EP60 - Declan O‘Rourke - Singer-Songwriter - ”He went off, like a rocket touched...”

Declan O'Rourke has been a favourite of mine since hearing a
recommendation from Paul Weller for the song Galileo (Someone
Like You) and the debut album, Since Kyabram back in 2004.


In our chat, we dig in to some incredible stories behind his
songs and process from the move to Australia as a young man to
his return to Ireland aged 24 and how he landed in the middle of
a fiercely creative music scene in Dublin that was the fertile
breeding ground for the likes of Glen Hansard/The Frames, Paddy
Casey, Gemma Hayes, Damien Rice, Lisa Hannigan, and many more.


It was a real highlight to also properly chat about his magical
new LP - Arrivals - which was released in April 2021.


The most emotionally raw and affecting album of his career, was
recorded over six days at Paul Weller's HQ - Black Barn studios
in Surrey, with Weller producing (‘he was there every moment,
before, during and long after, discussing ideas about this and
that, even down to the artwork. It was hugely impressive…’).


The sound is stripped back to Declan’s soulful and resonant
voice, the virtuosic acoustic guitar playing for which he’s
renowned and only the occasional sparse arrangement of strings
and late-night drums bringing colour and light to the LP’s 10
songs. Paul also adds his multi-instrumental abilities to the
recordings, including a beautiful piano accompaniment to the
closing track.


Find out more about Declan - including tour dates, LP releases,
newsletter sign up and his first novel - The Pawn Brokers Reward
on his website declanorourke.com


Enjoy the podcast - share it on social media - and then dive in
to his sensational back-catalogue.


2004 - Since Kyabram2007 - Big Bad Beautiful World2011 - Mag Pai
Zai2015 - Gold Bars in the Sun2016 - In Full Colour 2017 -
Chronicles of the Great Irish Famine 2021 - Arrivals


Thanks for listening - make sure that you subscribe / follow and
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financially, you can buy me a virtual coffee via the link below
(£3)


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