Driven Snow’s début album of dreamy pop dropped in February. Called ‘A Kind Of Dreaming’ (Driven Snow Music / FIFA Records) the record is the work of husband-and-wife duo, Kieran McGuinness and Emily Aylmer formerly of Delorentos and Republic of Loose respectively.
The reviews are in and the duos music has been described as, “sublime acoustic pop-folk” and “delicate romantic optimism” in The Irish Times, opening track ‘Aurora’ is likened to a “dreamlike, disarming love song with an uneasy undercurrent” by Jackie Hayden (Hot Press).
Driven Snow, their songs and this album began tentatively during lockdown, Kieran explains:
“Songs were mostly written at night in our back room in the depths of the lockdown while the kids were fast asleep. We started to record whatever songs we sang to them at night, staying up recording little demos of pop songs on a 4-track. One night, just for fun, we wrote an original song and over the months we built up a handful that we liked.”
“As soon as there was an opportunity, we headed up with the family (and the grandparents) to our friend Tommy McLaughlin’s Attica Studios in Donegal to record a couple of songs, just for ourselves. Excited by the results and the reactions of friends we wrote more, and made more trips until suddenly we had a collection of songs that told a story of who we are, what we care about and how we were developing as a family. And the process (writing quietly in the shadows of a back room at night) felt like a kind of dreaming…”
Chatting on the No Encore podcast, Kieran revealed an insight into how the couple work together as musical partners.
“Emily has no problem telling me when something isn’t good enough and sometimes it’s not and that’s kind of good because she’s been my soundboard for probably all the albums.
“It’s like, it has to get past her before it even got to Delorentos, so you know, she’s rarely wrong with that. And now she’s writing her own stuff. It’s been really good.
“And, you know, I don’t think it’s gonna be something that everyone likes because it is kind of gentle. It’s subtle, and it’s melody focused.”
“Emily is an exceptional singer. She is a singer that’s really, really empathetic to what the other singers do. And she can connect with an amazing ear for melody and pitch and all that kind of stuff.”
From early 2022 Kieran and Emily had begun to make their songs available as they were recorded. ‘Trying’, ‘Sunlight’ and ‘Flickers Of You’ led the way offering gentle, poignant melodies and instrumentation, bolstered with electronic swathes wrapped up in lyrical tales that told their story and the stories of the people who surrounded them.
2023 brought two more releases and their first tentative live shows including a wonderful performance at Dolans. The duo return this weekend with their new album ‘A Kind Of Dreaming’. The album is available on strictly limited Sea Blue heavyweight vinyl (with a Band-Made Colouring Book), CD and Digital.
Driven Snow will play Dolans Kasbah on Saturday March 23.
Followed by the After Show Party on Dolans Terrace with DJs playing alternative/indie anthems til late.
