Coronas’ collaborations add to new album’s fresh sound

Groove Tube with Cian O’Connell

Any group releasing new music in the middle of a pandemic would have to be inventive – but when you’re The Coronas, it’s accepted you might have to up the ante…which might explain why the band are making plans to promote their new album by, at the same time, giving out free ice cream across the country.

The Coronas have been a mainstay of Irish indie-rock for the best part of two decades. From their debut album in 2007, the Dublin outfit have toed the line between chorus-heavy, pop anthems like San Diego Song and more sombre, acoustic folk tracks like Heroes or Ghosts.

In a national context, their legacy is bolstered by a long list of Irish radio favourites as well as a catalogue of major songs recorded as Gaeilge – and, as one of the Arts Festival’s most prolific acts, they are well embedded in Galway’s live music scene.

The Coronas will release their sixth studio album True Love Waits this Friday.  Singles in the run-up to the release date have included several collaborative efforts including Lost in the Thick of It, a melodic duet with English singer-songwriter Gabrielle Aplin.

As a whole, the record is full of ambition. The band worked with a series of co-writers and producers in order to vary the project as best they could. One notable impact is the diversity of lead singer Danny O’Reilly’s vocals throughout.

“Knoxy and the lads were always encouraging me to use my voice in different ways and that,” Danny admits.

“I think co-writing a few of the songs with different people as well [had an impact]. When I wrote Find the Water with John Broe and my sister Róisín, I had the chorus and, in my head, I had the verse an octave lower and John said ‘You know what – you need to use your voice in different ways. You’ve been doing this a good while now and it’s time to surprise people’.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

Get the Connacht Tribune Live app

The Connacht Tribune Live app is the home of everything that is happening in Galway City and county. It’s completely FREE and features all the latest news, sport and information on what’s on in your area. Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.