Singer, flute player, producer and composer Nuala Kennedy grew up in Dundalk, Co. Louth and has carved out an impressive global career, touring extensively in Europe, Australia and the US, and collaborating en route with the likes of Janis Ian, Bonny Prince Billy, Teenage Fanclub's Norman Blake and Waterboy Mike Scott, amongst others.
Her new album Shorelines offers a meditation on a solitary struggle through love, life and woman's ultimate triumph over adversity, drawing from the traditional song canon and inspired by the coast of her adopted home of Co. Clare.
We asked Nuala for her choice cultural picks...
FILM
If I wasn't away on tour in July I’d be getting the train to the Galway Film Fleadh. It looks fantastic and there is a family animation which sounds lovely called A Greyhound of a Girl - following Mary who is 11 years old and has a passion for cooking… It’s an adaptation by Enzo d’Alò of a Roddy Doyle novel and the cast includes two of my acting faves, Brendan Gleeson and Sharon Horgan, so I’d enjoy bringing the kids to that!
MUSIC
I’d recommend the recent album Anamnesis by Síle Denvir. Síle’s voice is powerful but gentle at the same time and the setting of the songs via producer John Reynolds is so warm and vibey… a beautiful recording. It’s lovely to see Sean Nós getting some love at the moment, in what seems to be a renewed interest in our beautiful native language. I’ve been trying to improve my own Gaeilge now my kids are starting at the Gaelscoil in Ennis. It’s a supportive place and encouraging of us parents as well as the páistí…
BOOK
An author in Philadelphia gifted me Ghost in the Throat by Doireann Ní Ghríofa on a recent U.S. tour - I had seen this book in stores when it first came out, but to be honest I was afraid it would be too ‘poetic’ or time consuming for me to get into at the time, but once I finally opened the first page I was hooked and flew through it. I loved the concept behind the writing - following in the footsteps of Eibhlín Dubh Ní Chonaill, composer of the famous Irish poem Caoineadh Art Uí Laoghaire, while at the same time tying that experience to an everyday life as a wife and mother. For me, Doireann’s writing elevated the hum drum overlooked work we all do as mothers, and I could relate to so many of both the artistic and domestic descriptions in the book. In fact, it fed into my own creative work as I was developing Shorelines at the time, and pondering my experiences as a woman, as a mother, as an artist, a touring musician… feeling how difficult it is to juggle those disparate strands and wanting to reflect that artistically…
THEATRE
Imelda May is starring as Kathleen Behan in The Mother of All Behans directed by Peter Sheridan and showing at the 3Olympia Theatre in August. I’d love to see that. I think it’s brilliant that Imelda is doing this; taking on an acting role and expanding her skillset, growing as an artist. That’s what it’s all about!
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TV
Can I include Netflix in here? I must admit to not having a huge amount of time for TV. Lately, we have been watching Grand Designs on Netflix. I find the format relaxing and enjoy seeing the interesting architecture develop. Maybe we are into that as we just finished a building project in Ennis, so it’s nice to watch others in the throws of it all while thanking our lucky stars that it’s over for us!
GIG
Myself and my husband (Appalachian singer A. J. Roach) went to the Taibhdhearc in Galway recently to see Sam Amidon. The Taibhdhearc is a fabulous venue and has a cocktail called ‘Grá ar an Trá’ which has to be tried just for the name! Sam is a friend as well as a musical inspiration; we met when we were all living out in Los Angeles a few years back. I’ve enjoyed seeing his music develop and grow, changing with each album. I love to see a musician push the boundaries of what’s possible for them, experimenting with new ideas.
And on the subject of inspirational musicians - I will be playing some ‘variations’ on traditional themes, composed by the legendary Fermanagh musician Cathal McConnell and chatting to him about his life in music, at the National Concert Hall on 7th October as part of the Tradition Now Festival. I’m really excited about this concert, as I have long admired Cathal’s creative spirit and his quirky take on the tradition, and this is the first time several of the pieces will be performed live. To me his ‘variations’ are a musical equivalent of outsider art. Cathal just turned 79 in May and I aspire to be as artistically seeking and inventive as he is, when I am his age…. There is a fantastic line up on the night too, including headliners Ye Vagabonds and Strange Boy.
ART
I’ve always loved Andy Goldsworthy’s art with its emphasis on natural materials and the passage of time. It’s so simple yet striking; qualities I love in art or music. Now we have two young kids about the place, I love to take them outside to the garden and make designs with twigs or patterns with leaves. The great fun children have in making and creating, the fact that their work is so valued by them in the moment yet not precious to them in the longterm… There’s a resonance and playfulness in that regard which resonates with Goldsworthy’s work - it’s tactile and human, and will ultimately disappear without trace.
PODCAST
I loved listening to It Was Said by Jon Meachem, a podcast about the most famous speeches in history. Snapshots in time, evocatively presented by an award winning author-historian - I tore through both series. Right now I’m enjoying The Rest is History podcast, especially the recent episodes about Ireland, and I’m drawn to practical life-style podcasts such as the Mel Robbins podcast! I’ve taken on board her 5 second rule:"5, 4, 3, 2, 1, get your ass out of bed!!" It’s just good (for me anyway!) to hear.
TECH
PictureThis, a plant ID app… no more wondering what’s the name of that lovely tree, plant or flower!
THE NEXT BIG THING...
The official UK/IRL launch of Shorelines at Stonehaven Festival in Scotland on 7th July with Tara Breen on fiddle, Tony Byrne on guitar and Caoimhin Vallely on piano!
Shorelines is released on July 7th - find out more here.
