Gearing up for the release of his highly-anticipated debut album Mon Petit Jardin, Dublin-based poet and musician Christian Wethered is sharing the album's 4th single, 'La Madeleine'.

Hot Press are delighted to host the video premiere for the track, dropping at 8pm tonight on our YouTube channel.

Wethered has rapidly cemented himself as one of Ireland's more enthralling folk acts, since his debut release, 'Mr Medicine Man', in 2020. Taking influence from the likes of Laura Marling, Iron and Wine and Nick Cave, he uses visceral poetry and raw, emphatic instrumentation to address complex themes. His debut poetry book, I Don’t Love You, won the Melita Hume Prize in 2021.

Known for his subtle and thoughtful style, Wethered wanted to capture a brooding feeling of loss and emptiness for 'La Madeleine'. “The song explores the bleakness and alienation experienced when being dumped," Wethered says of the single. "I used to live in a small town in France called La Madeleine, and I was trying to conjure this setting for the song.

"'La Madeleine' is an epic song about heartbreak," he continues. "At the same time, it's also about nothing at all: the lonely absences and pauses between. It was originally supposed to be a quiet, traditional folk song, but the drum groove made the sound really big. Though it's loud, the sound is about absence, the subject the song approaches is empty space.”

Featuring Dylan Lynch on percussion, Sara O’Loughlin on backing vocals and Cil Byrne on electric guitar and bass, the  The song was recorded in Wexford with Darragh Nolan at Asta Kalapa studios.

The music video follows a young woman who escapes into the world of a silent cinema film reel. Created by Darn Skippy Productions, this is a film by Richard Lennon, with performance and choreography by Roseanne Lynch.

Set your reminders early for the 8pm video premiere of 'La Madeleine' tonight!