Foxlight
Iarla Ó Lionáird
Released on 26th September 2011.
For his third solo album - Foxlight - the acclaimed singer Iarla O Lionaird delivers an impassioned and sublime set of personal songs, combining the twin urges to write more new material and yet also work with an intriguing set of collaborators. O Lionaird began writing new songs, secluding himself in his home studio on Herdman's Hill in remote Kilkenny. Joined by guitarist and producer, Leo Abrahams, the album took shape as O Lionaird and Abrahams split their time between rural Ireland and Abrahams' own studio in Bow, East London.
These disparate settings and the varying tonality of the contributing artists make this a record that shimmers with versatility. Whilst rooted in certain traditions, it is also unclassifiable and refuses to be located in one genre or another. It's one of O Lionaird's most organic, naturalistic records to date. Instrumentation and layers are embedded in each song, but ultimately it's about Iarla's exquisite, sonically unique voice.
From his early days as a sean-nos singer, to Afro Celt Sound System and his collaborative and solo work, O Lionaird has always ploughed his own artistic furrow. His work is very connected to the totems of traditional Irish music - sean-nos, the Irish language, traditional instrumentation - but various projects have broadened his experience and understanding in the multi-faceted nature of music. Nurtured on childhood songs, the Celtic rhythms that underpin the Afro-Celt sound and collaborations with composers Gavin Bryars and Donnacha Dennehy, there is much more to O Lionaird's exceptional gift than merely being a sean-nos singer. "People ascribe a lot of things to me musically - Cuil Aodha, Sean-nos, traditional... all of those sacred cows. They're certainly there, but I've always been a journeyman. With this record, I wanted to do things I hadn't done before and that's also because my way of listening has changed."
(Text edited from original words by Sinead Gleeson)
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Foxlight
CDFor his third solo album - Foxlight - the acclaimed singer Iarla O Lionaird delivers an impassioned and sublime set of personal songs, combining the twin urges to write more new material and yet also work with an intriguing set of collaborators. O Lionaird began writing new songs, secluding himself in his home studio on Herdman's Hill in remote Kilkenny. Joined by guitarist and producer, Leo Abrahams, the album took shape as O Lionaird and Abrahams split their time between rural Ireland and Abrahams' own studio in Bow, East London.
These disparate settings and the varying tonality of the contributing artists make this a record that shimmers with versatility. Whilst rooted in certain traditions, it is also unclassifiable and refuses to be located in one genre or another. It's one of O Lionaird's most organic, naturalistic records to date. Instrumentation and layers are embedded in each song, but ultimately it's about Iarla's exquisite, sonically unique voice.
From his early days as a sean-nos singer, to Afro Celt Sound System and his collaborative and solo work, O Lionaird has always ploughed his own artistic furrow. His work is very connected to the totems of traditional Irish music - sean-nos, the Irish language, traditional instrumentation - but various projects have broadened his experience and understanding in the multi-faceted nature of music. Nurtured on childhood songs, the Celtic rhythms that underpin the Afro-Celt sound and collaborations with composers Gavin Bryars and Donnacha Dennehy, there is much more to O Lionaird's exceptional gift than merely being a sean-nos singer. "People ascribe a lot of things to me musically - Cuil Aodha, Sean-nos, traditional... all of those sacred cows. They're certainly there, but I've always been a journeyman. With this record, I wanted to do things I hadn't done before and that's also because my way of listening has changed."
play Stay Iarla Ó Lionáird play Seven Suns Iarla Ó Lionáird play Imeacht Iarla Ó Lionáird play Hand In Hand Iarla Ó Lionáird play For The Heavens Iarla Ó Lionáird play The Goat Song Iarla Ó Lionáird play Foxlight Iarla Ó Lionáird play Eleanor Plunkett Iarla Ó Lionáird play Fainne Geal an Lae Iarla Ó Lionáird play Daybreak Iarla Ó Lionáird play The Heart of the World Iarla Ó Lionáird play Glistening Fields Iarla O'Lionaird For his third solo album - Foxlight - the acclaimed singer Iarla O Lionaird delivers an impassioned and sublime set of personal songs, combining the twin urges to write more new material and yet also work with an intriguing set of collaborators. O Lionaird began writing new songs, secluding himself in his home studio on Herdman's Hill in remote Kilkenny. Joined by guitarist and producer, Leo Abrahams, the album took shape as O Lionaird and Abrahams split their time between rural Ireland and Abrahams' own studio in Bow, East London.
These disparate settings and the varying tonality of the contributing artists make this a record that shimmers with versatility. Whilst rooted in certain traditions, it is also unclassifiable and refuses to be located in one genre or another. It's one of O Lionaird's most organic, naturalistic records to date. Instrumentation and layers are embedded in each song, but ultimately it's about Iarla's exquisite, sonically unique voice.
From his early days as a sean-nos singer, to Afro Celt Sound System and his collaborative and solo work, O Lionaird has always ploughed his own artistic furrow. His work is very connected to the totems of traditional Irish music - sean-nos, the Irish language, traditional instrumentation - but various projects have broadened his experience and understanding in the multi-faceted nature of music. Nurtured on childhood songs, the Celtic rhythms that underpin the Afro-Celt sound and collaborations with composers Gavin Bryars and Donnacha Dennehy, there is much more to O Lionaird's exceptional gift than merely being a sean-nos singer. "People ascribe a lot of things to me musically - Cuil Aodha, Sean-nos, traditional... all of those sacred cows. They're certainly there, but I've always been a journeyman. With this record, I wanted to do things I hadn't done before and that's also because my way of listening has changed."
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Foxlight
Digital
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Related links for Iarla Ó Lionáird:
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Iarla O Lionaird
"This album was always going to be different," he says. "I did it in my own house, with a tight team that I trusted. There are no club beats. It's situated in the natural world" -
I Could Read The Sky
A Life in Music, A Life in Words... Martin Hayes & Dennis Cahill, Iarla Ó Lionáir, Karan Casey, Mairtin O'Connor and Timothy O'Grady.
