Today , Tuesday 21st February, I Have A Tribe shares new single ‘Oh Man’, taken from his upcoming second album, Changing of the Guard , which will be released on Friday 26th May 2023.
New single ‘Oh Man’ is an uplifting folk-pop song that distils earnestness and groove into one powerful gesture from Ireland’s west coast directly to the heart of the listener.
Described as “one of Ireland’s most exceptional musicians” by the Irish Times, I Have A Tribe is the musical home for Patrick O’Laoghaire.
Patrick says of his new single: “‘Oh Man’ is a song about that human experience of uncertainty, when you say to someone -“tell me what to do.” Or, when you ask it of yourself… and listen for the answer.”
This spring, I Have A Tribe will play a series of intimate shows in Ireland, where the audience will have the opportunity to hear songs from the upcoming album. Shows in Dublin (The Workman’s Cellar – Thurs 2nd March), Cork (Levi’s, Ballydehob – Fri 10th March) and Mayo (The Clock Tavern, Westport – Sat 25th March) are on sale now. Tickets available here.
‘Oh Man’ is the follow up to last November’s ‘Teddy’s Song’ – a track about which Americana UK wrote, “O’Laoghaire’s warm voice floats above layers of instrumentation, dreamily ethereal backing vocals and a hypnotic, pulsing rhythm. Aside from O’Laoghaire piano, all that sonic texture comes from Conor O’Brien (Villagers) on trumpet, Oisin Walsh-Peelo on harp, bass from Caimin Gilmore and Dominic Mullan’s drums. It’s beautifully arranged and produced and the result is quietly epic.” RTÉ Radio 1 were incredibly supportive of ‘Teddy’s Song’, giving it widespread airplay and adding it to their coveted RTÉ Radio 1 Recommends list. Other Irish press and radio support came from the likes of Nialler9 , Hot Press , Entertainment.ie , Today FM , Red FM , Beat 102103 and RTÉ Lyric FM , to name just a few.
Patrick O’Laoghaire has toured with and opened for Anna Calvi , Lisa Hannigan and Villagers , and was invited to take part in the People Festival (curated by Bon Iver ) where he collaborated with Beirut , Feist , Little Scream and Damien Rice .
His debut album Beneath A Yellow Moon prompted Lauren Murphy to write in The Irish Times, “The record, several years in the making, demonstrated O’Laoghaire’s talent for storytelling, matched with a musical approach of solo piano and slouchy full band, succinct intimacy with sprawling, nine-minute mini-epics” and music critic Stephen White of The Last Mixed Tape to observe, “ Beneath A Yellow Moon is written so elegantly, it reminds me of a classic black and white Hollywood movie.”
Music may hold the intention and dreams of the artist, their view on the world and their place in it. On his upcoming new album, Changing of the Guard , due for release on Friday 26th May, it seems O’Laoghaire has translated his everyday engagement with life into his music. It is quite full of references to birds, land, light, water, love.
His influences are evident on the record: elements of the plaintiveness of Anohni as well as the unorthodox balladry of Devendra Banhart. His sets have often thrown in fine covers of This is The Kit, Leif Vollebekk, Bonny Light Horseman, and certainly he is guided by Leonard Cohen’s principal that the cracks are where the light gets through. But he knows his own voice and he uses it accordingly.
