The collaborative band from Bell X1 frontman Paul Noonan and electronic producer Daithí has just released a second full-length album.
Houseplants’ Half Known Things builds on their initial lockdown album, which quiclkly became a full-fledged energetic live show, a party band in full swing, anchored by Noonan’s insightful lyric writing, Daithí’s buoyant rhythms and their live band’s fun gang dynamic.
Houseplants are down in Dingle this weekend for the Jameson Music Trail, where they will play the Jameson Connects At The Bridge House on Sunday December 1st.
Nialler9 caught up with the duo to ask them about their Other Voices experiences past, and get their current favourite tunes.
What has been your previous Other Voices experience like?
PAUL: Always a pleasure! Fond memories of early gigs in the church with Bell X1 & Cathy Davey, carousing with other artists in the hotel. Singing Some Surprise with Lisa Hannigan in the cottage. HousePlants in the Hillgrove Niteclub at 10.30 in the morning. And during Covid I recorded a show for children called The Electric Kazoo in Dingle Aquarium!
DAITHÍ: I love the ‘musicians reunion’ feel of Other Voices every year, it always feels really special.
Favourite gigs you saw ?
PAUL: Sinead O’Connor in the Church.
DAITHÍ: Cormac Begley’s performances with the bass concertina are all-timers for me, and keeping with the traditional, The Gloaming’s Other Voices performance of The Sailor’s Bonnet is really incredible as well.
Is there a bit of magic in the air in Dingle? Favourite spot in the town?
DAITHÍ: I think there’s magic on the whole west coast! Dingle during other voices has a particularly concentrated version of it for sure – It’s a celebration of music that can only happen here, and it’s something world class.
What can people expect from your performance in Dingle this year?
DAITHÍ: We just released out new album Half Known Things a few weeks ago, and it’s raised the energy of the show another few notches, you’ll have to take the scarf off with the heat!
PAUL: Late night prancing around like a tit!
Here’s 10 songs that Houseplants love at the moment.
Paul Noonan’s picks
1.
Doris Day
Secret Love
It’s been around for a minute, but this is a song from the Oklahoma soundtrack, and is new to me. I’m obsessed with what I suppose is the chorus, how it flows from the verse to the “Now I shout it from the highest hills…” bit.
2.
Soft Launch
Piano Hands
Heard this on the wireless and was very much taken with the wacky adventurism of it all! The vocal stacking, drum sound, arrangement. Real accomplished and confident stuff.
3.
Marvin Gaye
Abraham, Martin and John
Another new old one for me, and absolutely Marvin in his hey… how it opens with the vibraphone and his vocal, so beautiful. There’s a video of him doing it while lying on a couch in a dressing room in Amsterdam, wearing an excellent tracksuit.
4.
Chappell Roan
Good Luck Babe!
I love the production on this, again how the chorus hits, filling out, all the exciters flicked on. Daithí told me about a “making of” he heard for this and it apparently slows down by a bpm in the chorus! What a move!!
The middle 8, with the Cyndi histrionics giving way to and emptying out for a tender “I hate to say, I told you so…” into the acrobatics of the outro, amazing.
5.
Niamh Regan
Music
I may have completely the wrong end of the stick with this, but to me this song speaks to the struggles with making music sometimes, and they awkwardness of selling your wares! – I love the line “The person you fell in love with, is now in a cult. Doesn’t ask for money directly, always something to push…”
Daithí’s picks:
6.
Kate NV
Kata
I’ve been obsessed with this track for a while now – its from an art pop artist from Russia but was made and released in Japan, The lyrics feel like a mix between English & Japanese, but don’t seem to make any sense.
7.
Mk.Gee
Are you looking up
Like a lot of people I’m on the Mk.Gee train this year, just a fantastic sound and vibe.
8.
Geordie Greep
Holy, Holy
I had a big Donald Fagan ‘The Nightfly’ moment this year, and then this just arrived straight after – It’s an incredible song, and feels like it’s from the same world, great story telling.
9.
John Francis Flynn
Mole in the Ground
John did an incredible performance in the Aillwee Cave this year for Common Threads, it was really special seeing him be a mole in the ground even just for a short time.
10.
Morgana
I’ll Cry When I’m Dead
It’s great to see Morgana release her first song from the project, I’m really looking forward to her performance at Other Voices this year.
Houseplants are playing Jameson Connects At The Bridge House on Sunday December 1st as part of the Jameson Music Trail at Other Voices in Dingle this weekend.
