Irish artist Sister Ghost releases her debut LP 'Beyond The Water' + new single "Drain You" out now via Third Bar Records
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ALBUM LAUNCH SHOW @ DERRY’S NERVE CENTRE ON HALLOWE’EN NIGHT
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“Feels authentic, from the era of Pixies, Breeders and Hole. Brilliant music, beautifully made.”
- Tom Robinson, BBC 6 Music
“Absolutely massive!” - Jack Saunders, BBC Radio 1
“Big guitar hooks! I’m obsessed!” - Gemma Bradley, BBC Radio 1
After making some serious noise with her recent singles “I Bite Back” and “Dark Matter”, Irish artist Sister Ghost has now released her long-awaited debut album ‘Beyond The Water’, showcased by the euphoric lead track “Drain You”.
Fully embracing the bright and euphoric 90s pop-rock aesthetic she has grown into over the years, ‘Beyond The Water’ brings together the broad and emotive presence she has been cultivating for the past decade. Highlighted by its riveting focus track “Drain You”, her highly-anticipated initial full-length looks to burst out of the gates with all the gusto and grit Sister Ghost has become synonymous for lately.
Speaking about her new record, she said, "It's hard to put everything I feel about finally releasing my debut album into something concise and structured - it's a moment I've anticipated for a while now but it's crazy to think it's finally here!
"Writing and recording the demos for Beyond The Water truly kept me grounded and focussed during the most anxiety-inducing stages of the pandemic in 2020; having unrestricted creative time, due to everything else being put on hold for a while, allowed for my ideas to flow into something much bigger, and I am so lucky to be able to say that I have something so positive born out of such a dark time.
"Recording in Los Angeles in 2022 was easily the coolest Summer of my life and working with Brad Wood was a dream come true. I'm so proud of this album and I'm excited for everyone to finally hear these songs that mean so much. I look forward to the next chapter of Sister Ghost, Beyond The Water, wherever it may lead."
Sister Ghost will also host a special launch show at the world famous Derry Hallowe’en Festival to celebrate the release of her debut LP. Taking place at Derry’s Nerve Centre on October 31st, Sister Ghost will take to the stage as part of a one-off headline performance, bringing her newest material to eager fans live for the very first time.
Recorded in Los Angeles in summer of 2022 with the producer Brad Wood (known for his work on Liz Phair’s ‘Exile on Guyville’ and Veruca Salt’s ‘American Thighs’), ‘Beyond The Water’ is the culmination of years of toil and grit across the underground scene in recent years. The record also features Jeff Friedl on drums, who has also played with A Perfect Circle and is currently the drummer with DEVO. Her latest material offers a new era within her sound, one focusing on her progressive songwriting and empowering lyricism throughout.
‘Beyond The Water’ is an amalgam of sorts, a portrait of Sister Ghost’s 20s as a queer woman from a tiny village in rural Ireland, and her experiences both near and far beyond the waters of home.
Derry based artist Shannon Delores O'Neill is Sister Ghost. With a background playing in bands from the age of 12, O'Neill saw Sister Ghost as an opportunity to do things her way for the first time. She began writing and demoing in her attic - singing and playing everything herself on an 8-track recorder.
Playing noisy, spectral art-rock with a pop & literary heart, Sister Ghost marshals a diverse set of influences in a singular way - from the 'Seattle sound' to the likes of Sonic Youth, Veruca Salt, Patti Smith and Kate Bush. Sister Ghost built a reputation as one of Northern Ireland’s most rousing new rock bands, winning Best Live Act at the NI Music Prize in 2019. O’Neill has also been recognised for mentoring and encouraging other female and gender expansive musicians to perform in the Northern Irish scene, having set up the Girls Rock! NI chapter in 2016.
Her lyrics are a mixture of highs and lows, of the lessons life shoves in our face and what we do with that. This album should take you on a little tour, with love, heartbreak, death, but mostly growth and resilience. Tinged with wistfulness and nostalgia at points but also looking forward. Of frustration and pain, to wonder, and the wistful curiosity that travels and goes through young adulthood. Whilst also fictional elements or those from art and film that I may have identified with, for example she wrote Dark Matter after being moved by watching the french film Portrait of a Lady on Fire as it echoes some of her own queer experiences.
Whilst one of the songs (album closer ‘Scent’) was written 10 years ago, most were written in the dusty attic of her childhood home in rural Ireland during the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown of spring 2020. She would spend those strange lockdown days writing and recording demos after long walks or cycling around the local area, soaking up inspiration drawn from the nature around her, memories and wanderlust for the travel that couldn't be at that time, reading books, watching films and sifting through 10 years worth of notebooks and journals.
Sister Ghost has had press in The Guardian, garnered high profile support slots with the likes of We Are Scientists, Ratboys, Shellac, Pussy Riot, Fontaines DC & more, as well as airplay on KEXP, BBC 6 Music and BBC Radio 1.
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