Magic Moments: A Conversation with Aoife O’ Donovan
Every so often a voice comes along that moves you on a deeper level. It allows for the message of a song to go deeper, to really inject itself into your soul and spread its warmth and vibe all over. When one of those voices couples with an innate ability to write and tell stories of poignancy and intense meaning…well that’s a rare and beautiful gift. Aoife O’ Donovan embodies both of those characteristics in a way that is pure magic and beauty.
Both of her solo releases managed to wedge their way into my heart and had a profound effect on how I listen to music that really tells a story. Glimmers of insight into the writer as a person, but allowing the process of taking away your own meaning, she casts a spectrum of emotion and sound with her songs.
O’ Donovan makes her way “back home” next week gracing the stage of The Sinclair in Harvard Square with her tunes and that honeyed voice of hers. I had the distinct pleasure of asking her a few questions about her latest release “In The Magic Hour”, the process of dancing the line between introspection and audience interpretation, and reflection. Check it out and be sure to get out to the show next Wednesday, April 13th…I’ll see you there.
RLR: Fossils was received with such critical acclaim from all aspects of the media and industry. What was a scarier prospect for you as an artist: branching out for your first solo release or being able to match the positivity that surrounded Fossils with a successful sophomore album?
AO: There is always a huge element of fear in making your second album, the sophomore slump, etc. I tried to put that out of my head when I went back to the studio. I wanted to make another album with Tucker Martine, but I didn’t want it to sound like Fossils, or make the same album twice. The songs were completely different, written over a much shorter period of time, and most were never given the chance to be preformed on stage, or workshopped in a live setting. All that said, I wouldn’t consider either prospect “scary”.
RLR: Without sounding like a complete nutjob, when I was listening to “In The Magic Hour” for the first time I had an almost out of body feeling, floating, ethereal in a way…I am pretty sure that was the first line of my review of the record. There is a definite ambiance that the arrangement choices you made for the album created and pulled a listener into. Was that a tactful choice on your part? What can you tell us about the feeling you were trying to evoke in these tunes?
AO: I love that you had that reaction, it means a lot to me. From beginning to end, I hoped to create a sort of moving picture, a story, a complete meditation on life and death and all that comes between and after. From the opening “alright” I sigh at the beginning of Stanley Park, it paints the picture of loneliness and solitude, but with hope ultimately prevailing.
RLR: April 13th you will be back in Camber-ville at The Sinclair. Is this show a homecoming of sorts, or when you get to play back in the area is there any sense of that for you? You guys (Crooked Still) certainly cut your teeth around here to an extent I imagine, so is there any sense of nostalgia or a family reunion of sorts when you get back to town?
AO: Do people really call it Camber-ville these days?!!? It’s definitely a homecoming show. I grew up in Newton, and went to college in Boston, and lived in JP and Watertown for years before moving to NYC. I love coming back to Cambridge. My parents will be there, lots of friends from the music scene, old family pals and classmates. I can’t wait! I just wish it was a longer trip! It’ll also be a special show because my great friend Cassie Jenkins is opening the show, and it’s her birthday that day. She and I first met at Club Passim back in 2002 at a Mammals show and have been bosom buddies since. I’m so excited for Boston people to hear her songs in this setting.
RLR: That being said, coming up in the community here with spots like Passim and Lizard and a real pool of talent in the roots/folk genre, is there anyone you see out there right now that hasn’t breached the “nation wide” surface yet you think folks should be tuning into?
AO: I am on tour right now with Mark Erelli- he’s absolutely incredible. He’s certainly no stranger to the national circuit, but people need to get hip to his new album “For a Song”. He’s been breaking hearts every night on this tour and it’s adding so much to the show. My friend and former roommate Laura Cortese is certainly making waves on an international scale, and folks stateside should make sure to hear her any time she comes to her show!
(check out an interview with Erelli about “For a Song” right here)
RLR: Not to get off the solo topic, but you Sarah and Sara recently took a hibernation of sorts to the land of Heady Topper and Green Mountains, locked yourselves in a cabin and wrote…can you clue us into the fruits that may be born from that time?
AO: Ha! Only that people should get excited for new tunes coming their way at SOME point. And we were staying right next to a store that sold Heady Topper AND we were there over two Tuesdays (the day it gets sent to stores). I still have a 4 pack in my basement.
RLR: The back story for much of this record seemed to stem from a visit with your grandfather in the old country (though, I may be slightly off here). How much of your writing is of a biographical context in some way or form? Is there a catharsis for you in writing that way?
AO: The backstory isn’t exactly that- more that some of the songs ended up being inspired in part by his passing, at the age of 93. It gave me a reason to reflect on childhood and adulthood, on the transition between, etc. My writing is certainly biographical in many ways, though I always try to leave room for someone else’s experience.
RLR: So…whats next for Aoife O’ Donovan?
AO: I’m on tour all year with Steve Nistor (the badass drummer from the album) and Anthony Da Costa, who is a genius singer songwriter and guitar player. These guys are the best. Traveling with them and playing with them every night is a huge honor. We’re hitting a bunch of festivals that I’m so excited about- Newport! DelFest! Red Wing Roots! Nelsonville! It’s gonna be a blast. Also a few Prairie Home Companion shows, including the Ryman in Nashville and the Hollywood Bowl in LA. Very excited.
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Again, Aoife O’ Donovan will be in town on Wednesday April 13th at the Sinclair and you can get your tickets RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW. She is also on tour throughout April and beyond and we are incredibly happy and excited to see her recently announced for the Newport Folk Festival again.
