Irish musician Declan O’Rourke returns to Australia this spring.
“I love coming back to Australia. I always look forward to it,” Declan says.
Three years since his last visit, Declan will be performing a special series of concerts. Poetic and humorous, his music is filled with wit, the yearning of history and the patience of mortality. “My music is both honest and hopeful,” he says.
Born in Dublin and now living on the west coast of Ireland, Declan spent eight years of his youth living in Australia.
{youtube}1V-CGWsJwOo{/youtube}
At the age of 13, a priest in Kyabram, Victoria, gave him his first guitar. Inspired, this moment led to Declan’s debut album ‘Since Kyabram’ that was released in 2004. “When I was trying to find the title of my first record I couldn’t. I decided to choose the defining moment it all started.”
‘Since Kyabram’ was nominated for three Meteor Awards (Irish Music Awards) including Best Male Artist, Best New Album and Best Folk/ Trad Artist.
Now Declan is set to release his sixth record, ‘Chronicles Of The Great Irish Famine’, in October. Fifteen years in the making, ‘Chronicles Of The Great Irish Famine’ is inspired by powerful truths and influential stories. “I accidentally came across a book and learnt about my family and the Irish Famine. I just felt the more I read the more powerful the stories, I suppose truths, became.”
Historically based, the album explores Declan’s roots through sound and music. “I actually began writing this album before I began working on my debut album. As I had to do a lot of research, the album was almost an academic subject for me.”
Since the age of 15, Declan has been singing and writing songs. “They are two completely different elements, however you can’t have one without the other. I absolutely love writing and performing. They are extremely well connected, but they are independent.”
{youtube}BqlbnxEQo9M{/youtube}
Constantly on the road, Declan explains how touring is both rewarding and challenging. “The travel is very tiring, however if you take that element away it’s very fun. The challenges would be: being away from home and family, never being able to keep a routine, however you definitely get used to it and it does pay off.”
‘Chronicles Of The Great Irish Famine’ is released 27 October, 2017.
Declan O’Rourke Shows
Wed 27 Sep - The Spotted Mallard (Melbourne)Thu 28 Sep - Caravan Club (Melbourne)
Fri 29 Sep - Dashville Skyline (Hunter Valley)
Sun 1 Oct - Black Bear Lodge (Brisbane)
Tues 3 Oct - Ainslie Arts Centre (Canberra)
Wed 4 Oct - The Wheatsheaf (Adelaide)
Thu 5 Oct - The Factory Theatre (Sydney)
