COUNTY Clare has provided the inspiration for the latest single by singer songwriter Aoife Doyle.
Aoife has released Clare Sky, the second single from her upcoming album Infinitely Clear. The song is a folk infused lament set in the beautiful west coast of Clare. Originally from Bray, County Wicklow she moved to Liscannor in 2014.
“I wrote Clare Sky after a tragic incident that happened in the community. It’s a lament and a tribute to this magical place and the warmth of the people here. I have found great solace and peace on the West Coast of Ireland. With Clare Sky I’ve tried to paint a picture of the places I love the most.”
While she has been performing for many years, it was upon moving to the West Coast of Ireland that she found her songwriting voice.
“In Clare I had more quiet time to reflect. The lack of billboards, traffic and other superficial stimulation makes life a lot simpler. I think nature is the most primal form of creativity and living in the country and keeping a garden etc you’re seeing the cycle of creation from seed to plant to harvest. Watching this cycle has helped me greatly to understand the nature of creativity as well as the time, attention and care you have to give to gain a fruitful harvest. And this learning has facilitated my songwriting.”
She grew up in a house steeped in traditional and folk music, and completed a BA in jazz performance at the prestigious Newpark Music Centre, and an MA in Songwriting at the World Academy of Music and Dance in UL in 2018/2019.
She cites a wide and varied range of musical influences including Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holiday, Alison Krauss and Eva Cassidy, as well as Marvin Gaye, Tammy Tyrell, Joni Mitchell, Beyoncé, Declan O’Rourke, Ger Wolfe and Bjork, and echoes of this mix come through to various extents on different tracks on the album.
“When it came to writing this album, I was trying to push myself beyond my comfort zone. The writing itself is quite instinctive, so there wasn’t an overall plan to step away from jazz, it just sort of came out that way. My first two albums have elements of folk, soul and blues so I guess a step further in that direction isn’t all that surprising.”
Clare Sky was produced by the highly-regarded musician, arranger and producer Michael Buckley, as was the album, “one of my best musical decisions”. Doyle is joined by a stellar band on the track, featuring some of Ireland’s most in-demand musicians including pianist Johnny Taylor, guitarist Jack Maher, bassist Andrew Csibi and drummer Dominic Mullan.
Clare Sky, recorded at House of Horns studio in Dublin, is now available on Bandcamp, Spotify, Apple Music and Aoife’s website www.aoifedoyle.com
Aoife’s previous releases have received airplay on RTE Lyric FM, RTE Radio 1, Dublin City FM, 2fm, BBC Radio and many more.