Singer-songwriter Niall McCabe, who sings with Beoga, has released his new album Rituals. We asked him the BIG questions . . .
Born on Clare Island, Co. Mayo, McCabe grew up in the family run pub full of strong musical influences from traditional Irish and folk to rock and soul and has performed extensively with his folk-soul group The Niall McCabe Band over the past decade.
More recently Niall has toured Ireland, Europe and the USA and played support to Ed Sheeran, Foy Vance and Johnny Swim with Beoga.
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On his return home, McCabe became heavily involved in reinvigorating his small island community, opening a seasonal cafe-bakery and establishing and running The Clare Island Folk Festival.
Rituals follows his two recent singles, Stonemason and Valhalla, and speaking about the album, he says, "Most of the songs on this album were written during the pandemic here on Clare Island except for Valhalla which was left over from my last album.
"During the writing process I wanted to find voices that carried some of the isolation and anguish of that time and made a conscious effort to keep the instrumentation more sparse and less cluttered during recording.
"A favourite phrase of the lockdown was 'we're all in the same sea, but different boats’. As an album I hope Rituals embodies this as individual songs with singular voices, but all drawn from the same well of experience and emotion."
Tell us three things about yourself . . .
My Mammy was my primary school teacher in the tiny, circa 20-pupil school on Clare Island where she taught all classes in one room. The first instrument I ever played in public was the spoons - much to the annoyance of many great musicians haha. Despite having very little time for superstitious belief, I do like to salute lone magpies whenever I see them.
How would you describe your music?
A question that has caused me great problems in the past. I've always been drawn to so many different styles that I’ve tended to fall in between the cracks of definition which makes it harder to find an audience. However, I think with this new album I’ve started finding my own voice a little and that’s certainly drawing from a more Irish folk and acoustic songwriter well.
Who are your musical inspirations?
Too many to list, but some that I look for inspiration when writing are Paul Brady, Foy Vance, Van Morrison, Anais Mitchell, James Taylor, Carole King, and John Martyn.
What was the first gig you ever went to?
The first proper gig I remember going to was Sean Tyrell and Sean Keane in The Woods Hotel, Westport. Both were in their absolute prime and I was completely blow away with the entire thing and remained a solid fan of both ever since.
What was the first record you ever bought?
The first tape I ever bought was Bon Jovi’s Slippery When Wet in Westport when I was maybe ten years old - I was out to get my front tooth shoved back into my head after a fall and this was the one positive thing I remember from the day.
What’s your favourite song right now?
Looking at my phone’s playlist here it’s a toss-up between Rev. Paul Jones singing I Won’t Complain and Franke Heart (With Donal Lunny) singing The Love Token. Two songs that couldn’t be farther away from each other in a lot of ways and yet they can both tap into the exact same uplifting energy and soul.
Favourite lyric of all time?
Sean Tyrell’s Cry of the Dreamer album is one that I just can’t seem to leave behind in life. His trilogy of Sean Boyle O’Reilly poems set to song return again and again to me, but if pushed, ’Our feet on the torrents brink, our eyes on the clouds afar, we fear the things we think, instead of the things that are’ is my stand-out line.
If you could only listen to one song for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Tough one. I can’t decide between Van Morrison’s I Will be There and Sandy Denny’s Who Knows Where the Time Goes - depends on if it’s a happy or sad rest of my life I guess. Haha.
Where can people find your music/more information?
You can find me online on my website or my Instagram is @islandniall or for a 3D experience you can catch me in person in a venue soon - plenty of gigs planned around the country:)
