A unique double headliner for emerging artists Paddy Dennehy and Jack O’Rourke.
BOTH Paddy Dennehy and Jack O’Rourke share a love of writing and performing on piano. The pair have made huge strides musically in the last two years and are tipped for success in 2018.
The debut EP from Paddy Dennehy & The Red Herring called ‘Once Upon a Time’ and their soulful performance of ‘Hard Times’ on the Late Late Show raised the band’s profile. Glen Hansard exclaimed that he was “just fu*king knocked out.”
Jack O’Rourke’s debut album hit Number 5 in the charts on release in 2017. His songs ‘Naivety’ and ‘On The Downlow’ were big radio hits on the national airwaves. His masterpiece, the startlingly honest ‘Silence’, became the anthem for the Marriage Equality Referendum.
Paddy Dennehy is in the recording studio putting finishing touches to four new tracks that will emerge as singles in the coming months. Paddy, his band and a string quartet are recording with renowned producer Christian Best who has worked with Mick Flannery.
“I was a big fan of Mick’s stuff growing up,” says Paddy.
This performance coming to Lime Tree in February will be the first time the two artists have performed together. This unique night will welcome Paddy and Jack onstage with just two upright acoustic pianos and some special guests performing their songs in the stripped back fashion they were originally written.
Jack explains, “We want to show that piano is an evolving instrument in rock’n’roll. It will be nice to play our songs in their basic form without a band and strings.”
The format will allow both Jack and Paddy to link their songs and talk about what informed the lyrics in their music.
The pair will also perform some surprise cover versions too – many not at all associated with the piano. Jack says their voices and playing complement each other and the duo has had great craic putting this unique performance together.
Given recent events, appropriately enough, they will pay homage to Dolores O’Riordan on the night.
Now based in Cork, Paddy Dennehy lived in Limerick and studied in Mary I college. He is excited and nervous to perform in his old stomping ground.
““Yeah – it’ll be very strange not to sign in.” Laughs
“I get very nervous before gigs anyway – with my lecturers from the past there as well – I’m going to be even more nervous. It is almost easier to play to a roomful of strangers than to people you know.”
Jack is working on his new album at the moment. You can expect to hear a smattering of new material from both players. Jack states that his new material is more folky in timbre, a bit more acoustic with some electronic influences. He recently collaborated with DJ/producer Kormac on a new track which took Jack away from his familiar piano/ words based songwriting style.
“Kormac sent me an instrumental…he’s working on a project with an orchestra. I’m quite wordy as a writer in the way Leonard Cohen and Joni Mitchell writes.
“The electronic stuff is based around grooves, beats and hooks. I’m melodically minded so it is great to work with somebody who is very rhythmic
“I wrote the melody and words over his chords and sang it over his tune. It’s sounding really cool.”
Jack has written with Pattie Webb of The Webb Sisters, Marlene Enright and Cork group freezerRoom in the past few months. freezerRoom is Graham White and Rory Dempsey with drummer Christian Eigner (Depeche Mode) and guest vocal appearances from a host of incredible singers such as Tracey K, Jack O’Rourke and Joe O’Leary (formerly of Fred).
freezerRoom’s new LP, launched at Electric Picnic, is ‘Fire in the Ocean’ and is an extraordinary and beautiful collection. It will keep Jack O’Rourke’s fanbase happy until his sophomore album is complete.
The Piano Series with Paddy Dennehy and Jack O’Rourke happens at Lime Tree Theatre on Saturday February 17 from 8pm.
Tickets from www.limetreetheatre.ie
