Today the National Concert Hall have released the full schedule for their 2018/19 Perspectives series.
The lineup features a two day residency from legendary modernist composer Philip Glass. Glass will be performing the famous ‘Music In 12 Parts’ during his first performance and the KOYAANSQATSI Soundtrack during his second night.
Lisa Hannigan will be performing with renowned European music collective s t a r g a z e. During this concert Hannigan and Co. will be playing re-imagined versions of songs from across all three of her albums. Considering the calibre of musicians s t a r g a z e have worked with before (Nils Frahm, Sonic Youth’s Lee Ranaldo and Iceage) this gig is going to be well worth your time and money.
The following artists are set to perform:
Lisa Hannigan & s t a r g a z e – 6/7th October 2018
Gaz Coombes, Piney Gir @ The Academy (€26) English singer-songwriter and former frontman of Supergrass who released his third solo album World’s Strongest Man earlier this year. ‘Deep Pockets’
Imagining Ireland is an initiative of the National Concert Hall which aims to ‘Present living portraits of a modern, creative, conflicted and diverse Ireland.’
On Saturday, February 3rd at The National Concert Hall Various artist will present their own interpretations of Ireland in song word and visuals.
The Turning Pirate crew’s annual New Year’s eve gig is a bacchanalia of celebration and collaboration has been running in Vicar Street since 2006. It brings together some of Ireland’s most talented artists and special guests which in the past has meant appearances from the likes of Conor O’Brien (Villagers), Richie Egan, Camille O’Sullivan, Bell X1, Jerry Fish, Declan O’Rourke, The Young Folk, Bronagh Gallagher, Wallis Bird and more.
For Bram Stoker Festival next Sunday night, the gang will turn their attention to things of a spooky variety and a large cast of musicians of an established calibre will perform scary songs and horror movie favourites at the Turning Vampire event including Lisa Hannigan, Paddy Casey, Saint Sister, Adam Matthews, Niamh Farrell (Ham Sandwich), Kier (Delorentos) and Wyvern Lingo. The house band, the Flux Capacitators, work with the artists to create the arrangements and includes Joe Furlong on base and Graham Hopkins who plays drums. A special international guest star will be added to the bill for the festival special edition.
Tickets are €31 from Ticketmaster but I have two tickets to giveaway which you can enter for by emailing [email protected] with your name and ‘Bram Stoker Festival Turning Vampire’ as the subject line before next Thursday 26th at noon.
Sounds From A Safe Harbour Festival in Cork in mid-September has already announced its big names The National and Bon Iver for the festival and today it’s revealed a prominent Aaron Dessner collaborator Lisa Hannigan as the next performer.
Hannigan will perform with the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra and The National man (who produced her last record) at the Cork Opera House on Thursday 14th September at 8pm.
Tickets €30 + Fees and on sale at midday on Thursday from Cork Opera House.
Galway International Arts Festival have announced its lineup for mid-July and it includes a new opera by Donnacha Dennehy and Enda Walsh. Music-wise Brian Wilson was already announced for the Absolut Big Top while Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Passenger, Gavin James, The Coronas, and Jenny Greene and the RTÉ Concert Orchestra’s Dance Anthems are on the bill.
A lot of the music events take place at Roisin Dubh and there’s some sweet gigs lined up including a rare James Lavelle presents UNKLE Sounds event.
The Choice Music Prize is this year the RTÉ Choice Music Prize for the first time and the announcement of the 10 Irish albums were revealed a short time ago on 2FM’s Tracy Clifford Show by Tony Clayton Lea, chairman of the judging panel.
The 10 albums shortlisted by the judges for Irish album of the year are:
Shortlisted albums
All Tvvins – IIVV (Warner Music) Bantum – Move (Self Released) Wallis Bird – Home (Mount Silver / Caroline International) The Divine Comedy – Foreverland (Divine Comedy Records) Lisa Hannigan – At Swim (Hoop Recordings) Katie Kim – Salt (Art For Blind Records) James Vincent McMorrow – We Move (Faction Records) Overhead, The Albatross – Learning to Growl (Self Released) Rusangano Family – Let The Dead Bury The Dead (Self Released) We Cut Corners – The Cadences Of Others (Delphi)
The winning act will receive €10,000, a prize fund which has been provided by The Irish Music Rights Organisation (IMRO) and The Irish Recorded Music Association (IRMA). All of the shortlisted acts will receive a specially commissioned award. RAAP, Culture Ireland & Golden Discs are also official project partners.
2FM has promised to play Irish music all day from 6am to midnight today to mark the announcement along with live cessions from SOAK and Delorentos and a two-hour special on this year’s RTÉ Choice Music Prize, Irish Album of the Year 2016 shortlist, presented by Conor Behan from 8-10pm.
Live event
Shortlisted albums will also be featured throughout in the lead up to the live choice prize event on Thursday March 9th in Vicar Street. Tickets for the Choice Music Prize live event are available at all Ticketmaster outlets and at http://www.ticketmaster.ie priced €26.50 including booking fee.
Judging Panel
Louise Bruton – Freelance & Irish Times Brian Coney – Editor, The Thin Air Maire Dineen – Súgradh Productions (Imeall TG4/Body & Soul) Suzanne Doyle – Music, Film & Television Consultant Dan Hegarty – 2FM Paddy McKenna – Editor, Joe.ie Cathal Murray – RTE Radio 1 Barbara Nic D – Classic Hits 4FM Colm O’Regan – Hot Press Niall Power – Head of Music Beat FM Eva Short – Deputy Editor, Trinity News
Irish Song of The Year 2016
The shortlist for the RTÉ Choice Music Prize – Irish Song of The Year 2016 will be announced on Wednesday 1st February, 2017. A Special event featuring exclusive performances from both Album of the Year and Song of the Year nominees will be held in Dublin that evening in the Workman’s Club.
Hope Sandoval & The Warm Inventions – Help Me Get There (feat. Kurt Vile)
Only heard it this month and it stopped me in my tracks. Two of the sweetest voices together, Vile & Sandoval are evoking all the sultry passions of Kris Kristofferson & Rita Coolidge’s Help Me Make It Through The Night. This was a late find but makes the list for me.
2.
Lower Dens – Real Thing
Such slick groove from Lower Dens, 80s synthy shoegazey pop at it’s finest. It would certainly fit nicely on the Twin Peaks or Stranger Things soundtrack this year. Check out the video if you’re in the market for a cool new girl crush.
3.
Lisa Hannigan – Lo
Speaking of girl crushes, the long awaited follow up to Passenger did not disappoint. I don’t think Lisa has ever sounded stronger, he voice is sublime throughout. heard this for the first time in Clonmel during the summer in the church with the band and I got shivers. She and the band have nailed something really special here, it needs to be seen live to be believed. Her talent is boundless, she continues to blow my mind more than any other Irish female.
4.
Matt Corby – Sooth Lady Wine
Although nothing else on his album jumped out at me or even sounds like this track, there’s a timelessness to this. It’s so groovy and dreamy I absolutely love it.
5.
James Blake – Love Me In Whatever Way
If ever there was an album proving an artist is going from strength to strength it’s this one. It delivers in every way. I fell in love track after track but ‘Love Me In Whatever Way’ was my first love. He’s just untouchable.
6.
Kaytranada – Lite Spots
Kaytranada and Anderson Paak stole the show for me this year album wise. I was blown away. Cover to cover this delivered entirely. Everyone I gave it to fell for it’s addictive and hooky charms. Many’s a kitchen dance I had to this, what more could you want form an album?
7.
Anderson Paak – Light Weight & Am I Wrong?
Genuinely cannot pick a favourite on the album. I don’t think I enjoyed an album more this year, between this and Kaytranada. It’s an absolute gem form start to finish. Whittled down to these two as they had the most number of plays, in de clurb.
8.
Fatima Yamaha – Love Invaders
Probably the track I played the most at my gigs. It’s got absolutely everything. There’s nothing else you need to say about it. It’s an absolute gem.
9.
Yves Tumor – The Feeling When You Walk Away
Another one I loved from the opening riff. So slick, so sexy. Love this dude’s vibe even though the album was slightly disappointing considering how awesome this track is. Let’s hope he’s got more in him.
10.
Karl Blau – Fallin’ Rain
Exceptional cover of Link Wray’s 1971 track which Blau brings his own magic entirely to. Guest features include Jim James (My Morning Jacket) and Laura Veirs. It’s a choric dream from start to finish.The message is heavy and sad but there is something so joyous about it too. I know I’m gonna always love this tune.
Before At Swim arrives on Friday’s release day, Lisa Hannigan has revealed another track from the Aaron Dessner-produced album.
‘Ora’ is a piano-lead ballad was inspired by imagery of water. “‘I was adrift and caught in the ropes/ Under a pinhole sky, blowing off course.” begin the lyrics.
“‘Aaron sent me the music, just the piano,’ Lisa says, recalling how the track came about. ‘And the way he played it immediately conjured up in my mind the heave and the haul of oars on water. Next thing the words and the melody had just arrived in my head.’
What begins adrift, closes with hope – ‘You’ll be the boat and/I’ll be the sea / Won’t you come with me?’ Who could resist?’
The video is by Lisa’s brother Jamie Hannigan and it was inspired by a silhouette portrait of the siblings’ mother, Frances as a child. The video was made using hand-turned backlit moving panoramasin the family living room.
Lisa Hannigan is currently on an Irish tour playing some new songs in a live setting and today, she’s given the rest of us a chance to hear some new music.
‘Prayer For The Dying’ is an emotive undulating piece of orchestral music from third album At Swim, Hannigan’s new album out August 19th on Play It Again Sam with Hannigan sounding more elegant than ever before.
The album was produced by The National’s Aaron Dessner.
The song was inspired “by the passing of a friend’s parent after an extended illness./”
‘They’d had a very long and happy marriage and the loss was devastating. I wanted to try and express that grief but also pay tribute to their marriage.’
Pre-Order on Vinyl, CD & digital now (on iTunes as of tomorrow) and receive ‘Prayer for the Dying’ instantly.
Lisa Hannigan – At Swim tracklist
1. Fall 2. Prayer For The Dying 3. Snow 4. Lo 5. Undertow 6. Ora 7. We The Drowned 8. Anahorish 9. Tender 10. Funeral Suit 11. Barton
Interlude Festival took place last October in the RHA Gallery and this year it’s back and expands to three days over five gallery rooms with an outdoor block party, outdoor courtyard and three stages, food garden, cinema & record store plus a craft beer bar and a cocktail bar. Interlude happens from Friday 24 – Sunday 26 June.
Lined up for the event is:
Lisa Hannigan
Dimitri from Paris
The Sugarhill Gang
Crazy P
Booka Brass Band
Interskalactic
exmagician
CC Brez
Ships
Sample Answer
TooFools
Kelly-Anne Byrne
Buffalo Woman
Alison Limerick
Billy Scurry
Donal Dineen A/V set
David Kitt DJ set
Cian O’Ciobhain
Sally Cinnamon
The Disconauts
Bon Voyage
Nialler9 will be curating a stage on the Sunday which will include Cian O’Ciobhain, Bad Bones and more.
A limited number of early bird weekend tickets for the festival go on sale this Wednesday at 9am priced €49 plus booking fee from Ticketmaster.ie. General Weekend tickets priced €69 plus booking fee will go on sale this week from Ticketmaster.ie and outlets nationwide.
Good news. Lisa Hannigan is gearing up to her third album release later this year with a series of nationwide Irish tour dates starting in Newbridge, Kildare on June 2nd and finishing at Clonmel Junctions Festival on July 9th, taking in Clonakilty, Leap, Belfast, Dundalk, Kilkenny, Naul, Limerick, Dublin’s Interlude Festival, Donegal, Lahinch and more.
Hannigan last released an album Passenger in 2011. It was nominated for the Choice Music Prize and the Mercury Music Prize and she has since toured, contributed to film soundtracks Fury, Gravity and Song of The Sea (also provided voiceover), collaborated with Aaron Dessner, Ray LaMontagne and Ritual and teamed up with Dylan Haskins for the Soundings podcast.
Tickets on sale 9am Wednesday 13th April from the venues and Ticketmaster where available.
Lisa Hannigan tour dates
June 2nd Riverbank Theatre, Newbridge, Kildare June 3rd Cunninghams, Kildare June 5th The Black Box, Belfast June 8th De Barras, Clonakilty June 9th Connolly’s, Leap June 10th St Luke’s, Cork June 11th The White Horse, Ballincollig June 14th The Set Theatre June 15th The Spirit Store, Dundalk June 18th Seamus Ennis Centre, Naul, Co. Dublin June 19th Balor Theatre, Donegal June 20th The Greyhound, Kilkee June 21st Kenny’s, Lahinch June 23rd The Belltable Theatre, Limerick June 24th Interlude Festival, Dublin June 25th Roisin Dubh Galway July 9th – Clonmel Junctions Festival, Cork
Turning Pirate’s annual New Year’s Eve shindig is back in Vicar Street on December 31st and this year’s edition features:
Lisa Hannigan, Booka Brass Band, Niamh Farrell (Ham Sandwich), Ye Vagabonds, TooFools, Adam Matthews (Late Fragments) , Joe Hearns, Michael Hopkins (Planet Parade), Old Hannah, The Young Folk AND MC Karl Spain among with special guests promised.
Tickets TBC on sale at 9am on Monday 30th of November from Ticketmaster.
As fans of Lisa Hannigan will know, the lady’s breath-filled voice is one of her main draws. While she’s no stranger to collaboration having started her career with Damien Rice and many others, we’ve never heard her singing over some smooth electronic R&B, which her tones are very suited to.
R I T U A L (yeah those spaces are intentional), are a three-piece band from London who Hannigan joins on their new single ‘Josephine’, a gossamer track which is pitched somewhere between the current trend for electronic R&B (Wet / Woman’s Hour) and smooth emotion like Rhye and London Grammar).
More from R I T U A L, a collaboration with Frances.
