FIVE FAVOURITES: Ailbhe Reddy

A raw and relatable record about existing in the emotional ether at the end of a relationship, Dublin-born artist Ailbhe Reddy’s upcoming third album, KISS BIG, is a wholehearted affair that continues to spotlight her talent for empathetic songwriting. Set for release on 30th January via Don Giovanni Records, across nine tracks she dismantles the cyclical nature of love and the ways in which we persist and resist, but ultimately succumb to romance once again when the breakup cycle is complete.

We think one of the best ways to get to know an artist is by asking what music inspired them to write in the first place. We caught up with Ailbhe to ask about her “Five Favourites” and she picked five albums by an eclectic range of artists who have inspired her songwriting techniques. Check out her choices below and scroll down to watch the official video for Ailbhe’s latest single ‘That Girl’ too…

 

1. Fiona Apple – When The Pawn…
I heard this for the first time when I was working an office job in my early twenties. ‘Paper Bag’ came on the radio and I felt like it was written just for me. I was immediately hooked. I went and bought the album that same day and spent months obsessed with it. I, of course, went through Apple’s entire back catalogue and was so inspired by her as an artist and individual. The production, lyrics and vocal delivery still blow me away every listen.

2. Julia Jacklin – Crushing
After I recorded my first album, I got a lot of comparisons to Julia Jacklin (what a compliment!) but I had never heard her. ‘Don’t Know How to Keep Loving You’ came on while I was driving in my car one day and it destroyed me! I pulled over and put the whole album on and listened from start to finish. What a journey. So simple. So perfect. I’ve been a fan ever since and think she’s one of the best songwriters around.

3. Jeff Buckley – Grace
This is a formative one for me. I learned a lot about playing guitar from a book of music from this album. I definitely spent a long time shoehorning nice jazz chords into my songs as a result. I was a kid when I first heard this album — my mum had a copy in her car that she used to listen to. It wasn’t until I started playing guitar that I started really listening to the songwriting properly. By then YouTube existed and I spent hours finding every single video I could of Jeff playing the songs from this album. I got to sing a few songs from this album at a show celebrating the 30 year anniversary of this album a while back, and it gave me a whole new appreciation for his vocal performance.

4. Sufjan Stevens – Illinois
I saw the dance/musical version of this in New York City two years ago and cried my little eyes out. Not just because it was beautifully performed, but because no album reminds me of the pure love I had for music as a teenager as well as this album. When I was 15 or 16 I got a little 8-track and recorded my own version of ‘Chicago’ on it. Still, whenever I hear that song it brings me back to that time. Pure love and awe and discovery. The song itself is rich with imagery and feels like a full novel, and my own memories on top always make it a joyful listen.

5. Big Thief – Capacity
‘Mythological Beauty’ was my introduction to Big Thief, I heard it playing in a friend’s kitchen and was immediately grabbed by it. There was something so mesmerising about Lenker’s vocal delivery and also the lyrics are pretty daaamn perfect. Again – it feels like a novel in a song. How can someone sum up their mother? Such a complex, deep relationship. Yet, she nails it. I got to see the album live in Dublin and was blown away by the band live which kicked off my journey as a long time fan. ‘Mary’ is another song from that album that I think is spectacular, and part of its charm is how different it is from the rest of the band’s discography. I’ve seen it a few times live in different iterations and it’s always been so special.

Thanks to Ailbhe for sharing her favourites with us!

Ailbhe will be playing a London headline show at The Lexington on 21st April to celebrate the release of KISS BIG – tickets are on sale now!

Watch the video for her latest single ‘That Girl’ below.

Follow Ailbhe Reddy: website, bandcamp, TIDAL, Instagram & Facebook

Photo Credit: Su Mustecaplioglu

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LIVE: Ailbhe Reddy – Moth Club, London 18.04.23

“I’m a one trick pony” joked Ailbhe Reddy to her attentive crowd at Hackney’s Moth Club last week. Referring to the similar content of the songs that make up her latest album, Endless Affair – “this one’s about being hungover” – Reddy’s self deprecating remarks and tender, clear vocals charmed her listeners at the East London venue.

Opening her set with bittersweet anthem ‘Between Your Teeth’, which is taken from her debut album Personal History, Reddy was backed by a full band for the majority of her show. Pausing briefly between songs to share personal anecdotes, including her memory of the disastrous last time she played piano live – “I covered a little song called ‘Imagine’, don’t know if you’ve heard of it? It didn’t go well” – Reddy’s headline performance made up for her past mistakes.

With a setlist full of tracks from her second album Endless Affair, Reddy delivered great renditions of ‘Inhaling’, ‘Shoulderblades’, ‘Last To Leave’ and the hugely relatable ‘Shitshow’, on which she scrutinizes her drunken reflection. On record, Reddy’s poetic, vulnerable lyrics are balanced alongside her wry humour, and this translated well in a live setting too. Whether Reddy was learning to “take love where it’s planted” on the beautifully sincere ‘Bloom’, trying to get under and ex’s skin on ‘ILYW’ (‘I’m Losing You’re Winning’), or simply owning up to being ‘A Mess’, she managed to retain these key elements of her craft under the spotlight.

Songs from her debut album, Personal History, also made the cut, including ‘Looking Happy’ and the title track, on which Reddy passionately repeated the lyric “I don’t want to go on dates / and hear personal history / I don’t want to share my own / unless it’s you listening”, which proved to be a real highlight of the set.

Whilst Reddy clearly relished playing with a full band behind her, there were moments when the collective volume of the instruments overpowered her vocal. This was atoned for at the end of the set, when she played her final three songs solo. Closing the night with the emotive ‘Pray For Me’, which was dedicated to her late Grandmother, Reddy’s crowd listened intently as she shared stories about the “wordless promises” she made to her relative in the latter stages of her life. It was a poignant and powerful note to end the set on, and one which will ensure fans keep coming back to see Reddy play live again.

Follow Ailbhe Reddy on bandcamp, Spotify, Twitter, Instagram & Facebook

Photo credit: Niamh Barry

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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ALBUM: Ailbhe Reddy – ‘Endless Affair’

“My God look at the state of me / this is so embarrassing” sings Irish songwriter Ailbhe Reddy, scrutinising her drunken reflection on ‘Shitshow’, the opening track to her latest album, Endless Affair. Following on from 2020’s debut full length release, Personal History, on her new record Reddy finds the sweet spot between romantic melancholy, unfiltered shame and wry humour, as she re-frames her fractured memories of nights spent partying in her early 20s and various fluctuating loves and infatuations.

Written and recorded between January 2019 and October 2020, Reddy paired up with producer Tommy McLaughlin again to co-produce Endless Affair. She relished the opportunity to create a truly rounded sound on the record, which maintains the raw spirit of her debut, but showcases a development in her intuition for writing songs that continue to tap into both a personal and universal vein.

Whether she’s admiring the unique way the light defines her partner’s body on ‘Shoulderblades’, or feeling the walls closing in on ‘Last To Leave’, Reddy’s skill for revisiting a moment and making it more poignant – or more painful – than before is the lifeblood of Endless Affair. “It’s not just your drink you’re spilling / to anybody who will listen” she observes on the latter, over gentle beats and considered instrumentation, softening the awkward reality of the situation. It’s a relatable reflection on wanting to atone for potentially embarrassing behaviour – whether personally, or vicariously.

Reddy presents her emotions with endearing and at times excruciating honesty, learning to “take love where it’s planted” on the beautifully sincere ‘Bloom’, revealing the rawness of the wounds left by a breakup on ‘Damage’, and remembering a period of painful apathy on ‘Inhaling’. She explores all these things with charm, wit and impressive grace. This is especially true of ‘Pray For Me’ – dedicated to her late Grandmother – and moving ode ‘Motherhood’, which the songwriter nurtured and developed multiple times throughout the album’s recording process.

Whilst tenderness flows through the veins of Endless Affair, it’s also permeated with moments of recklessness and humour. This is epitomized especially by Reddy’s half-hearted attempts to verbally get under an ex’s skin on ‘ILYW’ (‘I’m Losing You’re Winning’), and the the rolling rhythms and energetic riffs on ‘A Mess’. A reflection on an early, chaotic relationship, the track is a buoyant rumination on the cyclical nature of bad habits and a lively effort to move past them. Whilst the repetition of the titular lyric ‘A Mess’ could sting if it was delivered differently, Reddy claims it as a lighthearted label, accepting that youth and inexperience are all part of the learning process when it comes to forming healthy relationships.

Ultimately, Endless Affair is a patient, earnest reflection on personal growth and a heartening reminder that we’re all just ‘Amateurs’ trying to make sense of the bruises that mysteriously materialise on our bodies the morning after we’ve had too much of a good time. It reaffirms Reddy’s astute songwriting sensibilities and is a tonic for any extended emotional hangover.

Follow Ailbhe Reddy on bandcamp, Spotify, Twitter, Instagram & Facebook

Photo credit: Niamh Barry

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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LISTEN: Ailbhe Reddy – ‘Last To Leave’

An intricate re-framing of the extended emotional hangover that often sets in before the end of a big night out, Irish musician Ailbhe Reddy has shared her latest single ‘Last To Leave’. Taken from her upcoming second album, Endless Affair, which is set for release on 17th March via MNRK, the track is a relatable reflection on taking things too far, and wanting to atone for potentially embarrassing behaviour – whether personally, or vicariously.

“’Last To Leave’ is about having an infatuation with someone who you find frustrating and watching as they make a fool of themselves at a party, while knowing you might be doing the same thing,” Reddy explains about her new single. The songwriter explores this scenario through the lens of a bystander, but is all too aware that she may also be guilty by association. Reddy acknowledges this via her endearing, yet excruciatingly raw lyrics and crystalline vocals. “It’s not just your drink you’re spilling / to anybody who will listen” she observes, over gentle beats and considered instrumentation, softening the awkward reality of the situation.

Following on from her debut album, Personal History (2020), Reddy’s upcoming record Endless Affair is inspired by her romantic relationships and her fractured memories of many a fun night spent partying in her early 20s. It’s both a poignant and playful offering, that sees her tap into the need to be with others, to soak up the experience as much as possible, and to remind listeners that they’re not missing out – even if they have to leave the party early.

Reddy will be playing the revered SXSW festival in Texas in March, before returning to the UK and Ireland in April and May to play a string of headline shows. Full dates are below.

Listen to ‘Last To Leave’ here:

Ailbhe Reddy 2023 UK & Ireland Tour Dates
12 April – Portland Arms, Cambridge, UK
13 April – Louisiana, Bristol, UK
14 April – Gullivers, Manchester, UK
15 April – Hug & Pint, Glasgow, UK
16 April – Brudenell, Leeds, UK
18 April – Moth Club, London, UK
05 May – Whelans, Dublin, IE
06 May – Whelans, Dublin, IE

Follow Ailbhe Reddy on bandcamp, Spotify, Twitter, Instagram & Facebook

Photo credit: Niamh Barry

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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