Track of the Day: Ciaran Lavery shares new single

Music
07 Jun 19

NI Music Prize winner, Ciaran Lavery, has released the new single, 'Selene', in anticipation of his next full-length release, due out later this year.

'Selene' is the second half of a Double A-side release, following “Full Love,” which was released in May.

Noting that the narrative about himself as a songwriter is "strewn with misconceptions", Lavery's new music intends to express more of his full personality than ever before, from self-deprecating dry humour to a side of himself which is hopeful and god-fearing. Citing John Grant, Anne Sexton, and Bojack Horseman as references, he elaborates, “‘Selene' is an insight into the current path that I am on, giving myself the freedom to be the schmuck, the clown, the butt of the joke, without throwing my own heart or someone else’s under the bus for the sake of honest writing. I am getting closer to the centre of things, of the inevitable contradictions and hypocrisies within myself & sharing them for all to see, rather than playing the tired charade of the one dimensional sad guy with a guitar who wants kudos for airing his relationship failures in public & it being coined as ‘bravery.’”

Lavery has become an acclaimed singer-songwriter in Northern Ireland, and has made his mark worldwide. Hailing from Aghagallon in County Antrim, he received a Northern Ireland Music Prize for his 2016 album, Let Bad In. 2018’s follow up, Sweet Decay, was a self-reflection on personal growth. Featuring performances by Saint Sister (vocals), Rory Doyle (drums - Hozier, Bell X1), Joe Furlong (bass - James Vincent McMorrow) and more, and produced by GRAMMY Award winner Ruadhri Cushnan (Mumford & Sons, Luke Sintal-Singh,
Half Moon Run, Ed Sheeran), Lavery described the album as “the sound of pure catharsis.”

After the release of Sweet Decay, Lavery’s Spotify streams rose above 100 million. Late last year, he released an acoustic version of the album entitled Sweet Decay - Solo Sessions, to give fans a glimpse of his songs in “their most skeletal form.” Lavery is embarking on a short tour in support of the Double A-side, before returning with a new LP and international run later this year.

Listen to 'Selene' below: