Nothing happened this October

Did anyone else notice how October passed them by this year ? I organised and planned a few things in connection with Ronan Swift's debut CD and played one or two weddings and otherwise tried fairly frantically to find things to do but very little came of it. Hence, very little to blog about and that's why I haven't been kicking about here recently.

I thought maybe it was the recession kicking in to the musicians' world but since November 1st, my life has kicked off again and November look as though they're going to be busy. Calm restored.

I haven't done an awful lot with my own CD this year and I'm rather at a loss about what to do with it. It's not got obvious singles on it and touring possibilities are limited without radio play, particularly for a piano player. Instead, I've been putting the word out to other singer-songwriters and bands that I'm available and interested in playing in their bands and this has resulted in some very exciting opportunities. SJ McArdle (also on Facebook) phoned me early in the year after he co-wrote 3 songs on Asylum Harbour asking if I'd be interested in doing a few gigs with him. Since then, the promotional push for his brilliant forthcoming album Blood And Bones has kicked off in earnest and we've now done a number of gigs in different lineups from full band to duo. He has two singles out already from the album and the second one (in particular) is really super - a cover of Annie Lennox's moving song Why. You can get it from I-Tunes as well as from downloadmusic.ie and you can also see the video on YouTube. I have also been playing with Peadar King both with his own music and his Island Air project (see previous blog) and Stewart Agnew.

When Roesy and I first toured together, we were asked to bring a support act along for a whole tour by the name of Noelie McDonnell. I immediately became a fan and have followed his work since, almost putting a cover of one of his songs (Steal A Rhythm) onto my Asylum Harbour album. He is just about to release his third album on Friday (Come Alive) and it is a great pleasure and honour to be playing keys in his band for the Galway and Dublin launches of the CD. The dates are -
Town Hall Theatre, Galway, Sunday 8th November, Doors 3pm and
Academy 2, Dublin Friday 20th November at 8pm.
The album is also really good.

On that subject, it is astounding to see so many outstanding Irish albums coming out this months and over the last few years and to also see the Irish radio and television media ignore them so consistently. There are pockets but everywhere else, the radio producers seem to be completely guided by what the music pluggers are shoving in their direction and that is generally not Irish independent music. It is so hard to get heard in Ireland and interestingly also really hard to get people to gigs by bands / singers they haven't heard. I'm not complaining. This is the business I'm in and that's the particular challenge our business has at the moment. We just don't have too many friends in the media helping us and the public hear great original Irish music. Anyway, if you haven't heard of them, go seek out some new dynamic music by the likes of Ian Whitty, Armoured Bear, Julie Feeney and keep an eye out over the next few months for new releases by Ronan Swift, SJ McArdle, Noelie McDonnell, Roesy, Keith Mullins, Stewart Agnew.

Oh, and Asylum Harbour is still available too.

Cheers for now,


josh