Next Monday 

   Posted: February 04, 2010    -    5 Comments   ||   Add A Comment  

Hey there,

If any of you guys are in Dublin next Monday (February 8) get yourselves over to Vicar Street to see The Low Anthem. We toured with these guys in the US last year and they were astounding.

They also have a bigger harmonium than I do, so I love them and hate them in equal measure. Maybe a couple of you could distract them while I steal it.

Thank you in advance,
Lisa

The Low Anthem MySpace

 Way To Blue 

   Posted: January 21, 2010    -    9 Comments   ||   Add A Comment  

20 Jan 2010

Myself and Una are on the train to Glasgow. There's been no sign of the trolley.

Tonight's the first night of Way to Blue, a set of Nick Drake tribute concerts in which I'll be singing a few songs with a wonderful band, string section and group of singers.

A few months ago I went to meet Kate St John, the musical director, in her kitchen to discuss the songs I would be singing. Being early, I was very lucky to meet Kate McGarrigle, who was there planning her Christmas show in the Albert Hall. What a wonderful singer and songwriter she was, and from my brief meeting with her she seemed a very fun and fine lady too.

L

 Happy new year 

   Posted: January 11, 2010    -    3 Comments   ||   Add A Comment  

Happy (and belated) new year,

Dublin really is beautiful in the snow, and all the schools are closed which increases the general level of exuberance and mischief about.

I'm off to Paris on Tuesday for the tv show "One shot not" if there's any french people reading, fingers crossed the airport is open by then. I want a proper black coffee, real onion soup, and a look at some french snow.

L

 ! 

   Posted: July 21, 2009    -    19 Comments   ||   Add A Comment  

I can't transcribe the high pitched noise of excitement that I'm involuntarily making right now, but "!" sums up my feelings best.

"Sea Sew" has just been nominated for a Mercury Music Prize.

I really can't believe it. For myself, the lads in the band, Una, Nurse Ben, all of the people who worked so hard to put this record out and be heard, it's an incredible honour and unbelievable gift.

As I way saying... "!"

Now, to the bar, I'll explain on the way!

 The Colbert Report 

   Posted: March 10, 2009    -    21 Comments   ||   Add A Comment  

Hello there,

Yesterday was up there with getting the petite 990 as one of my favourite days.

Stephen Colbert is my hero.

I am, literally, wearing the t-shirt.

And the hat.

Here are links to the episode..

• Comedy Central Archives
• Comedy Network Archives
• CTV Archives

He saw our "I Don't Know" in the pub and asked if we were about. I don't know what to say I'm so chuffed.

I will be wearing my hat for the remainder of the tour, possibly removing it for showers.

(although it's more likely that it will be removed from my cold dead head, as if I were in the NRA and it was my "Sweetness")

L x

 Thank You! 

   Posted: February 26, 2009    -    6 Comments   ||   Add A Comment  

Thank you to everybody that voted in the Hot Press Readers' Poll... what a brilliant way to wake up on a Wednesday morning. And although I don't really know what Love of the Year means... I'm hoping that Hot Press will organise that myself and Barack Obama go on the Ferris wheel in the Electric Picnic this year in celebration.

Thanks again, I feel very honoured,
Lisa x

 Thanks for a great year 

   Posted: December 22, 2008    -    26 Comments   ||   Add A Comment  

Hello there,

After a week of not letting go of the good times I'm laid up with a sore throat and a mountain of lists for ticking. Most of them involve the baking of presents so it's fine.

Our homecoming show in Vicar street was a fittingly joyous occasion to finish off the year for myself, the band, Una and Ben. I thought it was a crazy idea when Uns first suggested it early on in the year but am very happy to be proved wrong.

The gig began with the first showing of the video for "Lille", made by Jamie Hannigan and Maeve Clancy. They spent weeks making this beautiful book from scratch and I think it's breathtaking. I hope you enjoy it...

I've had a wonderful year and I hope you have too,

Lisa x

ps. If anyone is at a loss for present buying give these a try -

Mrs Moynihan's flapjacks

125g (4oz) butter
90g (3oz) golden syrup
90g (3oz) light muscovado sugar
250g oats
pinch of salt
Buttered shallow cake tin about 20 x 30 (8x12 inches)

Melt the butter, sugar syrup and salt in a saucepan. Stir in the oats (add chocolate chips or fruit or nuts if you like). Spoon into the buttered tin.Bake for 30 minutes at 180C. Leave to cool and then chop into flapjacks.

I have never left any to cool.

 Missive from Milwaukee 

   Posted: November 21, 2008    -    4 Comments   ||   Add A Comment  

It's so cold that we've taken to microwaving our socks and hats on the bus. There's a vague smell of melted cheese and burning fabric off of us. At least we're warm!

In san diego, (when we were too warm) we got ourselves dressed up for halloween. Una and Donagh's lovely sister Dee was over and used her theatre skills to turn us into a nest of spiders.

Thanks to Bueno for the pictures.
Lisa x

Click thumbnail to start slideshow

 Greetings from Tucumcari 

   Posted: November 18, 2008    -    1 Comments   ||   Add A Comment  

Tucumcari, New Mexico November 17th 2008

We had our own show in Largo back in October. A beautiful old theatre in Los Angeles. Bueno was there and took some photos...

Click thumbnail to start slideshow

and finally, Shane met Marvin Gaye! (his real dad)

Thanks Bueno,
Lisa x

 Finally! 

   Posted: November 17, 2008    -    1 Comments   ||   Add A Comment  

Phoenix , November 15th 2008

I haven't been very good with the blogging this past while, what with all the travelling and playing and laughing we've been doing. But recent developments have changed all that.

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Tom Osander...

 Denver, Colorado 27th October 

   Posted: November 03, 2008    -    0 Comments   ||   Add A Comment  

Today myself and the boys found a great shop called Boss vintage and spent a happy afternoon rooting through their racks. Two frocks and a hat later, we played the beautiful Fillmore in Denver.

Bueno was on the case..

Lisa

Click thumbnail to start slideshow

 Houston, we have a Bueno 

   Posted: October 27, 2008    -    0 Comments   ||   Add A Comment  

Sunday 26th October, Oklahoma, 4 pm

Housemate, official tour photographer and international man of mystery, Bueno, arrived yesterday in Houston, Texas. Always a welcome development.
L

Click thumbnail to start slideshow

 and then there were three... 

   Posted: October 23, 2008    -    0 Comments   ||   Add A Comment  

Grand Prairie, Texas, 23rd October

Dr. Funk has succumbed to the power of the handlebar.
Three down, three to go..

L

 Louisville, Kentucky 21st October 

   Posted: October 22, 2008    -    0 Comments   ||   Add A Comment  

We've been on the road for two weeks now and another band member has fallen under the bristly wheels of the handlebar truck.

First was Gavin Glass, bequiffed and never without a towel:

 

Exhibit B is the Bunagh, whose beard is now in the bin of the Washington dressing room. Sigh.

 

At this rate we could be 100% handlebarred by halloween! (I've seen Una eyeing up the sharpies)

Lisa x

 new york city 4.30 am 

   Posted: October 07, 2008    -    2 Comments   ||   Add A Comment  

And we're off.

It's a combination of jetlag and excitement that has me awake so early. While the jetlag will fade I'm quite sure the excitement will propel the band and I around the country for the next 8 weeks. If only we could bottle it and sell it at petrol pumps. That seemed to be the general consensus in the van last night - as Manhattan reared up before us, glittering in the darkness. We're off!

L

 Things I Learned 

   Posted: September 22, 2008    -    4 Comments   ||   Add A Comment  

Today I learned two new things.

1. There is a way to recapture the magical, squeak inducing, sleep depriving feeling of childhood christmas eves.


2. I'm not the fizziest drink in the fridge when it comes to rumbling a surprise album launch party.

The former has been dawning on me over the past few weeks. Last night going to bed I was launched, Proust like, to the mid eighties, Back then I was fizzing excitedly for a petite 990 (a toy typewriter whose 9 to 5 tuned ad sent me into fits of squealing). Now I'm thinking about all the new albums, sitting in darkened shops around the country, waiting for morning.

The latter, in all fairness, was due less to my wide eyed innocence and more to Una's wily powers of deception and cunning. Thanks bird!

About the Petite 990, I seem to be the only person to remember this, and I've even asked the internet. Did I invent this or can someone out there corroborate me up?

L

 My current favourites 

   Posted: July 04, 2008    -    0 Comments   ||   Add A Comment  

I'm typing away in time to Jape's Ritual. It's only massive. On the tour I was listening to Bon Iver's record quite a bit. It sat perfectly in the wild south west of Ireland. On one beautiful clear and star stuffed night I saw Una excitedly imploring Tomo to lie out in the middle of the car park in Baltimore with her and listen to 'Skinny Love' with one headphone each as he hadn't yet. That says it all really.

I've just started reading The Book Thief by Markus Zusak and still dipping into Miranda July's lovely book of short stories, No one belongs here more than you. Donagh's been reading The Dirt, the Mötley Crüe autobiography and I picked that up a few times and re read some bits. Man, that *** is insane. I hope the Bunagh isn't getting any ideas... Actually that could be quite entertaining. Donagh Molloy, the lost years of glock and roll.
I'll stock up on the solpadene so.

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