“Her voice is a superb mix of china cup fragility and steely strength” (The Irish Times, 2010.)
It’s 2022, more than a decade later, and this contradiction is still true of Pauline Scanlon’s voice. In fact, the pairing of opposites seems a true fit for this West Kerry native. Her voice comes from an ancient place but is always fresh. She is uniquely Irish yet universally understood, apparently traditional yet subversive at every turn. Perhaps now, it is the steely strength that comes to the fore in both her activism and her determination to constantly evolve as an artist.
As a founding member of FairPlé, the role of women in the arts is central to her creative path and something she is very vocal about and dedicated to. Her new album, The Unquiet, to be released 8th April 2022, is a piece of art possessed of an old soul, but thoroughly modern and of its time.
Following on from the first single ‘The Bird in the Bush’ released last month, Pauline shares a second track ‘Felton Lonnin’.
Watch the official video here:
Speaking of the song, Pauline says:
“My forthcoming album ‘The Unquiet’ is about an era of women whose lives and stories I wanted to sing about through the medium of traditional song. Felton Lonnin is a Northumbrian ballad about a missing child. I sing this song to honour the women and children who endured church and state systems of incarceration and separation in laundries, the mother and baby homes, county homes, residential institutions under systems of oppression, concealment, shame, abuse, and unspeakable cruelty
I am deeply thankful to have once again collaborated with the extraordinary actor and dancer Siobhán Manson on the visual for this piece, with a video filmed, edited and directed by Alan Doherty. The lush, opulent harmony vocals on this track are by Nicola Joyce. Chris Pemberton played keys and synths, Graham Kearns played guitar, and John Reynolds played drums and produced the song.”
Pauline Scanlon’s album ‘The Unquiet’ is due for release April 8th 2022.
Pre-order on Bandcamp here: https://paulinescanlon.bandcamp.com/album/the-unquiet
LIVE DATES:
April
Friday 8th: Black Gate Galway
Saturday 9th: Duncairn Belfast
Thurs 14th: Pepper Canister Dublin
May
19th: Royal Theatre CastleBar
21st: INEC Killarney
Tickets available from http://www.paulinescanlon.net/
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Photo: Ruth Medjber
