DOCKLANDS Festival returns to Limerick this weekend bringing exhilarating live experiences to the giant marquee based at Dock Road.
Dec Pierce brings his Block Rockin’ Beats on Friday 23, James Blunt brings his tour to Limerick on Sunday 25 and hometown heroes Hermitage Green will headline a festival within a festival with an impressive lineup of artists – Le Boom, Lucy McWilliams and Oscar Blue – playing from 5.30pm this Saturday.
Limerick Post chatted with Barry Murphy of Hermitage Green just before their Electric Picnic headliner last Sunday (their seventh Electric Picnic show, they have been regulars there since 2014).
The band are promoting their new album ‘Connection’ which is due out in September. They completed an Australian tour earlier this year and head to the US in the coming weeks.
The album title is inspired by the connection HG feels with their international audience and with each other since forming over 13 years ago.
“We’ve travelled the world, we’ve grown together, we’ve gone through life and death together as a band, we have been in each other’s pockets and living every day like this is the most important thing in the world.
“When we wrote this album we took our time with it, a lot of it was done separately, emailing ideas back and forth, doing studio time on your own with the producer (Limerick based musician/producer Cillian King).
“Despite that separation and with such a deep understanding of one another, I’d say it’s the most connected album we’ve ever made, we were writing songs telepathically.”
Taking 18 months in their Limerick based studio to complete the album has paid off with a strong set of songs fully realised in all their potential with a melting pot of influences from synth rock ‘Close Your Eyes’ to the pulsing electronica of ‘Flutes’.
Inspired by Darragh Graham’s recent journey to Trinidad to find his birth father, the track ‘Flutes’ is a co-write by the band displaying a remarkable trust and bond to make art from a very personal experience.
Darragh did get to meet his birth father, who didn’t know of his existence, for the first time with the help of a genealogist.
Barry adds, “ ‘Flutes’ is deeply associated with Darragh’s upbringing. He was adopted, and he went on a journey this year to find his birth parents, and went all the way to Trinidad to find his birth father.
“That happened in May, a week before ‘Flutes’ came out. I felt I knew what that song was about and we all chipped in to write it. That is the power of music, I suppose, that it is another language for all of us, and that for us is what the album represents, that connection.”
‘Connection’ by Hermitage Green is out on Friday September 20.
The band will introduce many of the tracks at their Docklands show which is now a festival bill all of its own with an extensive lineup that includes Dublin dance duo Le Boom, who are taking Europe by storm with their electric live show.
Barry says, “We’ve been chasing Le Boom for a while and I think they weren’t sure whether it would be a fit because they’re one of the most renowned live acts in the country, they’re f*cking brilliant. Over the last few months we’ve been releasing our own high tempo, bigger songs so I think the fit is there.
“We always wanted the gig to be like a festival, it was a dream of ours to have our own Hermitage Green Festival, and this is kind of the first step towards that.
“We just want Le Boom to raise the energy and for us to bring it home. We just want everyone to have the time of their lives.”
Le Boom: Dance duo taking Europe by storm
Le Boom have built an international reputation for their high energy live show playing bangers written about half-remembered, half-imagined nights. Le Boom are brothers Andy and Christy Leech from Navan.
Their festival resume is impressive: Forbidden Fruit (their biggest festival headliner so far), All Together Now, Secret Garden Party and Latitude. Le Boom’s latest singles, ‘Orange Glow’ and ‘Class,’ capture the euphoria they’re known for. The single ‘Friday Night’ charted in Spain where Le Boom has a huge following.
Lucy McWilliams: Velvet-voiced songstress making waves
Dublin-born, London-based Lucy McWilliams is a 22-year-old singer-songwriter whose debut single ‘Fair Play,’ a collaboration with spoken word artist Maliki, has racked up over 15 million streams. Her rich, velvety voice and killer musical instincts earned her a spot on Hotpress’s Hot For 2021 list. Working closely with producer Charlie Hugall, Lucy’s live performances have lit up stages across Europe, supporting acts like Arlo Parks, Two Door Cinema Club and Inhaler.
Oscar Blue: East-Clare songwriter capturing hearts worldwide
From the beautiful lakelands of Ogonnoloe, East Clare, Oscar Blue has been writing music since age 13, a decade on he has shared his heartfelt songs with the world since his 2018 debut. With over five million streams across 79 countries, Oscar’s sold-out debut headline show at Dublin’s Whelan’s in January 2019 was just the beginning. Oscar has rocked festivals with his full band including a special guest slot at The Coronas recent sell-out show Live at King John’s Castle.
Remaining tickets for Saturday 24 are available from www.dolans.ie.
The Docklands After Parties will feature Decks & Drums with floorfiller anthems in the Warehouse and DJ Ceese on the Terrace on Friday 23 and Sunday 25. DJ Eric Fitz will be on Dolans Terrace this Saturday 24 after Hermitage Green.
MusicLimerick Playlist
