It has been an eventful year for musician Joe Chester. He released his fifth studio album, The Easter Vigil, followed by a live version and later on, a re-release of his 2005 debut album A Murder of Crows, which contains plenty of extras including outtakes, live versions and new songs. He joined Seán Rocks on Arena to chat about the new album which, as the title suggests, has strong religious overtones. The idea was sparked by Joe's rage at the Ryan Report and inspired by his own journey from devout Christian to atheist.
"It was to describe my own process of seeing the light. I was a devout Christian when I was younger to the point where for about 10 minutes I thought I might be a priest before I heard Daydream Nation by Sonic Youth and I realised I probably had a slightly different vocation!"
The Easter Vigil ends with the song Not a Christian Anymore, which Joe describes as joyful and serene as he fully embraces his new beliefs. He says the album was written in a stream-of-consciousness way and he debated whether or not to allow himself to go with it. He’s glad he decided to commit to the highly personal theme.
Joe is now working on his sixth album from his base in Nice, France, where he has lived for three years. He says the distance has given him a new appreciation for his heritage.
"When James Joyce was asked about his life in exile and whether or not it influenced his writing, he said, the fastest way to Tara is via Holyhead and I think that there's a deep truth in that."
Click here to listen to Arena in full.