that’s the best way I could put it.”
Cuban/Irish singer-songwriter Qbanaa has released her debut single ‘Truth and Desire’. Based in Dublin, Qbanaa grew up travelling back and forth from Cuba where music and salsa dancing were integral parts of her childhood. A dancer for 10 years, she also sang in school choirs and with her grandmother in Spanish Mass, where she grew up in North Frederick Street Flats, D1.
“‘Qbanaa is Cubana with a Q, it’s supposed to integrate the way Irish people would pronounceCubana, so it sort of brings my two homes together in a lighthearted way.’’ – Qbanaa.
‘Truth and Desire’ is a neo-soul tune wrapped in soft hues of jazz to create a luxurious listening experience and sublime introduction to Qbanaa’s sound. With mellow guitar encasing a velvety melody, elastic bass and vaporous soundscapes Qbanaa crafts a soothing and sultry tune that is simply irresistible. As supple jazz elements wisp the song in a chic smoky embrace, subtle punctuated beats induce an R&B radiance while the soothing soft vocals venture between English and Spanish lyrics. Balmy and richly textured ‘Truth and Desire’ is a mesmerising new tune to indulge in.
About the song, Qbanna said: “The song was inspired by 1989 and 2008 movie ‘The Little Mermaid’ – I’m sure people will think ‘oh that’s a bit weird’. But if you look into it, there’s some insane soul and beautiful ethereal sounds in there that I took inspiration from. The movie is all about the unconditional nature of pure love, and the universal power of music, which really resonated with me growing up and carries the theme of Truth and Desire, it was the first thing I thought of when I opened the track.”
Berlin-based Irish singer-songwriter Danny O Connor is set to release his new album, ‘WISDOM & GRAFT’ on September 30th. Like most musicians around the globe, Berlin-based Irish singer-songwriter Danny O Connor found himself at home with no live gigs to play in the foreseeable future with Murphy’s Law, his beloved and normally busy Irish Folk Band, in March 2020. Between making a living as a Graphic Designer and keeping then three-year-old daughter Roxy entertained, he took to the guitar and a notebook. O Connor used the involuntary break from live music during the Covid-pandemic well: Together with long-term friend, producer and musical collaborator Moe Jaksch, he spent many studio sessions writing, arranging and recording new songs, resulting in the album WISDOM & GRAFT
Awash with wholesome melodies, country twangs and a plethora of energetic instrumentation ‘WISDOM & GRAFT’ is an impressive and compelling collection of tracks. ‘New Life’, ‘Closed Doors’ and ‘Empty’ all surge with hearty anthemic musicianship that captures a sense of adrenaline while O Connor showcases his diversity by blending indie elements, folk tones and wonderful melodic progressions together to create unique soundscapes throughout.
Within ‘‘WISDOM & GRAFT’ each song flows into the next with ease, subtly revealing different aspects of O’Connor’s musicianship making for a thoroughly enjoyable listening experience. This is best shown within swooning slow burners ‘Rain Maker’, ‘The Winner’ and ‘The Lullaby’ which drift along sweet infectious melodies while ‘Northern Lights’, which features Berlin-based gospel/soul legends Ingrid Arthur and Tracey Duncan on backing vocals melds indie rock swagger with elements of gospel power.
Brimming with radiance, traditional tones and musical refinement, ‘WISDOM & GRAFT’ is a wonderful new album from O Connor and marks him as an artist to keep an eye on.
Stream ‘WISDOM & GRAFT’ below
Author: Danu
Indie: (n) an obscure form of rock which you only learn about from someone slightly more hip than yourself.
