Latest
Nupdate of News
Playing tomorrow in the lovely Joinery with Wolfbait and David Donohoe. Yay! And ‘Below The Sea’ appeared on a few Best Of lists for last year, on Harmless Noise and Electric Whipcrack. NOT that I’m into lists, BUT, if I was I’d be chuffed. Hell, I’m chuffed anyway! Great to see Melodica Deathship, Ilex, Lakker, Eomac, Wife and Deviant mentioned too.
And I have to say thanks to Nay and Daniel from both blogs respectively for the support, now and in the past.
I’m no fan of Disgracebook…
But it’s good for some things. Like hilarious gifs!
‘Cruinneog’ interview and Daylight Savings News
For you Irish-speakers out there, I did an interview for the radio show, ‘Cruinneog’ (meaning ‘globe’), during the week. It’ll be broadcast tomorrow morning (Saturday, the 3rd of November) at 11. Seems very interesting, it generally consists of interviews with Irish people living abroad, and as I’m only recently back from the Netherlands, I was asked to call in and have a chat. It’s always a balancing act between being open and communicative, and not coming off like a roaring eejit. Ha!
But Cearbhall (O Síocháin, the presenter) was sound out, really put me at ease, and it was nice to talk about music, and remind myself that I’m a musician, which (goldfish-style) I seem to forget after a few busy music-free weeks. For I went back to school a few months back, yes kids, back to school I went. Plants have always been a big deal to me. I can’t live without them, not even a little bit! I like oxygen and food, see. Soooo, starting a horticulture course seemed like a good idea. It’s all SO NEW at the moment, but I’m lovin’ it.
All about the choirs at the moment too. I’m working on some choral repertoire at the moment. The amazingly talented Amanda Feery recently moved over to Princeton, New Joisey, but she’ll be back next summer for a while, so we’re planning some sort of co-choral goings on. My dream is a mobile choir, flash mobs, musical public nuisances…. As well as midsummer midnight concerts and other lovely things.
The Hour Went Back last weekend, and we all know what that means. Ireland sinks into darkness for a few months (although the winter skies here are absolutely spectacular when there is some light). Leaving the house in darkness, arriving home in darkness. I kind of like it though. And night-time is very conducive to all sorts of visions and madness anyway.
Here’s a sample of Amanda’s work (She’s photographed here by Aoife Giles, singing Lying in Bed in the Joinery way back) -
Another fab image from Barry Quinn
Barry’s been making images to go with the songs on the album. I was thinking of doing a crowd-funding type of a thing to raise money to press records, and he suggested limited edition books of artwork to go with it. In the end, it was going to be too much hassle and messing to do that. A long post on the subject will follow. By the way, get over to that man’s site and Etsy page!
Hello again!
Well, howyis now. After two months away from (admittedly, sporadic) blogging, I MISS it. It felt like I had no ‘home’ online. Facebook is like an airport terminal, Twitter is a bit like being stuck on a really fast escalator, and Soundcloud’s like a really nice gig where you’re absorbed in the music but not up for the chats.
This blog was like my bedroom. Sure, no-one was visiting, but I had my slippers, my music, and a bed to sit on. So here I am again.
In honour of coming home, here is this absolutely BEAUTIFUL song by Geoffrey Oryema -
I first heard it being used in a documentary about US foreign policy in the 20th century. Cheerful stuff, indeed. This got me properly bawling. That and Patrice Lumumba’s assassination.
We are moving!
Pardon our appearance, laydeez and gintlemen. My move back to Ireland will coincide with the expiry of this domain name, so there will be a bit of a hiatus on this front. Packing cases in real life and cyber suitcases here.
I shall see all of ye at a thrilling new location soon! Thanks for stopping by and hasta pronto. MWAH!
New Ilex EP
Yay! New EP by the excellent Ilex. Really beautiful music, it makes me think of oval shapes and a beach at dawn. If you know what I mean.
Bloomsday
Some day I will read this famous book. Caught up on some classics from my native soil recently. Lotta lotta writers have sprung from that damp rock.”Borstal Boy by Brendan Behan is just brillunt, he is my new hero! His honesty and integrity shines, and that way with words. I acquired some new insults too!
I’m currently reading At Swim Two Birds by Flann O’Brien, that comic genius and true poet. Making a fool of myself, roaring laughing in public.
Here’s a video from a few years ago. Thanks to Neasa!
Niamh de Barra Bloomsday 16th June 2010 from Neasa de Barra on Vimeo.
"Below The Sea" EP
Yay! “Below The Sea” has now been released. Grab a download here. Embarrassingly nice blurb too. Scarlet, I am!
Thanks (again and again and again) to Hamish, Mel for the mastering, and Barry for the beautiful artwork.
Filming the video this weekend for the funding project. “Echo” will see the light of day yet!
