RADIO ADVERTISE NEWSLETTER CONTACT US ABOUT SUPPORT US

FEATURES ALBUM REVIEWS NEWS SONGS INTERVIEWS RADIO

CELTIC FOLK MUSIC INTERVIEWS INTERVIEW: ON HIEROGLYPHS THAT TELL THE TALE by Dave McNally 9 November, 2018

e recently reviewed Irish singer Karan Casey’s excellent new album Hieroglyphs That W Tell the Tale. Karan has always shone a light on injustice and discrimination, in her music and otherwise. She has recently been central to the Fair Plé initiative calling for gender balance in Irish folk and traditional music. Karan told me about each song on the album, what links the songs together and working with some of her favourite singers and with producer Donald Shaw.

The songs on Hieroglyphs That Tell the Tale cover a wide range of subjects and I began by asking Karan whether she had started with an overall thread or theme in mind for the album. “Mostly I have spent the past thirty odd years looking for good songs that reflect life as I see it today. The songs I sing reflect my understanding of life and hopes for the future. I guess the album is a representative of all of the things I love in life, good songs, plenty of political and feminist thought, hope for the future honestly sung and drawing from that deep well of traditional, folk and self-penned material, so presenting all the energies that meld together to make myself”.

Karan went on to talk through the songs on the album by other people and what led her to choose them.

Hieroglyphs That Tell the Tale buy share by Karan Casey

1. Hollis Brown 00:00 / 04:29

Hollis Brown: “A discussion [by ] on poverty which I detest and believe should be eradicated. There is no need for poverty today. I love the long narrative in this song which puts me in mind of our own narrative ballads”.

Man of God: “Another highly political song on the album which discusses the futility of war and indeed stands Christian fundamentalism on its head. Written by the great American writer Eliza Gilkyson who I had the pleasure of meeting at the Vancouver Folk Festival. A conversation I have been having for a long time in my own gigs and singing”.

I’m Still Standing Here: “A great song from the gallant Janis Ian asking for more love and compassion in the world. A deeply feminist perspective on how we frame our worlds, asking that people love the person and not be so obsessed with how someone looks on the outside or indeed how we are viewed by the male perspective”.

In The Gutter: “Written by man . I love this song and its beautiful tapestry of thought. I also love the strong sense of melody in the song. And it challenged my own singing by pushing me into a very different vocal space”.

Mary: “Another beautiful love song and anti-war song from the pen of Patty Griffin. Much of my stable diet and repertoire focus on anti-war songs. I have never done a gig without singing one”.

There is an amazing list of guest vocalists on the album: , Niamh Dunne, Pauline Scanlon, Maura O’Connell and Aoife O’Donovan. Karan went on to explain that warmth and friendship were key factors in her choice of singers. “Well, I am good friends with them, and I get on with them. That was the main impetus. They make me feel loved and comfortable. They are all different as well and happy in their own skin and voices, so that is another factor that drew me to them all”.

As well as a great choice of reflective covers, Hieroglyphs That Tell the Tale also contains some innovative self-penned songs which Karan was happy to talk through.

Down in the Glen: “This is the story of Julia Grennan and Elizabeth O’Farrell. I wrote Down in the Glen in 2016 as a commemoration song for these two women involved in 1916. While we have honoured many of the men who fought and died in 1916 and rightly so, many of the women have been bypassed and written out of history. Julia Grennan was the nurse who stayed behind in the GPO with James Connolly to nurse him and her lover Elizabeth O’Farrell was the woman who went out with Padraig Pearse to surrender the flag to the Empire. The song is essentially about what Julia would have been thinking when Elizabeth headed out the door of the GPO to surrender. So it’s a love song for the two of them who continued after the war to fight for the poor and downtrodden of . They are buried together in [Dublin’s] Glasnevin cemetery if anyone wants to head over and pay homage to them both”.

You are the Flower: “A happy enough love song, written with Sean Óg Graham, drawing greatly on my love of Irish lyric poetry”.

Hold On: “Another love song – more of the unrequited style of love”.

The musical arrangements and playing on Hieroglyphs carry and nourish the songs, leaving all the space needed for Karan’s absorbing and gorgeous singing. I wondered what Karan, with Donald Shaw as producer, had been aiming for musically. “Maybe Donald had a plan, but I didn’t! We worked really to do the best we could with each song and find the best arrangement for the material. Sean Óg Graham had a huge impact on the arrangements with his amazing guitar playing. What I do like about working with Donald is that he has great respect for my singing and he doesn’t try to push me into a way or fashion of singing. He allows the song and the arrangements to grow from my singing and the sentiment and great thought that I put into the singing. I think he gets that singing is an art form. We also both like political material and agree about the use of music to enhance more social justice issues and make the world a better place. Donald isn’t afraid of that side of me, I think he gets that’s this is a huge part of my own reason for singing”.

All of Karan’s albums, with the exception the last one Two More Hours (on which she wrote all the songs), have traditional songs. Again she provided an invaluable insight into them.

< Sixteen Come Next Sunday: “A song I learnt from the singing of Triona Ní Dhomhnaill and The Bothy Band. It’s a song I can relate to as I have teenagers myself!”

Doll in Cash’s Window: “This one was revived by Pat Daly and Jimmy Crowley who I have gotten songs from for years. A little ditty really”.

I asked Karan for her view of the finished album and how for her it compares with previous albums? “This album goes back to all of the influences that I love, folk and traditional material and then some songs that I wrote myself. I was delighted to be back working with Donald Shaw as well”.

Karan’s sings many of the songs from Hieroglyphs That Tell the Tale in this video made at Celtic Connections 2017.

Karan Casey Band Live at Celtic Connections

Order via Amazon http://www.karancasey.com KARAN CASEY

+

DAVE MCNALLY

EXPLORE MORE

Karan Casey with Aoife O’Donovan – Karan Casey Announces New Album Home

Karan Casey: Hieroglyphs That Tell the Tale FACEBOOK TWITTER INSTAGRAM YOUTUBE

Artist of the Month Featured Albums of the Month Album Reviews News Festivals About Folk Radio UK Write for Folk Radio UK

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience© 2018 - Folk on our Radio website. UK | IfPrivacy you continue Policy |to Terms use this and site Conditions we will assume that ∠you are happy with it. BACKOk TO TOP