Noel Hogan of The Cranberries and singer and actress Bronagh Gallagher have joined forces to release a new song called Crybaby.
Out on April 17th, the track is Hogan's first release since The Cranberries’ Grammy-nominated In the End, the band’s eighth and final studio album, two years ago.
The Limerick band had been working on the album at the time of prior to Dolores O’Riordan’s death in January 2018.
The collaboration between Derry native Gallagher, who has starred in The Commitments and TV series Moone Boy, and Brassic, and released came about when the pair were introduced by a mutual friend and remained in touch. They then completed the song virtually during lockdown via song-writing sessions over phone-calls and messages.
"I have kept writing since the band ended and built up a collection of songs," Hogan said. "This track was influenced by the sound of older records from the sixties - with big strings and horn sections.
"Bronagh and I met through a mutual friend, not having met because of lockdown. Through phone calls and messages, the song was put together. It’s not Bronagh’s usual style of song but that was the idea!"
Gallagher added: "I was honoured to be asked if I would be interested in co-writing with Noel and just thought it was a lovely idea to try and make something together, as it was a whole new challenge and a way of writing that I hadn't explored before.
"Noel sent me the music and I spent the first three months of lockdown last year wandering the back roads of Derry and Donegal on my own, listening to it and coming up with a narrative about this character who was not yet able to see the great beauty of life - but through music and dance, she began to find her happiness and see the miracle of creation.
"So, I guess it’s kind of a fairytale . . . I’m blown away with how it’s all turned out and the production Noel had created around it all."
Hogan is currently working on a soundtrack for a new HBO documentary, while Gallagher is now back in Manchester filming season three of the hit comedy series Brassic for Sky TV and writing music for a new release later this year.
