Out On Her Own

By Joe Kavanagh

In the early noughties, Ireland was unquestionably the domain of the singer/songwriter, as hordes of musicians, drunk on Nick Drake, Bob Dylan and Steve Earl, set about carving out careers in music, armed with acoustic guitars, earnestness and good intentions.

For most of the decade, names like Mundy, David Kitt and the late Mic Christopher, dominated the national music charts, pulling huge crowds at live shows across the land, in a country where tastes can often be as geographically determined as accents.

I can actually recall having a conversation with an A&R man from a major label, about three years ago, where he pointedly told me: "To be honest, all we and the other majors are looking for in Ireland now is 'the new' Paddy Casey", in reference to another Irish singer/songwriter who was enjoying vast countrywide success at that time.

Things began to change a couple of years back, as a host of new bands began bubbling up from the underground and the public reached the inevitable saturation point with the genre.

Disinterest soon grew to backlash, as evidenced by the couple of dozen fans that showed up for an instore gig at Dublin's Tower Records, to launch Casey's third album, Addicted To Company Part 1, something that must be framed in the fact that his previous records moved an astounding 250,000+ units in Ireland.

Far from the halcyon days earlier in the decade, it seemed that singer/songwriters were in undeniable decline, swept aside by an increasingly divergent set of acts that were, in many cases, set up as a direct response to the singer/songwriter movement.

Nowadays, an individual strolling across the venue towards the microphone, armed only with a guitar, often does so to a smattering of sighs from a restless Irish crowd, who previously would have whooped and hollered at the sight.

Aside from celebrated and innovative names like Damien Dempsey, Stupid Kid, Fionn Regan and a few others, it appears that many Irish have fallen out of love with the singer/songwriter.

Lisa Hannigan, however, is bucking this trend as she reinvigorates the genre in Ireland, with a combination of originality, enthusiasm and the kind of talent that has people using the term "international breakthrough artist".

Even more remarkably, she has managed this breakthrough after climbing out from under the daunting shadow of one of Ireland's genuine global superstars: Damien Rice.

Raised in Kilcloon, Co. Meath, Hannigan fell in love with music early on, whether it was playing a fairy on the Christmas tree for the school play, or spending long family drives down to West Cork duetting with her mother, as the two sang along to albums by everyone from Nina Simone and Joni Mitchell, to Queen and Paul Simon.

In her own words: "Mine was a very, very small voice. And I only sort of got loud when I discovered microphones. And then only very small roles, I'd be in the chorus. And loved it, but I wasn't the lead. I wasn't Eliza Doolittle at any point. I was the urchin. Second urchin with candle."

Her appreciation for music grew with her first album purchase, Michael Jackson's Bad, but especially when she discovered famed singer, Maria Callas.

Enchanted, Hannigan dedicated hours of her time to emulating the opera star's singing style but soon realized that her voice was not born for that genre and, though her love of music continued, she never seriously considered it as a career move from this point.

Instead, she found another outlet for her artistic expression, going on to study Art History in Trinity College, Dublin.

Surrounded by artists of all kinds in Dublin, Hannigan struck up a friendship with Damien Rice in 2001, after the latter had just endured the acrimonious breakup of his band, Juniper, who were at one point considered to be the hottest act in Irish rock music.

Forgoing the indie formula, Rice settled on a more restrained format and, after some persuasion, talked his new friend into joining him on stage and assisting on vocals, for one of Rice's performances in Dublin venue, Whelan's.

By her own admission, she wasn't very good as - chastened by nerves - she stared nervously at the floor, sheepishly delivering lyrics, but Rice evidently saw a diamond in the rough, as he invited her to become a full time member of his band.

The rest, as they say, was history, as Rice's debut album, O, went on to sell millions of copies around the globe, and many wondered as to the identity of the captivating female voice that added perfect counterpoint to Rice's impassioned singing.

The next couple of years were spent traveling the world, playing to packed houses, as Rice and - to a lesser extent - Hannigan herself, became stars with international reputations.

In between, she became a sought-out talent in her own right, adding vocals to tracks by The Frames, the aforementioned Mic Christopher and Herbie Hancock.

As time went on, she expanded her role within the band, playing guitar and bass, and even sitting in for a stint on the drums, when Rice played Glastonbury in 2003.

When not out on the road, she often returned to her art and began acting, appearing across Ireland in a production of Jessamyn Fiore's play, The Mysterious Worlds Of Birds.

Her work with Rice, however, remained the focal point of her career and the band were back out on the road touring again, with the release of Rice's follow-up, 9, which featured Hannigan on several tracks, even providing the lead vocal for comeback single, 9 Crimes.

Despite the pleasant outward appearances, things were not right inside the band, as rumors of rows began percolating out into the public domain, but it nonetheless came as somewhat of a shock when Rice posted the following, somewhat clinical, statement on his website in March of 2007: "After much thought and discussion Damien has decided that his professional relationship with Lisa Hannigan has run its creative course. As a result Lisa will not be appearing at any of the upcoming live shows. Lisa is embarking on her own artistic endeavors and there are no plans for them to work together in the foreseeable future."

Given the stature of Rice's star, and the fact that he had been the driving force behind two successful acts, many openly wondered if Hannigan would now fade away into obscurity, but such speculation only served to underestimate the breadth of her talent and the level of her commitment.

Gathering together with friends Tom Osander (drums), Shane Fitzsimmons (bass) and Donagh Molloy (trumpet), the group spent the next several months working on self-penned tracks that Hannigan had labored on all through her time with Rice.

In what she nobly refers to as "a total team effort", the four musicians, along with cameos from other Irish luminaries such as Cathy Davey and Gavin Glass, entered a Dublin recording studio and laid down the essence of her album in 14 days, under the guiding eye of engineer, Jason Boshoff.

Sea Sew appeared on shelves three weeks ago and has been gathering a head of steam ever since, as the seductive gratification of its folk-pop gently works its charms on critics and punters alike.

At the center of proceedings stands her voice, which remains one of the most alluring vocals in the business, given tasteful, tactful and delicate accompaniment in a host of beautifully arranged tracks.

Her vocals have become even more accomplished, as she ebbs and flows with the mood of the songs, offering more range and emotion than ever before, on an album that will surely prove to be her ticket to the big game, particularly given the recent success of innovative folksters like Noah And The Whale and Johnny Flynn.

In fact, the leap has already started, as she has already toured the US several times and is set to do so again, as the support for up-and-coming US artist, Jason Mraz, for 42 dates this fall.

In one fell swoop, Lisa Hannigan, has proven that she belongs completely, on her own terms and that, far from fading into the background, her star is beginning to shine more brightly than ever before.