A decade on from the release of his widely acclaimed debut album Since Kyrabam, Declan O’Rourke comes to An Grianán on the eve of the official ten year anniversary shindig in Dublin’s Vicar St.
Declan will be performing with his full band in An Grianán Theatre on Friday 10 October as he warms up for his big night in Dublin the next day. It’s gonna be a great weekend!
New songs for free!
Declan will be taking a look back at the album which introduced to him audiences world wide as well as presenting some new songs which he has chosen to distribute in a very novel way as he has recently started e-mailing a new song a month to fans on his mailing list:
“It’s kind of experimental, but the goalposts of how music is being distributed out there have moved so much recently, an artist has to shift. So I’m taking the initiative, and I’m going to try connect with the friends I’ve made through my music over the years, and new ones, directly by sending them music every month.”
So fans who have been waiting patiently for a new record since his previous offering Mag Pai Zai in 2011 should do themselves a favour and sign up to his website now. As Declan explains: “It takes a very long time to put out an album, perhaps two or three years when you take into account production, touring and promotion. This is just an alternative avenue to get an album out there and is three times as fast.”
If you’d like to be among the first fans to hear Declan’s newest music just go to www.declanrourke.com and sign up to his mailing list or come to his gig at An Grianán on Fri 10 October and hear it from the man himself.
Originally from Ballyfermot, O’Rourke traces his musical career back to the little Australian town of Kyabram where he lived between the ages of 10 to 14. It was when he was 13 that Declan was given his first guitar by a priest in Kyabram who recognised his potential and love for music; hence the title of his debut album “Since Kyabram“, which was released in October 2004.
The album’s launch took place over three sold-out nights in Whelan’s and was broadcast live on national radio. It included the song Galileo which Paul Weller singled out as the only song from the past 20 years that he wished he had written. Before Weller’s endorsement the song was covered by Eddi Reader on her 2009 album and later that year by Jacqui Dankworth (daughter of the jazz greats Cleo Laine and John Dankworth). American star Josh Groban included it on his multi-million selling album Illuminations.
Ten years on, Declan still has warm affection for the record what launched his career: “It’s a lovely old friend that never lets me down and it travels with me wherever I go. I mean that in a metaphysical sense. It was a milestone in my life to make my first record. Then to be happy with it and have it endure is just icing.”
Declan O’Rourke performs on Fri 10 October 2014 at 8pm. Tickets are €15 or buy four for €50. Book now!
