Sarah McQuaid kicks off her national tour on 26 January and will play Wexford, The Naul, Portaferry, Ennis, Naas, Ballina, Athy, Waterville, Listowel, Kenmare, Tramore and the Your Roots Are Showing: Ireland's Folk Conference in Monaghan Town. We asked her the BIG questions . . .
Former music journalist Sarah released her new album The St Buryan Sessions last October.
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Sarah McQuaid plays:
26 January: Wexford Arts Centre, 28 January: Séamus Ennis Arts Centre, 29 January: The Portico of Ards, 1 February: Glór (Studio Theatre), Ennis, 2 February: Skylarks Music Club @ The Moat Theatre, Naas, 3 February: Ballina Arts Centre, February 5: Athy Community Arts Centre, 8 February: Tech Amergin FET & Arts Centre, Spunkane, Waterville, Co. Kerry, 9 February: St John’s Theatre & Arts Centre, The Square, Listowel, Co. Kerry, 10 February: Carnegie Arts Centre, The Library Building, Shelbourne Street, Kenmare, Co. Kerry, 11 February: Coastguard Cultural Centre, Tramore, Co. Waterford, X91 HP63
Tickets available here.
Tell us three things about yourself . . .
I once had a job scooping ice cream at the National Zoo in Washington D.C. Artichokes are my favourite vegetable. The reason I never had my teeth straightened is that I was hit by a car on the way to the orthodontist.
How would you describe your music?
That’s a tricky one! I was once described by a reviewer as "Joni Mitchell in a jam with Karen Carpenter and Lana Del Rey," but I don’t think I actually sound like any of those artists, although I’m a big fan of all of them. I play acoustic and electric guitars, keyboard (or piano if there is one) and drums, and I write my own songs as well as doing a few covers and the odd traditional song.
Who are your musical inspirations?
If there’s one singer I try to emulate, it’s Ella Fitzgerald. I really love the effortless quality of her singing and the way she hits every note bang on even though she’d have been recording live in the days before Melodyne! And then Nick Drake for the way his guitar playing and voice interweave in such a way that they take on equal importance - it’s a duet, rather than just guitar backing the vocal. And for quality of songwriting, it starts off with Rodgers & Hart and then goes through Carole King and Elton John right up to Taylor Swift.
What was the first gig you ever went to?
When I was in secondary school in Washington D.C., I had a friend who played in a band called The Very Nice Plants and I went to all their gigs. I think the first one was at a free outdoor concert series in Rock Creek Park.
What was the first record you ever bought?
The 12-inch single of Rapper’s Delight by The Sugarhill Gang. I still have it!
What’s your favourite song right now?
Right now it’s Think Before I Speak from the new album We Begin In Darkness by Irish artist Sive, who I’m honoured to have as my opening act at my Skylarks Music Club gig in the Moat Theatre! I met Sive when I was giving songwriting and guitar workshops at the University of Limerick a few years back, and then thanks to an Arts Council Ireland grant she enlisted me to give her online guitar lessons. I’m really looking forward to hearing her perform live in person!
Favourite lyric of all time?
"You have what I lack myself/And now I even have to scratch my back myself" (from It Never Entered My Mind, by Rodgers & Hart, as sung by Ella Fitzgerald).
If you could only listen to one song for the rest of your life, what would it be?
It Never Entered My Mind, by Rodgers & Hart, as sung by Ella Fitzgerald.
Where can people find your music/more information?
On my website, where you’ll also find links to my YouTube channel, Spotify, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Bandcamp and so on.
