The Galway-born Manchester-based singer-songwriter Dove Ellis releases his debut album after an American support tour with buzzed NY indie-rock band Geese and an Other Voices Dingle Church performance.
Dove Ellis has developed an outsided CV despite having only a handful of releases to date and little to no press. His standing was aided by a DIY fanbase built through Instagram and sold out live shows in Manchester and London, which lead to live agent and label attention.
Today, Ellis releases Blizzard, a debut album self-produced by himself in London and Liverpool, with mixing by Sophie Ellis and Andrew Sarlo. It’s released on via AMF/Black Butter Records.
It features 10 tracks over 34 minutes of songwriter music with guitar, piano, drums and a general pleasing air of Jeff Buckley and early Thom Yorke in his vocals, along with his recent main event act he supported Geese’s Cameron Winter.
‘To The Sandals’, Ellis’ debut label single is a relatively low-key acoustic tune with fizzing production touches that channel Bon Iver’s experimentalism, with aforementioned Jeff Buckley vibes, and strong singles ‘Pale Song’ and ‘Love Is’ are in a similar acoustic band vein as Buckley.
Much of the album operates in that vein, slightly fuzzed low-slung acoustic indie rock with Ellis quivering voice at the centre, with the exception of ‘Jaundice’ a short upbeat accordion-lead folk jig. It’s a solid collection of songs musically, and Ellis’ lyrics and melodies are his strongest asset at this still early stage.
The album is released today in the relatively barren pre-Christmas schedule, and has already drawn recommended notices from The Guardian, Stereogum, NME, The Line Of Best Fit and more, as much as indication of the growing excitement and buzz building around this enigmatic Irish artist.
Dove Ellis Live:
9th December – The ICA, London (SOLD OUT)
Niall Byrne is the founder of the most-influential Irish music site Nialler9, where he has been writing about music since 2005. He is the co-host of the Nialler9 Podcast and has written for the Irish Times, Irish Independent, Sunday Times, Totally Dublin, Cara Magazine, Red Bull and more. Niall is a DJ, co-founder of Lumo Club, event curator, Indie Sleaze club promoter, and producer of gigs and monthly listening parties & events in Dublin.
