Dublin-born singer-songwriter Sorcha Richardson has released her new single, Grenadine. We asked her the BIG questions . . .
Having debuted some new material last month at Other Voices at St. James Church in Dingle, Grenadine is the first new music from the artist in over a year and is accompanied by a new video.
Sorcha has released two albums (the Choice Music Prize nominated First Prize Bravery in 2019 and Smiling Like an Idiot in 2022), and has played support to Mitski, Dodie, Villagers, and Snow Patrol.
Speaking about her new single, Sorcha says, "Grenadine is kind of a crisis of faith... in myself, in relationships, in what I thought to be true about life. Sometimes life's most devastating moments occur so quietly as to trick you into thinking nothing’s changed at all. It takes a long time to make sense of it.
"This is a way of reaching for things you still know to be true, no matter how small, to ground yourself in rocky waters."
Tell us three things about yourself . . .
I grew up in Dublin, lived in New York for nearly a decade and now I live in West Kerry.
My main instrument growing up was the drums and I didn't start singing until I was 18.
My new single Grenadine is my first proper release in two and a half years.
How would you describe your music?
I’d say it’s indie, alternative, sometimes pop-y, sometimes folky music, that tries to hold life’s quiet but most significant, sometimes surreal, moments under a magnifying glass and make sense of it all. It’s mostly centred around guitar and piano, with different iterations of a band around me. Stories and characters that are equal parts existential and hopeful.
Who are your musical inspirations?
First it was the Spice Girls and All Saints. Then as a teenager, once I started playing drums and guitar,, The Strokes and Arctic Monkeys, During this recent chapter of music making, Feist, Aldous Harding, Nick Drake, Bill Ryder Jones, Fionn Regan, Perfume Genius.
What was the first gig you ever went to?
All Saints at The Point.
What was the first record you ever bought?
. . . Baby One More Time by Britney Spears.
What’s your favourite song right now?
Half Immune by Ellie O’Neill and Lucky Again by Lykke Li.
Favourite lyric of all time?
I only first heard this song today, so it might be a bit impulsive here,, but the line "I’m going to a really dark place, do you need anything?" from Future Fear on Lykke Li’s new album is genius. Also Paul Simon’s "Everybody loves the sound of a train in the distance; everybody thinks it’s true."
If you could only listen to one song for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Bloodbuzz Ohio by The National. I don’t know what that song does to my brain but it’s probably my most listened to song of the last 10 years. I still haven’t hit my limit so I think it’s a pretty safe bet.
Where can people find your music/more information?
The best possible thing to do to keep in touch is to join my mailing list. But you can also find me at my website - sorcharichardson.com - or Instagram, TikTok, YouTube.
Alan Corr
