Ard Ó is an alternative project founded in 2022 by Waterford native Stephen Keating, taking inspiration from the likes of Biffy Clyro/Muse/Radiohead to the more alternative sounds of Ben Howard/Bon Iver. Stephen spent his teens and early 20s in an Irish music group, Under Starling, gigging in various venues around Ireland. He is now living in south London where he has started his first solo project; Ard Ó, with plans to release his debut EP in 2023.
Ard Ó’s second release, and first single off the up and coming EP, ‘Peaceful Illusion’, is a second person narrative where the narrator is observing the ‘Sensory Seeker’ as they battle with their own mental health struggles, and their journey to reaching their goal of contentment.
The mix of electronic synths, distorted guitars, thunderous drums and falsetto vocals transport listeners into the struggling mind of the Sensory Seeker.
Written and recorded in true modern music fashion, Keating composed and recorded all elements himself in his house in south east London and the song was then sent across to Dublin producer/sound engineer, Matt Morgan and with a little toing and froing across the Irish Sea, the song was complete.
“Sensory Seeker is a story, which, I think a lot of people, particularly people who have struggled with mental health can relate to, where you create this false end goal or grass is greener scenario and once you have reached that goal or crossed that bridge you find that you are no different to how you felt in the first place.” Writes Keating in lieu of his new release.
“In short the song highlights this struggle of coming to the realisation that this end goal of contentedness won’t automatically come from completing a certain task or journey and that it is a lot more complicated than that”.
‘Sensory Seeker’ is available on all major streaming platforms now.
