FEATURE:
Spotlight
I am going to quote are from around 2020 and 2021, I think that is very much worth spotlighting the wonderful Lucy Gaffney. The Belfast artist is proudly putting Irish music on the map. Showing there is incredible strength and quality coming from there. I will use this feature to highlight some interviews where we learn more about a truly remarkable young artist who everyone needs to know about. Her latest single, Next Year, shows why she is such a special and instantly memorable songwriter! Gifted with a sublime voice and a wonderful songwriting ear and eye, her music is unforgettable! I am going to start with this biography about the sensational Lucy Gaffney:
“'Celestial' - Liam Gallagher
'A superstar in waiting' - This Feeling
'Seriously great record' - Huw Stephens/BBC Radio 1
Hailing from Belfast, Irish singer-songwriter Lucy Gaffney’s music conveys an abundance of hypnotic and sensuous charm with vocals that flow effortlessly over laid-back brooding lo-fi rock, enveloped in a bohemian haze.
Recent single ‘Easy Come Easy Go’ captures your attention from the first note. It invites you into a world that preaches of the beauty in the mundane, everyday loneliness and coping with the anxieties of the unforeseen. It takes you on a journey immersed in distortion-driven guitars reminiscent of the Pixies that counter low evocative conversation in Lucy’s voice. Tilting a cap towards Elliot Smith, Lucy’s vocals evoke a warmth, longing and urgency that sparkle with a glimmer of hope from beginning to end. Lucy recorded the track in her home-studio in Liverpool in 2021 and it was produced by her brother Thom Southern.
Lucy Gaffney began her solo career at the beginning of 2020. Penned in Liverpool, her debut singles ‘Can’t Escape’ and ‘Send Me Away’ were produced by The Coral frontman James Skelly and immediately caught the attention of Ireland’s most influential, with Hot Press Magazine saying Gaffney “has emerged as one of the country’s most promising indie-pop prospects” and the iconic Liam Gallagher calling her music “celestial”.
Big supporters at radio have come in the form of BBC Radio Ulster, BBC Across The Line, BBC Radio 1, BBC Introducing Merseyside, RTE Radio 1, RTE 2FM, Radio X, NPO 3FM and KINK. Lucy has opened for DMAs, Bill Ryder-Jones and Sorcha Richardson in her short career to date - summer 2022 will see her biggest performance yet opening for Ryan McMullan at Belfast’s 5,000 capacity Custom House Square”.
I do hope that Lucy Gaffney gets the opportunity to perform in the U.K. (especially London). I know there are a lot of her fans down here that would love to see her on the stage. I think one of the most striking and notable aspects of Lucy Gaffney’s music is the sense of atmosphere. You get songs filled with wind, weather and the wild. Dreamy vocals with something more stirring. Such a varied and instinctive artist, Gaffney stands out from a wave of songwriters this year. Because of that, she is going to enjoy a very long and successful career! I am going to include a recent feature where Gaffney chose albums that are influential to her. There are some pleasant surprises in the mix! I am going to start out with this Fred Perry question-and-answer:
“Describe your style in three words?
Comfy, chilled, casual.
What’s the best gig you’ve ever been to?
Queens Of The Stone Age - Reading & Leeds Festival 2016, it was the first time I got up on someone’s shoulders and the sun was setting throughout the whole gig and the sky was bright orange, absolute vibes.
If you could be on the line up with any two artists in history?
Nirvana and Elliot Smith. I guess there’s something magic in the fact that I’ll physically never be able to witness either of those musicians play live, makes them even more special and genius. I seriously can’t imagine what seeing them must have felt like.
Which subcultures have influenced you?
From growing up and discovering new genres of music and art, I definitely have taken a pinch of a lot of different subcultures into my style and my tastes. The mods always resonated with me, especially when I discovered The Who and The Jam as a teenager but I don’t think I could ever fully commit to the essence of it all though. I also always wanted to be a grunger but I doubt I’m cool enough haha. I went through a mad '60s phase at one point too, I wanted to be Nico, flares, fringe, pea coat, deadpan vocals. I still really love all that, it never goes out of style.
If you could spend an hour with anyone from history?
David Bowie - I was gutted when he passed away, I remember that day I sat and watched all his interviews online. He’s just so down to earth and suave. Also, he’s got some great one-liners, I’d probably spend the whole hour laughing at his jokes.
Of all the venues you’ve been to or played, which is your favourite?
The Olympia Theatre in Dublin. It’s always been a mega gig and night for me there, and the backstage area is class.
Your greatest unsung hero or heroine in music?
Chrissy Hynde from the Pretenders. I’m not sure if she’s unsung. But she’s an absolute legend in rock music. Her voice and presence on stage is second to none. She could compete with any man in rock n roll. I hung out with her backstage after a Neil Young gig in Dublin and we chatted through the night, she’s the most supportive and cool person I’ve ever met, an absolute legend.
The first track you played on repeat?
'Walk On The Wild Side' by Lou Reed.
A song that defines the teenage you?
'Sweet Black Angel' by The Rolling Stones. I used to have it as my alarm clock ring tone when I got up for school every day, always puts me in a good mood. Also discovering the 'Exile On Main Street' album was a game-changer for me.
One record you would kee forever?
'Ape In Pink Marble' by Devendra Banhart.
A song lyric that has inspired you?
I remember that time you told me, you said
'Love is touching souls'
Surely you touched mine, 'cause
Part of you pours out of me
In these lines from time to time"
From 'A Case Of You' by Joni Mitchell.
The song that would get you straight on the dance floor?
'Cosmic Dancer' by T. Rex. I danced with a guy in Edinburgh to this one night in a club that was doing a '70s dance night, we never got each other's names, but we danced circa 1970 and I think it was one of the most freeing and fun nights of my life”.
In 2020, LOCK spoke with an artist they were really excited about. Even though she was – and is, I guess – a rising artist, that promise and potential was there. Showcasing the strength of Irish music, the amazing Lucy Gaffney let us into her world. I am a recent fan of hers, so it is interesting looking back at older interviews:
“You’ve recently released your In The Air EP, which includes an acoustic version of ‘Can’t Escape’, and a cover of DMA’s, The Stone Roses and Oasis.
How did you choose which songs to include and cover?
I just really liked playing those songs acoustic in my own style.
People seemed to love the videos I put up of them, so I thought it’d be kind of cool to record them in my studio properly during lockdown for something extra to have online before my second single drops.
How did it feel to have your cover of ‘Songbird’ shared and described as “celestial” by Liam Gallagher?
That was pretty cool haha. I remember a fan messaged me the morning after I released it saying ‘you know Liam’s been talking about your cover?!’ Best compliment ever.
How have you found the Liverpool music scene in comparison to your hometown of Belfast?
Liverpool’s ALL about the music for sure, living and breathing it.
You can’t turn a street corner without hearing a busker or a pub blasting tunes everyday of the week.
Belfast has a great music scene too but I feel like there isn’t as much of a young band culture throughout the city unless there’s a festival on or something.
There are some great nights and venues in Belfast but I think the scene needs to be embraced more.
Aside from music, how have you been keeping busy during lockdown?
I’ve been pretty busy with my music to be fair but apart from that I’ve done a a good bit of gardening and cooking – pretty proud of all the herbs and fruit I’ve grown.
Do you have any more releases planned for this year?
Yeah totally! I’ve got a single coming out in a few weeks and then there’s plenty more on the way after that.
I’m keeping it kind of hush hush at the minute but let’s just say the best has yet to come.
What are your goals for the future?
Touring non-stop if I can once gigs start properly again. I wanna play Glastonbury so bad!
What would you like listeners to take away from your music?
I just want my music to make people feel, music’s all about the buzz it gives you, so if people dig what I’m making I’m pretty proud of that”.
Let’s go forward to 2021. HotPress spoke with an artist that was described as "celestial" by Liam Gallagher. Tipped for success in 2021 (which was more than fulfilled!), Lucy Gaffney emerged as one of Northern Ireland’s most promising Indie-Pop names. Also in the interview, Gaffney reflected on her early days busking in Belfast; going solo; and drawing inspiration from the late great Sinéad O’Connor:
“I don’t even play covers that often, but that’s one Oasis song that I’ve always really loved – I think because it’s quite Beatles-y,” Lucy reflects. “I just stuck it up on Twitter, and within a couple of hours I had a fan messaging me, telling me that Liam had commented on it. I was like, ‘Wait, what?!’”
Although she was raised in Belfast, Lucy has been based in Liverpool in recent years – working in the city’s iconic Parr Street Studios with James Skelly on her first two singles. Skelly, who she first met while touring with his band The Coral, was a crucial force behind her evolution into a solo artist.
“I was coming out of a different band, where it was really veering towards me just being the lead singer,” she explains. “James Skelly was like, ‘These songs are really good. Have you recorded any of them?’ So me and the band went into the studio with him, and what we did felt more like a solo project. I decided that’s the way it should go, and James helped develop it – along with my brother. It just fell into place, and we went with it.”
“Irish music has always been really strong, but especially so at the minute – when you see how Fontaines D.C. have just taken over,” she continues. “I know I’m biased, but I feel like Irish acts have this really pure kind of talent. It goes back to Phil Lynott, and then U2. There’s always been very classic songwriting here – I suppose because there’s so much literature. You can’t get away from it. It’s in our blood.”
Placing her within this legacy of Irish talent, Lucy’s already been compared to the likes of Sinéad O’Connor.
“Sinéad O’Connor is amazing,” she enthuses. “Her track ‘Mandinka’ really inspired a lot of my new songs that haven’t come out yet. I first heard that when I was listening to Cillian Murphy’s show on BBC Radio 6 Music. I remember thinking, ‘Oh my God, why have I never heard this track?’ She’s got a great energy to her, and a bit of spunk, which I like.”
You can expect some of those Sinéad-inspired tracks in the months ahead – as Lucy reveals that she hasn’t been resting on her laurels over lockdown.
“I’ve got quite a lot to come out this year,” she says. “I was fairly busy towards the end of last year – working with a producer in LA, and a producer in England. I’m also writing some stuff with Bill Ryder-Jones at the minute. I should be releasing my next single and an EP in March. So it’s been a pretty busy year, in a weird way!”
I think we will get even more interviews with Lucy Gaffney soon. Picked up by radio stations like BBC Radio 6 Music, her music is spreading far and wide. No longer just an Irish treasure, she belongs to the world! Even if she is very original and is unmistakably indebted to nobody, there are various albums and artists that she has been inspired by. This feature from September sees Gaffney naming albums important to her. I have included most of them. I am especially interested in her Beck selections! I am a big fan of his - and I especially love 2005’s Guero. The fact that she leads with a very early and obscure album of his really piqued my interested and showed she has this deep love and knowledge of albums that many do not know about:
“Beck – One Foot In The Grave
This album brought something new into my life when I first heard it. I played it on repeat until I new every word and guitar riff like second nature. Each song blissfully brings with it a mood of off the cuff nonsense that resonated to the nth degree. It changed my songwriting and allowed me the ability to care less about what fits on an album and what actually flows. Beck’s albums mould into every crevice of my life in some way or another. This one in particular needs to be heard from start to finish over and over to fully appreciate it. It’s a beautiful two fingers up to his success on ’Loser’ just months prior and encapsulates everything I love about raw untouched songwriting and production. The album artwork and inside sleeve on the LP is perfect and I’ve spent many a lazy afternoon enjoying it with a cup of tea in hand; ‘Sleeping Bag’, ‘Hollow Log’ & ‘It’s All In Your Mind’ being my highlights on the record.
Air – Moon Safari
This album was the catalyst for my love of dreamy French space-pop. Beth Hirsch’s vocal on this record washes over you and takes you on a journey of nonchalant coolness. I first heard the track ‘All I Need’ on a trip to Santa Monica, driving around with my cousins in the LA sunshine. The vocal feels like a personification of that – warm sunshine, flowing like silk over your brainwaves. I was lucky enough to stand front row at Air’s gig back in 2010 and it’s still one of the best moments of my life.
Chet Baker – My Funny Valentine
This is the first vinyl I ever bought for myself in Head Records in Belfast. My love for Chet Baker from then on ran deep. I got a record player for my 18th birthday and sat on my bed most nights listening to this instead of doing homework. This album brought me into my romance era in my early 20s, it also got me through a 12 hour art exam which I’m forever thankful for. You can’t help but loose yourself throughout every track. Chet’s voice is intoxicating. ‘I Get Along Without You Very Well’ might be my favourite but I blow with the wind in regard to that so I can’t really say for sure.
Miles Davis – Kind Of Blue
I guess this record really speaks for itself. It was my proper introduction to jazz at 16. I initially found this album when my older brother’s friend Jimi (with incredible taste) kindly leant me his iPod for a few days. I listened to ‘Blue In Green’ over and over until my heart hurt and wrote copious amounts of poems listening it with teenage angst. Getting the chance to listen to it on vinyl in a quiet room is simply breathtaking and should be on everyones to do list.
Nirvana – Unplugged
It goes without saying that this is one of the best live performances of all time and makes the hairs on your neck stand up. As a little kid we used to play the full record start to finish on long car journeys to the west of Ireland and I remember saying over and over “Can you play the one about the parrot” because I was obsessed with the intensity of the storytelling. Kurt becomes the character in each song oozing humanity and depth. It absorbs you. ‘Where Did You Sleep Last Night?’ is a prime example of this.
Beck – Sea Change
The album closest to my heart on this planet potentially. I have lived and breathed every track on this ten fold. I listen to this when I need to remember myself and feel whole again. It’s got me through many phases in my life. It’s the one record that I don’t think I can ever fully listen to too much. It’ll break your heart and put it back together on every listen. The album artwork visually has been a massive influence over the years. ‘Lost Cause’, ‘End Of The Day’ and ‘Guess I’m Doing Fine’ might be my favourites, but it’s far too hard to narrow it down with this record.
Serge Gainsbourg – Histoire de Melody Nelson
Thee coolest album ever made I imagine. I’ll be honest I listen to this the second I wake up on a weekly basis anytime I need an artistic pick me and to start my day with a little joie de vivre. You can’t listen to this without automatically feeling a little bit more sultry and cool. My French friends say its a crying shame that I can’t understand the depth of the poetry in the words but nevertheless its a sublime piece of unwordly art that makes you want to pack a case and move to Paris instantly”.
If you have not heard of Lucy Gaffney, she is a fabulous and enormously talented artist that I cannot recommend highly enough. Somebody we will be hearing from many years from now, she has had a very busy 2023. I am not sure what her gig plans are for 2024. I know there will be a lot of demand for her to come see people around the world. With September’s Daydream in Tokyo E.P. gaining acclaim, I want to end with a Thoughts Words Action feature, where Gaffney discussed the amazing and mesmeric title track:
“Lucy Gaffney returns today with new single ‘Daydream In Tokyo’ and news of a new EP of the same name to arrive on 29th September via Nettwerk.
Lucy Gaffney is no newcomer to the power of patience and pure intention. The Belfast native began releasing solo material in 2020, with two well-received lo-fi offerings recorded by The Coral frontman James Skelly. Fast forward to 2023 and ‘Daydream In Tokyo’ luminously marks her arrival. The first single from her upcoming second EP, it’s a pure-cut indie-pop gem every bit as Technicolour as Gaffney’s journey along the way.
Written when she was living in Liverpool, the song is an escapist anthem with a trajectory that takes you on a journey. Across three minutes, it captures how a potent sense of place far beyond can – even in one’s mind’s eye – be an antidote to the mundane. But for Gaffney, dreaming of Tokyo isn’t a knee-jerk lunge in the throes of wanderlust. Musing on walking through neon-lit streets, and singing ‘Thirteen’ by Big Star in a backstreet karaoke bar, it bears the physical imprint of the Japanese capital as channelled in her favourite film, Lost In Translation.
“I’ve always adored and been fascinated by its cinematography,” says Gaffney. “There’s so much depth in the mystery and ambiguity of discovering a foreign place. I find it hard not to completely relate to every scene. I can’t write unless there’s something inspiring me visually, so I wanted it to capture the aesthetic of the movie and, in a similar way, translate a relatability in everyday thoughts and relationships between people.”
Nodding to Bowie’s ‘China Girl,’ and jangle-pop gems like ‘There She Goes’ by The La’s and The Pretenders’ ‘Brass In Pocket’ as influences for its classic style and structure – along with the subtle but powerful approach of contemporary artists like beabadoobee, Phoebe Bridgers and girl in red – the single is a feat of full-blown indie-pop finesse. It may not be the case for all of Gaffney’s songs but ‘Daydream In Tokyo’ is open-hearted and idealist to its core. It also doubles as an invitation to dig deeper and discover the full spectrum of her sound.
“There’s a side of me that really likes writing in a darker way,” says Gaffney. “but there’s also a side to me that absolutely loves pop music and that feeling of elation when you are having a moment where you’re really up for a dance, and really rocking out to a tune. I was so heavily into the Cure and the Smiths, where every song is catastrophizing your own life, so that’s definitely worked its way into some of my writing. At the same time, making it pop is so much fun. It’s always been the big track that has turned me onto bands and got me hooked. It’s the lesser-known tracks that I fall in love with. The sad stuff is what you’ll give time to once you’re hooked on the tracks that make you feel elated. ‘Daydream In Tokyo’ is a song I want people to hear, then they can dig deeper.”
To record ‘Daydream In Tokyo,’ Gaffney flew to the Isle Of Lewis in The Hebrides, Scotland to record a bunch of her new tracks at Black Bay Studios with her brother Thom Southern and London-based producer Duncan Mills. “We had a lot of fun working on this track in particular and I think we captured a lot of that energy from the studio in the final mix,” she says. “I usually tend to construct songs with three tracks, meshing melodies and hooks together. Like on this song, I can usually just hear it in my head. I love deconstructing a track and blending things together, almost like a DJ would.”
Alongside Duncan Mills and Thom Southern, Gaffney tapped into the simple yet powerful majesty of the moment when she holed up in the secluded Black Bay recording studio on the Isle of Lewis last year. For two weeks, the trio worked around the clock to realise her vision for widescreen indie-pop that makes space for big hooks every bit as sonic points of reference such as Pixies and Pavement.
“The studio looked out onto the Atlantic ocean and hills of heather,” says Gaffney. “It was that kind of wild beauty you can’t really capture on your phone camera but you know you don’t want to forget. We’d wake up in the morning and record until 3 or 4 am some nights, so we quickly became a well-oiled machine where everyone had a part to play. Sure enough, we were like zombies by the end of it but I was always obsessed with that Exile on Main Street documentary as a kid so I was there for it. It was the best experience I’ve ever had in a studio, we all felt totally detached from society out there, no shops, no people, just the odd sheep or fisherman passing by. It was the “back of beyond.”
“My life this last decade has been so weird,” she says. “I’ve had really random experiences travelling with my music, like going to play in South Korea and stuff, I never thought I’d do that. I don’t know if my life will ever be as crazy as the last ten years but I love that it’s brought me to the point where I can finally understand more about myself. I’ve always sort of known the genres of music I’ve wanted to make from day one and I’m at the point where I can properly ask myself, ‘What can you physically do yourself and where can you go sonically?’”
“For me, the answer is telling yourself you actually need to embrace curiosity and do it now because there’s no better time than the present. As David Bowie once said: ‘If you feel safe in the area you’re working in, you’re not working in the right area. Always go a little further into the water than you feel you’re capable of being in. Go a little bit out of your depth. And when you don’t feel that your feet are quite touching the bottom, you’re just about in the right place to do something exciting. I think I’m finally ready to embrace that”.
It is clear that everyone needs to hear Lucy Gaffney! A real dream of an artist, I am excited to see how her career evolves and unfolds. One of the most impressive artists that I have heard in a very long time. I really love what she is doing right now. Gaffney is someone who loves Ireland and proudly talks about her home and heritage. In return, the country is very…
PROUD of her!
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