Dublin-born folk contender Niamh Bury has just released her acclaimed debut album Yellow Roses on the revitalized Claddagh Records, home to many folk classics from decades past.
In her music, listeners can hear a diverse range of influences from artists as varied as Fiona Apple, Bright Eyes and Paul Simon, as well as the amalgam of folk, classical, jazz and alt-rock music that formed an integral part of a childhood spent in a musical household on Dublin’s northside.
We asked Niamh for her choice cultural picks...
FILM
It's no secret that Poor Things is one of the best films of the decade. To me, it was the perfect cinematic experience – grotesque and beautiful in equal measures. Everything from the costumes to the set design and music is intricately and rigorously considered. I adored it - 10/10.
I also recently re-watched Sister Act 2, and had forgotten what an important film it was for me as a kid. Lauren Hill is absolutely incredible in it and her performance of Joyful Joyful at the end still makes me cry.
MUSIC
The last album I really got into is Rachel Sermanni’s Dreamer Awake. It was recorded live to tape and the songs, arrangements and vibe are immaculate.
Holly Munro’s song Open Ended is floating around my head right now – love the song and production. She’s really talented and I’m looking forward to hearing more from her.
Niamh Regan also has a new album coming out in May, which I’m very excited for. I opened a few shows for her recently around Ireland and can testify that the new songs, her voice and her guitar playing are all absolutely banging.
BOOK
I just finished Emma Dabiri’s Disobedient Bodies and loved it. It’s a gentle reminder of how unrealistic and often racialised beauty standards are and how Sisyphean it is to strive for them. I love her attitude to beauty – our bodies should be a source of joy and creativity, rather than a battleground of insecurity and competition.
I’m also really looking forward to getting my hands on a copy of Sinéad Gleeson’s debut novel, Hagstone, which comes out in April.
THEATRE
Not a play exactly, but I recently saw a long-form spoken word performance by Cormac Mac Gearailt called Scar at the Scene + Heard Festival in Smock Alley Theatre. It’s a bi-lingual piece in Irish and English about ecological destruction, trauma, heritage and the loss of language. Cormac’s performance was incredible and I’m a big fan of his work – it’s tender and vulnerable, but also slightly manic and explosive.
TV
The Great Pottery Throw Down. I love Keith Brymer Jones.
GIG
The last gig I went to was ØXN in Vicar Street, which was incredible. Their sound is so unique and I love how they play around with traditional material and bring all their influences and backgrounds to the music.
I’m looking forward to Mohammad Syfkhan’s album launch. He’s a Syrian-Kurdish singer and bouzouiki player based in Leitrim, and his music is amazing.
ART
I’m a big fan of Sarah Purser, who was an Irish portrait artist working mainly in the late 19th to early 20th century. She founded An Túr Gloine and was the first woman accepted into the RHA. She was friends with Maud Gonne and Kathleen Behan and painted them both at different stages of their lives. The National Gallery recently had an exhibition of her work focusing on intimate, everyday scenes, which was really beautiful.
The Gallery is proud to have many of Sarah Purser's artworks in our permanent collection and to recognize her important role in the development of arts in Ireland.
— Hugh Lane Gallery (@TheHughLane) October 31, 2022
Miss Maud Gonne, Sarah Purser, 1890. pic.twitter.com/GtwJrdKjcQ
PODCAST
There’s a great series called Witch from BBC Radio 4. It explores the idea of the witch and the history of the witch trials. There are so many ways in which that terrible period of history ripples through to our present moment – from the anti-aging industry to stigma against any behaviour that threatens the patriarchy.
TECH
There’s an app called Merlin that helps you identity birds by their song. It’s kinda like Shazam, but for birds. It’s my kind of tech.
THE NEXT BIG THING...
I’ve been a big fan of folk musician Zoé Basha ever since I heard her singing in Walsh’s in Stoneybatter about ten years ago. She’s got such a unique quality to her voice and her musicality is incredible. She’s been touring recently and I know she’s got a secret solo project in the works, which I can’t wait to hear.
Yellow Roses by Niamh Bury is out now, via Cladagh Records
