Showing posts with label declan o'rourke. Show all posts
Showing posts with label declan o'rourke. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 12, 2014
Friday, November 22, 2013
Thursday, November 21, 2013
GLEN HANSARD ON DECLAN O'ROURKE: "ONE OF THE TRUE GREATS"
O'ROURKE LAUNCHES EAST COAST TOUR DECEMBER 3
This week, Oscar- and Tony-Award winner and composer of the
hit Broadway musical Once, Glen Hansard weighed in on Declan O'Rourke, saying,
"Declan O'Rourke is one of the rare breed, he arrived fully formed, his
songs, and delivery belie his age, and ours. He's a timeless troubadour with a
voice that breaks through all your defenses and gets to the heart of the
matter. One of the true greats of our island."
O'Rourke will kick off an east coast tour on December 3 as
others have sung his praises from NPR World Café, which tabbed him a
"Next" artist, to USA Today, which said, "The Irish balladeer's
storytelling skills shine."
Travel + Leisure premiered the "Time Machine"
video.
Declan O'Rourke December East Coast Tour Dates
December 3 - Tellus 360 - Lancaster, PA
December 4 – Passim - Cambridge, MA
December 6 - The Cutting Room - New York, NY
December 7 - Divinity Lutheran Church - Baltimore, MD
Thursday, November 14, 2013
NPR WORLD CAFÉ "NEXT" ARTIST DECLAN O'ROURKE TO HEADLINE THE CUTTING ROOM DECEMBER 6 ON WAVE OF ACCLAIM FROM USA TODAY, SPIN, TRAVEL + LEISURE
JOHN PRINE CALLS HIM "A GREAT SONGWRITER"
Next artist on NPR World Café and Irish singer-songwriter Declan O'Rourke will headline the Cutting Room December 6. His US debut album 'Mag Pai Zai' (Rimecoat / Missing Piece) has earned acclaim from the likes of USA Today, SPIN, Travel + Leisure, and beyond. NPR World Café host David Dye says, "It is definitely time for this music to cross the ocean... O'Rourke has a penchant for writing about love and history with equal amounts of ease and gravity."
Watch the "Time Machine" video.
The legendary John Prine – for whom O'Rourke has opened – said this month, "Declan O' Rourke is a great songwriter. He is a fine fellow too and I believe the missing link to the Inkspots."
WHO: Rimecoat / Missing Piece Records Artist Declan O'Rourke
WHAT: Headlining Concert
WHEN: 6:30pm, December 6, 2013
WHERE: The Cutting Room, 44 E 32nd St, NYC
TICKETS: TBA
"Compassion, romance, a sense of mortality, and a sense of history run through the songs of Declan O'Rourke… his calling is as a balladeer, proffering reassurance in the face of inevitable sorrow." – Jon Pareles, NY Times
"Declan O'Rourke is long overdue for a stateside breakthrough." – Luke McCormick, SPIN
"The Irish balladeer's storytelling skills shine." – Edna Gundersen, USA Today,
"Warm, enveloping voice." – Eric Danton, Wall Street Journal
"Classic crooning sound." – Nate Storey, Travel + Leisure
"Greatness... A listen to a song like 'Time Machine,' 'Caterpillar DNA' or 'Langley's Requiem' is to feel a biting wind blow right through you, and have you reaching for the first warmth available. Heaviness has never had a better home."– Bill Bentley, Morton Report
"Be warned: O’Rourke isn’t just another balladeer with an acoustic guitar. His voice, lyrics and arrangements have distinct impact." – Chuck Campbell, Knoxville News-Sentinel
Next artist on NPR World Café and Irish singer-songwriter Declan O'Rourke will headline the Cutting Room December 6. His US debut album 'Mag Pai Zai' (Rimecoat / Missing Piece) has earned acclaim from the likes of USA Today, SPIN, Travel + Leisure, and beyond. NPR World Café host David Dye says, "It is definitely time for this music to cross the ocean... O'Rourke has a penchant for writing about love and history with equal amounts of ease and gravity."
Watch the "Time Machine" video.
The legendary John Prine – for whom O'Rourke has opened – said this month, "Declan O' Rourke is a great songwriter. He is a fine fellow too and I believe the missing link to the Inkspots."
WHO: Rimecoat / Missing Piece Records Artist Declan O'Rourke
WHAT: Headlining Concert
WHEN: 6:30pm, December 6, 2013
WHERE: The Cutting Room, 44 E 32nd St, NYC
TICKETS: TBA
"Compassion, romance, a sense of mortality, and a sense of history run through the songs of Declan O'Rourke… his calling is as a balladeer, proffering reassurance in the face of inevitable sorrow." – Jon Pareles, NY Times
"Declan O'Rourke is long overdue for a stateside breakthrough." – Luke McCormick, SPIN
"The Irish balladeer's storytelling skills shine." – Edna Gundersen, USA Today,
"Warm, enveloping voice." – Eric Danton, Wall Street Journal
"Classic crooning sound." – Nate Storey, Travel + Leisure
"Greatness... A listen to a song like 'Time Machine,' 'Caterpillar DNA' or 'Langley's Requiem' is to feel a biting wind blow right through you, and have you reaching for the first warmth available. Heaviness has never had a better home."– Bill Bentley, Morton Report
"Be warned: O’Rourke isn’t just another balladeer with an acoustic guitar. His voice, lyrics and arrangements have distinct impact." – Chuck Campbell, Knoxville News-Sentinel
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
NPR World Cafe, USA Today Tout Declan O'Rourke As Travel + Leisure Premieres Lush Music Video
NPR WORLD CAFÉ NEXT FEATURES DECLAN O'ROURKE AS ACCLAIM MOUNTS FROM USA TODAY & SPIN
TRAVEL + LEISURE PREMIERES NEW MUSIC VIDEO "TIME MACHINE" FILMED IN RURAL IRELAND
Declan O'Rourke – who made his US debut with the stunning new album 'Mag Pai Zai' (Rimecoat / Missing Piece) – was last week's featured Next artist on NPR World Café.
World Café host David Dye says, "It is definitely time for this music to cross the ocean... O'Rourke has a penchant for writing about love and history with equal amounts of ease and gravity."
Today, Travel + Leisure premiered the new video for "Time Machine," gorgeously filmed in rural Ireland and featuring O'Rourke's nephews as stand-ins for his younger self. In the piece, he talks about how a priest gifted him his first guitar in Melbourne, Australia.
Other acclaim has come in from a variety of critics, including USA Today, in which he was featured on a Playlist alongside major stars like Neko Case, Nine Inch Nails, Lorde, Drake, Lupe Fiasco, and Nirvana.
Acclaim for 'Mag Pai Zai'
"Compassion, romance, a sense of mortality, and a sense of history run through the songs of Declan O'Rourke… his calling is as a balladeer, proffering reassurance in the face of inevitable sorrow." – Jon Pareles, NY Times
"Declan O'Rourke is long overdue for a stateside breakthrough." – Luke McCormick, SPIN
"The Irish balladeer's storytelling skills shine." – Edna Gundersen, USA Today,
"Warm, enveloping voice." – Eric Danton, Wall Street Journal
"Classic crooing sound." – Nate Storey, Travel + Leisure
"Greatness... A listen to a song like 'Time Machine,' 'Caterpillar DNA' or 'Langley's Requiem' is to feel a biting wind blow right through you, and have you reaching for the first warmth available. Heaviness has never had a better home."– Bill Bentley, Morton Report
"Be warned: O’Rourke isn’t just another balladeer with an acoustic guitar. His voice, lyrics and arrangements have distinct impact." – Chuck Campbell, Knoxville News-Sentinel
TRAVEL + LEISURE PREMIERES NEW MUSIC VIDEO "TIME MACHINE" FILMED IN RURAL IRELAND
Declan O'Rourke – who made his US debut with the stunning new album 'Mag Pai Zai' (Rimecoat / Missing Piece) – was last week's featured Next artist on NPR World Café.
World Café host David Dye says, "It is definitely time for this music to cross the ocean... O'Rourke has a penchant for writing about love and history with equal amounts of ease and gravity."
Today, Travel + Leisure premiered the new video for "Time Machine," gorgeously filmed in rural Ireland and featuring O'Rourke's nephews as stand-ins for his younger self. In the piece, he talks about how a priest gifted him his first guitar in Melbourne, Australia.
Other acclaim has come in from a variety of critics, including USA Today, in which he was featured on a Playlist alongside major stars like Neko Case, Nine Inch Nails, Lorde, Drake, Lupe Fiasco, and Nirvana.
Acclaim for 'Mag Pai Zai'
"Compassion, romance, a sense of mortality, and a sense of history run through the songs of Declan O'Rourke… his calling is as a balladeer, proffering reassurance in the face of inevitable sorrow." – Jon Pareles, NY Times
"Declan O'Rourke is long overdue for a stateside breakthrough." – Luke McCormick, SPIN
"The Irish balladeer's storytelling skills shine." – Edna Gundersen, USA Today,
"Warm, enveloping voice." – Eric Danton, Wall Street Journal
"Classic crooing sound." – Nate Storey, Travel + Leisure
"Greatness... A listen to a song like 'Time Machine,' 'Caterpillar DNA' or 'Langley's Requiem' is to feel a biting wind blow right through you, and have you reaching for the first warmth available. Heaviness has never had a better home."– Bill Bentley, Morton Report
"Be warned: O’Rourke isn’t just another balladeer with an acoustic guitar. His voice, lyrics and arrangements have distinct impact." – Chuck Campbell, Knoxville News-Sentinel
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
AS SPIN, NY TIMES WEIGH IN, DECLAN O'ROURKE'S US DEBUT 'MAG PAI ZAI' OUT DIGITALLY THIS WEEK, ON PHYSICAL CD OCTOBER 8
O'ROURKE PLAYS NYC'S CUTTING ROOM TONIGHT
Declan O'Rourke – the songwriter who has had three top albums in Ireland – is about to make his US debut with 'Mag Pai Zai.' He has opened for Bob Dylan, Snow Patrol, and John Prine and shared the stage with Bono. 'Mag Pai Zai' earned him comparisons to Glen Hansard, Sondre Lerche, Ron Sexsmith, and Rufus Wainwright. 'Mag Pai Zai,' out this week in digital download and out October 8 in brick and mortar stores, has brought O'Rourke acclaim from several outlets and a certain influential rocker:
"Compassion, romance, a sense of mortality, and a sense of history run through the songs of Declan O'Rourke… his calling is as a balladeer, proffering reassurance in the face of inevitable sorrow." – NY Times
"Declan O'Rourke is long overdue for a stateside breakthrough." – SPIN
"Warm, enveloping voice." – Wall Street Journal
"He writes the sort of classic songs that people don’t write anymore, songs that sound like they’ve been around forever." – Paul Weller
Hear 'Mag Pai Zai' in its entirety at American Songwriter.
Declan O'Rourke – the songwriter who has had three top albums in Ireland – is about to make his US debut with 'Mag Pai Zai.' He has opened for Bob Dylan, Snow Patrol, and John Prine and shared the stage with Bono. 'Mag Pai Zai' earned him comparisons to Glen Hansard, Sondre Lerche, Ron Sexsmith, and Rufus Wainwright. 'Mag Pai Zai,' out this week in digital download and out October 8 in brick and mortar stores, has brought O'Rourke acclaim from several outlets and a certain influential rocker:
"Compassion, romance, a sense of mortality, and a sense of history run through the songs of Declan O'Rourke… his calling is as a balladeer, proffering reassurance in the face of inevitable sorrow." – NY Times
"Declan O'Rourke is long overdue for a stateside breakthrough." – SPIN
"Warm, enveloping voice." – Wall Street Journal
"He writes the sort of classic songs that people don’t write anymore, songs that sound like they’ve been around forever." – Paul Weller
Hear 'Mag Pai Zai' in its entirety at American Songwriter.
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
Declan O'Rourke "Lightning Bird Wind River Man" music video
From 'Mag Pai Zai'
Rimecoat / Missing Piece Records
Out Sept 24 digital / Oct 8 physical
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
TALE OF RECLUSIVE MID-CENTURY NYC HOARDERS INSPIRES DECLAN O'ROURKE'S "LANGLEY'S REQUIEM" ON US DEBUT 'MAG PAI ZAI'
The tale of Langley and Homer Collyer, eccentric brothers who died 1947,
inspired one of the most poignant songs on Declan O'Rourke's new album
'Mag Pai Zai.' "The plaintive piano-based song is an ode to brothers,
co-written incidentally with my own brother, Edward," says the Irish
top-ten songwriter. The Collyer brothers collected over 130 tons of
objects that crowded their Harlem, Manhattan brownstone. After Homer
went blind in the early 1930s, Langley took care of him, meanwhile
devising elaborate traps to keep burglars and bill collectors alike out
of their house and protect his collections.
O'Rourke says, "There was an eeriness to it that warranted further investigation. Most articles I read were focused on their obsessive compulsive disorder but I was interested by the bond between the brothers." Ultimately, one of Langley's own booby traps fell on him while he was crawling through a tunnel in his house, immobilizing him, and he was unable to feed his brother. He continues, "Somebody anonymously tipped off the police and they investigated it: it was a huge media circus. The police couldn't get in. There was a wall of stuff to stop their entry. It took 10 days of digging to get to the other guy."
O'Rourke new album 'Mag Pai Zai' – already top ten in Ireland – is his debut release in the States. It comes out September 24 via digital download and October 8 in stores. O'Rourke has earned comparisons to Glen Hansard, Ron Sexsmith, Rufus Wainwright, and Van Morrison.
Declan O'Rourke tour dates
September 21 – Philadelphia, PA – Tin Angel
September 22 – Hamden, CT – Ireland's Great Hunger Museum
September 25 – New York, NY – The Cutting Room
September 29 – Northampton, MA – Iron Horse Music Hall
O'Rourke says, "There was an eeriness to it that warranted further investigation. Most articles I read were focused on their obsessive compulsive disorder but I was interested by the bond between the brothers." Ultimately, one of Langley's own booby traps fell on him while he was crawling through a tunnel in his house, immobilizing him, and he was unable to feed his brother. He continues, "Somebody anonymously tipped off the police and they investigated it: it was a huge media circus. The police couldn't get in. There was a wall of stuff to stop their entry. It took 10 days of digging to get to the other guy."
O'Rourke new album 'Mag Pai Zai' – already top ten in Ireland – is his debut release in the States. It comes out September 24 via digital download and October 8 in stores. O'Rourke has earned comparisons to Glen Hansard, Ron Sexsmith, Rufus Wainwright, and Van Morrison.
Declan O'Rourke tour dates
September 21 – Philadelphia, PA – Tin Angel
September 22 – Hamden, CT – Ireland's Great Hunger Museum
September 25 – New York, NY – The Cutting Room
September 29 – Northampton, MA – Iron Horse Music Hall
Friday, August 30, 2013
Declan O'Rourke bio
“He writes the sort of classic songs that people don’t write anymore, songs that sound like they’ve been
around forever [...] Listen to Galileo, which is possibly the greatest song written in the last 30 years.”
- Paul Weller, Mojo Magazine (Apr 2012)
”To me, Declan is not a songwriter within the ordinary definition of the word. He is a sorcerer of songs, with
a Dickensian skill for finding the moment that details some aspect of our humanity.”
- Brendan Graham, Hot Press Magazine (Mar 2012)
"Declan O'Rourke is long overdue for a stateside breakthrough. The Dublin-based singer-songwriter has…a
way with words and strings that's earned him comparisons to Rufus Wainwright and Glen Hansard."
– Luke McCormick, SPIN Magazine (Sept 2013)
Declan O’Rourke was a latecomer to the Dublin singer-songwriter scene. But, in his mid-twenties, within
months of discovering Dublin’s bustling songwriter open-mic circuit, O’Rourke found himself in the mix with
the likes of Paddy Casey, Gemma Hayes, Damian Rice and many other Irish singer-songwriters.
In 2004, Declan released his debut album, Since Kyabram. ‘Galileo (Someone Like You),’ his debut single,
has been covered by numerous artists including Josh Groban, and performed by Paul Weller and Chris
Rea. Declan performed ‘Galileo’ at the 25th Anniversary Gala Celebration of Ireland’s National Concert Hall
before the President of Ireland, at the opening ceremony of the Solheim Cup 2011, and earlier this year at
the BBC ‘Proms in the Park’ with the Ulster Orchestra in Belfast.
Such was the critical and commercial success of Since Kyabram in Ireland that it opened the doors for him
internationally, earning him plaudits from the likes of Snow Patrol, Kate Rusby and DJs Jonathan Ross and
Edith Bowman, each of whom were rapturous in their praise of Declan’s deep-honey voice and astute song
writing abilities.
His follow-up album in 2007, Big Bad Beautiful World, easily consolidated his appeal in Ireland and also with
his growing list of well-connected champions. Support slots followed in the UK and Europe to the likes of
Paulo Nutini, Snow Patrol, Teddy Thompson, The Cardigans, Badly Drawn Boy, Divine Comedy and Paul
Brady.
Earlier in 2011, O’Rourke joined a stellar line up of artists that included Alison Krauss, Jerry Douglas and
Amos Lee for Transatlantic Sessions Series 5, broadcast on the BBC2, BBC4 and RTE1. Declan was also
a featured artist at the Transatlantic Sessions Live Tour 2012, encompassing the Royal Festival Hall in
London, Birmingham Symphony Hall and Glasgow Concert Hall, among other prestigious venues in the UK
and Ireland.
O’Rourke originall released Mag Pai Zai, his third album, in Europe on his own Rimecoat label in April ’11. It
managed to top the success of Declan’s first two albums, holding its own in Ireland’s Top 10 Album Chart for
four consecutive weeks. ‘A Little Something,’ the album’s debut single climbed to the no. 2 spot in the Today
FM Top 40. Mag Pai Zai was Album of the Week on BBC Radio Scotland. Both singles, ‘A Little Something,’
and ‘Time Machine’ were Today FM Single of the Week on Ian Dempsey’s Breakfast Show.
Mag Pai Zai was released in the US in September of 2013 via Rimecoat/Missing Piece Records; the album
has garnered high praise from US media, including Spin Magazine, the Wall St Journal, NPR’s World Café,
and other outlets. This marks the first Declan album to get an official US release, and serves as another
milestone in his growing career.
O’Rourke’s songs have been recorded by a host of highly-respected, successful artists. ‘Galileo (Someone
Like You)’ was recorded by Josh Groban for his fifth studio album, Illuminations, produced by Rick Rubin. It
has also been recorded by Eddi Reader (MBE), the Scottish songstress widely known for her No. 1 UK
hit ‘It’s Got To Be Perfect.’ Jacqui Dankworth, daughter of Jazz legends Cleo Laine and Sir John Dankworth,
recorded the song for her second album Back to You. Brian Kennedy, The Celtic Tenors, Paul Byrom,
amongst others, have all recorded ‘Galileo’.
O’Rourke’s song ‘A Little Something’ was recorded by Swedish pop sensation Peter Jöback, for his
Scandinavian Top 5-selling album East-Side Stories in 2008. Eddi Reader recorded his ‘Love is the Way’ as
the title-track for his latest album. Reader’s recording of ‘Love is the Way’ was used in Disney’s Christmas
commercial campaign on Disney Channel UK and Ireland.
In December 2011, O’Rourke appeared as a special guest on ‘For One Night Only,’ a TV special celebrating
the 50th anniversary of legendary Irish band ‘The Dubliners.’ His recent Christmas tour encompassed a full-
house performance at Dublin’s famed Olympia Theatre which was filmed for release as a limited-edition
DVD in 2012.
April 2012′s edition of Mojo Magazine featured a compilation album of ‘Modfather’ Paul Weller’s favourite
songs, which included Declan’s song ‘Sarah (Last Night in a Dream.)
In June 2012, Declan took part in Electric Burma, a gala concert celebrating Burmese humanitarian Aung
San Suu Kyi, alongside Bono, Bob Geldof, Damian Rice and Vanessa Redgrave, amongst others.
around forever [...] Listen to Galileo, which is possibly the greatest song written in the last 30 years.”
- Paul Weller, Mojo Magazine (Apr 2012)
”To me, Declan is not a songwriter within the ordinary definition of the word. He is a sorcerer of songs, with
a Dickensian skill for finding the moment that details some aspect of our humanity.”
- Brendan Graham, Hot Press Magazine (Mar 2012)
"Declan O'Rourke is long overdue for a stateside breakthrough. The Dublin-based singer-songwriter has…a
way with words and strings that's earned him comparisons to Rufus Wainwright and Glen Hansard."
– Luke McCormick, SPIN Magazine (Sept 2013)
Declan O’Rourke was a latecomer to the Dublin singer-songwriter scene. But, in his mid-twenties, within
months of discovering Dublin’s bustling songwriter open-mic circuit, O’Rourke found himself in the mix with
the likes of Paddy Casey, Gemma Hayes, Damian Rice and many other Irish singer-songwriters.
In 2004, Declan released his debut album, Since Kyabram. ‘Galileo (Someone Like You),’ his debut single,
has been covered by numerous artists including Josh Groban, and performed by Paul Weller and Chris
Rea. Declan performed ‘Galileo’ at the 25th Anniversary Gala Celebration of Ireland’s National Concert Hall
before the President of Ireland, at the opening ceremony of the Solheim Cup 2011, and earlier this year at
the BBC ‘Proms in the Park’ with the Ulster Orchestra in Belfast.
Such was the critical and commercial success of Since Kyabram in Ireland that it opened the doors for him
internationally, earning him plaudits from the likes of Snow Patrol, Kate Rusby and DJs Jonathan Ross and
Edith Bowman, each of whom were rapturous in their praise of Declan’s deep-honey voice and astute song
writing abilities.
His follow-up album in 2007, Big Bad Beautiful World, easily consolidated his appeal in Ireland and also with
his growing list of well-connected champions. Support slots followed in the UK and Europe to the likes of
Paulo Nutini, Snow Patrol, Teddy Thompson, The Cardigans, Badly Drawn Boy, Divine Comedy and Paul
Brady.
Earlier in 2011, O’Rourke joined a stellar line up of artists that included Alison Krauss, Jerry Douglas and
Amos Lee for Transatlantic Sessions Series 5, broadcast on the BBC2, BBC4 and RTE1. Declan was also
a featured artist at the Transatlantic Sessions Live Tour 2012, encompassing the Royal Festival Hall in
London, Birmingham Symphony Hall and Glasgow Concert Hall, among other prestigious venues in the UK
and Ireland.
O’Rourke originall released Mag Pai Zai, his third album, in Europe on his own Rimecoat label in April ’11. It
managed to top the success of Declan’s first two albums, holding its own in Ireland’s Top 10 Album Chart for
four consecutive weeks. ‘A Little Something,’ the album’s debut single climbed to the no. 2 spot in the Today
FM Top 40. Mag Pai Zai was Album of the Week on BBC Radio Scotland. Both singles, ‘A Little Something,’
and ‘Time Machine’ were Today FM Single of the Week on Ian Dempsey’s Breakfast Show.
Mag Pai Zai was released in the US in September of 2013 via Rimecoat/Missing Piece Records; the album
has garnered high praise from US media, including Spin Magazine, the Wall St Journal, NPR’s World Café,
and other outlets. This marks the first Declan album to get an official US release, and serves as another
milestone in his growing career.
O’Rourke’s songs have been recorded by a host of highly-respected, successful artists. ‘Galileo (Someone
Like You)’ was recorded by Josh Groban for his fifth studio album, Illuminations, produced by Rick Rubin. It
has also been recorded by Eddi Reader (MBE), the Scottish songstress widely known for her No. 1 UK
hit ‘It’s Got To Be Perfect.’ Jacqui Dankworth, daughter of Jazz legends Cleo Laine and Sir John Dankworth,
recorded the song for her second album Back to You. Brian Kennedy, The Celtic Tenors, Paul Byrom,
amongst others, have all recorded ‘Galileo’.
O’Rourke’s song ‘A Little Something’ was recorded by Swedish pop sensation Peter Jöback, for his
Scandinavian Top 5-selling album East-Side Stories in 2008. Eddi Reader recorded his ‘Love is the Way’ as
the title-track for his latest album. Reader’s recording of ‘Love is the Way’ was used in Disney’s Christmas
commercial campaign on Disney Channel UK and Ireland.
In December 2011, O’Rourke appeared as a special guest on ‘For One Night Only,’ a TV special celebrating
the 50th anniversary of legendary Irish band ‘The Dubliners.’ His recent Christmas tour encompassed a full-
house performance at Dublin’s famed Olympia Theatre which was filmed for release as a limited-edition
DVD in 2012.
April 2012′s edition of Mojo Magazine featured a compilation album of ‘Modfather’ Paul Weller’s favourite
songs, which included Declan’s song ‘Sarah (Last Night in a Dream.)
In June 2012, Declan took part in Electric Burma, a gala concert celebrating Burmese humanitarian Aung
San Suu Kyi, alongside Bono, Bob Geldof, Damian Rice and Vanessa Redgrave, amongst others.
Monday, August 26, 2013
PAUL WELLER ON DECLAN O'ROURKE & "THE GREATEST SONG WRITTEN IN THE LAST 30 YEARS"
Among Declan O'Rourke's famous fans is Jam legend Paul
Weller, who told MOJO Magazine last year, "He writes the sort of classic
songs that people don’t write anymore, songs that sound like they’ve been
around forever [...] Listen to Galileo, which is possibly the greatest song
written in the last 30 years."
O'Rourke's new album 'Mag Pai Zai,' already a top ten hit in
Ireland, will come out in the US October 8. A live version of
"Galileo" is a bonus track on the US release.
"Be Brave and Believe" music video.
Tour dates in NYC, Philadelphia, Northampton, and CT.
Friday, August 23, 2013
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
"WARM, ENVELOPING VOICE" (WSJ) OF "BALLADEER" (NY TIMES) DECLAN O'ROURKE COMING TO CUTTING ROOM SEPT 25 FOR 'MAG PAI ZAI' (RIMECOAT / MISSING PIECE RECORDS) US ALBUM RELEASE CONCERT
RETURN PERFORMANCE AFTER SEVEN SOLD OUT NIGHTS IN SPRING
Irish top ten vocalist Declan O'Rourke will perform an album
release show for 'Mag Pai Zai' at the Cutting Room in NYC on September 25. The
enchanting melodist's album will be released via digital download September 24
and nationally distributed on CD October 8. Paul Weller has said of O'Rourke, "He
writes the sort of classic songs that people don't write anymore, songs that
sound like they've been around forever." Last week, the Wall Street
Journal premiered the first song from 'Mag Pai Zai.'
Earlier this year, Jon Pareles reviewed O'Rourke's set for
the New York Times as part of the seven nights of sold out shows at the Irish
Arts Center in April: http://nyti.ms/10DGE7G
O'Rourke has opened for Bob Dylan and performed alongside
Bono.
"Be Brave And Believe" music video.
WHO: Irish Top 10 artist Declan O'Rourke
WHAT: NYC album release show for 'Mag Pai Zai'
WHEN: 8pm, Wednesday, September 25, 2013
WHERE: The Cutting Room, 44 E 32nd St
TICKETS: $20 in advance via Ticket Fly, $25 day of show at the door
TICKETS: $20 in advance via Ticket Fly, $25 day of show at the door
Thursday, August 15, 2013
US RELEASE SET FOR ARTIST DECLAN O'ROURKE'S IRISH TOP TEN ALBUM 'MAG PAI ZAI' ON RIMECOAT / MISSING PIECE RECORDS
NY TIMES: "HIS CALLING IS AS A BALLADEER"
PAUL WELLER ON O'ROURKE: "HE WRITES THE SORT OF CLASSIC SONGS THAT PEOPLE DON'T WRITE ANYMORE, SONGS THAT SOUND LIKE THEY'VE BEEN AROUND FOREVER."
WSJ PREMIERES 1ST SONG
Declan O'Rourke's 'Mag Pai Zai,' which rocketed to number six on the Albums Top 100 chart in Ireland, will be released in the US on Rimecoat / Missing Piece Records. Recalling the masterful melodic and vocal gifts of Rufus Wainwright, Harry Nilsson, and Van Morrison, the album will be released via digital download September 24 and distributed on CD October 8.
For the New York Times, Jon Pareles wrote, "Compassion,
romance, a sense of mortality and a sense of history run through the
songs of Declan O’Rourke... The gravity of unaccompanied traditional
Irish ballads — the deliberation in their melodies, their calmly
sustained phrases, their fatalistic undertone — informs his songs,
whether they’re about faithful love or reckoning with elemental forces."
The Wall Street Journal premiered the first track from 'Mag Pai Zai' today. Eric Danton praises O'Rourke's "warm, enveloping voice."
O'Rourke's song "Galileo (Someone Like You)" was recorded by Josh Groban on his album 'Illuminations,' which charted at number four on the Billboard 200 in the US. Growing up between Australia and Dublin, Ireland, O'Rourke has opened for Snow Patrol, Badly Drawn Boy, John Prine, and Weller. He has also performed on BBC2 and BBC4.
-->Interviewed in Hot Press, Brendan Graham, who penned the worldwide smash hit 'You Raise Me Up'said, "To me, Declan is not a songwriter
within the ordinary definition of the word. He is a sorcerer of songs,
with a Dickensian skill for finding the moment that details some aspect
of our humanity."
All Music Guide called 'Mag Pai Zai' "captivating."
US tour dates are in the works, including an NYC show.
'Mag Pai Zai' Track Listing
1. Time Machine
2. Slieve Bloom
3. Be Brave & Believe
4. Dancing Song
5. Caterpiller DNA
6. Lightning Bird Wind River Man
7. Langley's Requiem
8. A Little Something
9. The Hardest Fight
10. Orphan Wind Song
11. Galileo (live, bonus track)
12. Marrying the Sea (live, bonus track)
PAUL WELLER ON O'ROURKE: "HE WRITES THE SORT OF CLASSIC SONGS THAT PEOPLE DON'T WRITE ANYMORE, SONGS THAT SOUND LIKE THEY'VE BEEN AROUND FOREVER."
WSJ PREMIERES 1ST SONG
Declan O'Rourke's 'Mag Pai Zai,' which rocketed to number six on the Albums Top 100 chart in Ireland, will be released in the US on Rimecoat / Missing Piece Records. Recalling the masterful melodic and vocal gifts of Rufus Wainwright, Harry Nilsson, and Van Morrison, the album will be released via digital download September 24 and distributed on CD October 8.
The Wall Street Journal premiered the first track from 'Mag Pai Zai' today. Eric Danton praises O'Rourke's "warm, enveloping voice."
O'Rourke's song "Galileo (Someone Like You)" was recorded by Josh Groban on his album 'Illuminations,' which charted at number four on the Billboard 200 in the US. Growing up between Australia and Dublin, Ireland, O'Rourke has opened for Snow Patrol, Badly Drawn Boy, John Prine, and Weller. He has also performed on BBC2 and BBC4.
All Music Guide called 'Mag Pai Zai' "captivating."
US tour dates are in the works, including an NYC show.
'Mag Pai Zai' Track Listing
2. Slieve Bloom
3. Be Brave & Believe
4. Dancing Song
5. Caterpiller DNA
6. Lightning Bird Wind River Man
7. Langley's Requiem
8. A Little Something
9. The Hardest Fight
10. Orphan Wind Song
11. Galileo (live, bonus track)
12. Marrying the Sea (live, bonus track)
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
Monday, October 8, 2012
FOLLOWING EXPLORATIONS OF KLEZMER, AFRICAN MUSIC, CELTIC MUSIC, NEW YORKER & GRAMMY-WINNER SUSAN MCKEOWN DRAWS INSPIRATION, IMAGERY FROM NYC HOMETOWN
East Village resident and GRAMMY Award-winning songwriter
and vocalist Susan McKeown tips her cap to her longtime hometown of NYC with
several songs from the stunning new album 'Belong' (November 13), which marks
half of her life in the States.
"On The Bridge to Williamsburg" depicts two lovers
crossing the bridge as obstacles thrown in their path threaten to stop them
from reaching their destination together. McKeown says, "Some things are
obvious – it’s the not knowing that’s challenging." She poignantly sings
to both town and lover, "I've been here for long enough."
McKeown is joined on the song by "captivating"
(All Music Guide) Irish singer-songwriter Declan O’Rourke, who scored a double
platinum album in Ireland and has been covered by Eddie Vedder and Josh Groban.
Evoking Whitman in McKeown's writing, O'Rourke sings,
"Underneath the Brooklyn sky
Hand in hand just you and I
The ferry racing on the tide
The broken sugar factory sign"
Of the haunting "Lullaby of Manhattan," McKeown
says, "Broken delph, broken dreams: a domestic tale from the city that
never sleeps. Old Irish lullabies were rarely sugar, spice and all things nice,
and this urban one is no different."
"City of the Roses," featuring McKeown's East
Village neighbor Ray Santiago on piano, references Staten Island and New York
Harbor, discusses how we hold onto things for a long time: people, places,
events, keeping ourselves stuck.
Fellow New Yorkers: McKeown will play the Living Room
November 7 for a broadcast on SIRIUS XM The Loft.
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