Christy Moore has signed to Claddagh Records – and is set to release his highly anticipated new album, A Terrible Beauty, via the iconic Irish label on November 1.

To coincide with this morning's announcement, the legendary singer-songwriter has shared a new single 'Black & Amber' – a cover of the beloved A Lazarus Soul track, penned by Brian Brannigan, from the Dublin band's 2019 album The D They Put Between The R And L.

A Terrible Beauty also features another A Lazarus Soul cover, 'Lemon Sevens'.

"We went to hear A Lazarus Soul in Whelan’s, Dublin, six years ago," Christy comments. "I fell beneath the spell of Briany’s lyrics straight away. I made contact saying I’d love to sing a couple of his songs. He gave me the nod – his lines are just up my street.

"This song brings me back to a time in life when the pub was a central part of my life," he continues. "It remained that way for many years. Different pubs in different places became my 'home away from home'. Thankfully the day came when I closed that door behind me, never to return, one day at a time. Briany Brannigan’s songs are raw, relevant and real."

Christy has also announced 12 shows at Vicar Street in Dublin, which are set to take place across November (2, 7, 13, 20 & 28), December (5, 11, 18 & 30) and January (5, 12, 20). Tickets for the gigs go on general sale on Monday, September 23, from 10am. See Ticketmaster for more.

Claddagh Records was originally founded in 1959 by Garech Browne and Ivor Browne, with a special emphasis on traditional Irish music and poetry. In 2020, Claddagh signed a global licensing agreement with Universal Music, and announced ØXN as its first signing in 18 years.

“I was very taken with the Universal approach to two retro albums that came about when they acquired labels that had gone to sleep," Christy says. "When I saw the work they did on the Paddy Kavanagh album, my curiosity peaked. I met the 'man from Universal' by chance one day and complimented him on recent releases. He mentioned that he would like to work with me and that Claddagh Records was being revitalised… and here I am.”

You can pre-order A Terrible Beauty here – and listen to 'Black & Amber' below:

A Terrible Beauty artwork – from Irish artist Martin Gale's painting 'Terrible Beauty':

Tracklist:

1. Boy In The Wild
2. Sunflower
3. Black & Amber
4. Lemon Sevens
5. Broomielaw
6. Cumann na Mná
7. The Rock
8. The Life and Soul
9. Lyra McKee
10. Darkness Before Dawn
11. The Big Marquee
12. Palestine
13. Snowflakes