Rachael Lavelle is back with new music, which is only the Irish artist’s second single since the release of ‘Perpetual Party’.
Lavelle has appeared regularly enough in the live arena since then to disguise that fact. Along with performing with Glasshouse, Crash Ensemble, Saint Sister and featuring on Villagers album Fever Dreams has kept Lavelle visible.
But today, a new song ‘Let Me Unlock Your Full Potential’ has been released, and displays the ethereal form of art-pop that Lavelle has become known for, accompanied by a beautiful video shot in 16mm by Bob Gallagher.
The track was co-produced by Rachael Lavelle and Ryan Hargadon, mixed by Alex Borwick.
“The title is taken from an ad that found me as I searched for the answers to getting “unstuck”. At the time I wished for nothing more than someone to come along and show me the way, but this song reminds me of the need to trust oneself. It is a song about getting out of your own way, taking responsibility, setting the wheels in motion and unlocking your own potential”.
Rachel Lavelle
Watch the video:
On the music video, Bob Gallagher says:
“The first image that came to mind for this song was Marina Abramović and Ulay’s ‘Rest Energy’ which seemed to sum up the nature of a relationship – precariously balanced within its own dynamic, co-dependent and loaded with potential to either thrive under pressure or to engineer its own destruct.
You look a bit closer and see that even though that ‘Rest Energy’ image seems balanced the dynamic isn’t equal. There’s more risk on the sharp side of the arrow. Art history is littered with romantic imagery of hunter and prey that plays out this imbalance. Whatever the relationship, somebody is the target of desire and somebody is taking aim. The ideal surely is to find an equal but that’s as rare in art history as it is in real life.
I thought this song about the potential energy waiting to be unlocked by the ‘other’ would suit playing on some of this imagery, and Rachael is such a brilliant performer that it made sense to centre it around her, in variously wonderful guises. The philosopher Levinas says that we become ourselves in the face of the other, but I think we also become ourselves independently of the ‘other’, by taking steps outside of who we think we are, and the roles we think we’re meant to play. Success probably lies in a combination of the two approaches, and as with anything, be it love or archery, balance is key”.
After the release of her track ‘Perpetual Party’, she was selected to perform at SXSW Online, opened for Villagers and toured with City Slang’s Anna B Savage. She has collaborated with a wide range of ensembles and artists such as Crash Ensemble, Glasshouse, Peter Broderick, SlapBang, Saint Sister and has appeared as a vocalist on Villagers Fever Dreams album.
Live Dates:
Another Love Story with Glasshouse – 18th- 20th August.
Full tour to be announced.
Video credits:
Directed and Produced by Bob Gallagher
Art Direction by Sarah Flanagan
Cinematography by Sophie O’Donovan
Edited by Alex Lynch
1st AC – J.P. Quill
Gaffer – Peter Morrissey
Assistant Director – Mike Walsh
Production Design Assistant – Sophie Conroy
Make Up – Barbara Conway
Hair – Eilish Mulcahy
VFX – Brendan Corcoran
Production Company – Wonderbread
Titles – Bureau Bonanza
Starring
Rachael Lavelle
John Doran
Diolmhain Ingram Roche
John Francis Flynn
Paddy Ormond
and introducing Ted Conway
