Angie McLaughlin is a Scottish folk songwriter, vocalist and musician with strong connections to Donegal where her dad was from. She grew up in the west coast of Scotland and moved to Dublin for college. She then emigrated to San Francisco where she first focused seriously on her songwriting and vocals, learning operatic arias through The Community Music Centre in The Mission district.
On her return to Dublin in 2004, she joined forces with Gary Fitzpatrick and formed The Sick and Indigent Song Club who released four albums, ‘Live at the Ha’Penny’, ‘Inistioge Folly’, ‘Punch Drunk’ and ‘Shinbone Ally’ which received high praise from major publications such as The Irish Times, Hotpress and many more.
Her splinter group, Minnie and the Illywhackers allowed her to indulge in her passion for vintage pop and ukulele swing and the band released the album ‘Make Me Yours’.
McLaughlin marked the beginning of her first solo project at the start of this year with the release of her first solo single ‘Joy’ which was the first of 10 original songs which lead to the creation of her solo debut record ‘The Boy is Gone’ which will be due for release this summer.
What began as a cathartic expression and a means of healing following the sudden loss of her husband, turned into an album of rich and authentically raw songs. ‘The Boy Is Gone’ was produced by Martin Stephenson (of the Daintees). McLaughlin is drawn to genres strong in storytelling and the influence of folk, country and the blues is evident in her music and lyrics.
Her first single titled ‘Joy’ released February 10th and picked up support in HotPress, Edgar Allan Poets, Dublin South FM, RTE Radio 1, Dundalk FM, Downaroad Radio, IMRO, The Goo, Near FM and many more and celebrated the release in Dublin’s The Wild Duck.
Stephenson said on working with McLaughlin:
“Working with Angie McLaughlin was a no brainer for me, having known her for many years and being a fan of her creative ventures, she is a class A roots vocalist and songwriter, a very tuned in, talented, sensitive human being. What’s not to like.” Martin Stephenson (2022)
Angie now hopes to keep her momentum building even more with the release of her new single ‘Every Day’ which is a more upbeat tune that is set to go down well on national radio.
‘Every Day’ releases April 7th 2023.
Originally intended as a soothing, sorrowful, almost gospel style meditation, Every Day transformed into a (northern) soul style step towards hope. Stephenson’s addition of rhythm and brass create both emotional and physical movement giving witness to the desire for a release from the weight of grief, evident in the lyrics. Every Day is about recognition of how struggle and change sit with each other uncomfortably and harmoniously. Imminently danceable, Every Day shakes off troubles, even if only for the 3 minutes and 15 seconds that the song lasts, while never denying their presence.
The influence of black American music is an expression of gratitude for the exposure to so many great black artists and a way of maintaining a connection to that culture.
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