‘All my life as a singer, I have been drawn to old songs. In them I find a solidarity with the ghosts of people I have never met and yet share fragments of feelings with.’
Fíbín sa Taibhdhearc will continue its momentum as a thriving music venue with their first wonderfully rich gig of 2023.
Pauline Scanlon will play the Taibhdhearc with special guests Nicola Joyce, Noriana Kennedy, Eoin Wynne and Fabian Joyce on Friday, February 3. Noriana Kennedy and Nicola Joyce are part of the stunning songwriting Folk trio ‘The Whileaways’, which also includes revered Galway singer Noelie McDonnell. Fabian Joyce, who features in Galway band ‘Back West’ and Eoin Wynne are talented Galway based singers and accompanists, who elevate this special collaboration with guitar, banjo and vocals.
As a founding member of FairPlé, the role of women in the arts is central to Pauline's creative path and something she is very vocal about and dedicated to. Her new album, The Unquiet, released in March 2022, is a piece of art possessed of an old soul, but thoroughly modern and of its time. It is an album that will shift expectations and stand undefined by genre. What makes it so relevant is that it dares to reimagine what it is to be an Irish woman in the context of music and song.
We sat down with Pauline for a chat ahead of her gig this Friday, to find out more about her new album and what she's getting up to in 2023.
Could you tell me how you would describe your new album, The Unquiet?
It’s an album that looks at the agency of women in Ireland through the perspective of my late mother, Eileen's life. I wanted to make an album where I reclaimed some traditional songs and shone new meaning on them.
It sounds like there are some really interesting themes surrounding the female experience in Ireland, from both past and present - could you tell me more about this and what it was like writing about these topics?
The whole album is about the female experience in Ireland and the themes vary greatly from things like childhood friendship, to the forced separation of mother and child. It was all a bit of a rollercoaster, highs and lows and at times was very confronting. Overall, it felt like something I needed to say and an album that I have been percolating for years and to see it through and for it to receive the action that it has, has been fulfilling.
I see you played Other Voices in December - how was that?
It was great. As a Dingle woman, it’s always nice to get back. To play at Other Voices felt like a bit of a homecoming. I have played in the Church in Dingle countless times over the years and it’s always nice when there’s a buzz around.
Who do you admire in Irish music currently?
I admire lots of people. All my warrior women in Fair Plé continue to inspire me. I was blown away by Séamus & Caoimhe Ui Fhlatharta at the Folk Awards recently also. I think there’s a good amount of talent around in this country and that’s always been the way.
What are your plans for the year?
I’m planning to do some solo shows throughout the year with the new album. In other musical ventures, we have a new singing project with Nicola Joyce of the Whileaways, Eoin Wynne and Fabian Joyce which I’m excited to get stuck into. There’ll be an album at some point with that. I’m also a member of Bird On The Wire, which is a beautiful show of the works of Leonard Cohen, and we’ll be on tour with that again in the autumn. On top of all that I’m studying in the University of Galway, and I have a 6 year old daughter, so I’m kept busy.
Pauline Scanlon will play at the Taibhdhearc on Friday, February 3. Doors are at 8pm. Tickets are €25 + booking fee. They're available at www.eventbrite.ie or at www.antaibhdhearc.com
