Inspiration in isolation leaves everything rosy in the garden

Groove Tube with Cian O’Connell

With six self-released records to his name and an impressive catalogue of work as a producer, multi-instrumentalist Eoin Dolan is one of the more accomplished singer-songwriters in the west of Ireland.

Often laced with poignant lyrics, his songs sway between psych pop in the style of the Beach Boys and something a little more reminiscent of shoegaze.

His latest project – a hazy, summery EP – sees some of Eoin’s most uplifting work.

Comprising of four reflective tracks, June Hope was released at the beginning of the month. It focuses on the importance of looking ahead, initially past the winter months in which Eoin began constructing it. The EP ended up being an important outlet during lockdown and served as a reminder that things will improve.

“When I first started writing the EP around November, I was getting these ideas to put out some kind of summer EP,” Eoin recalls.

“In the last couple of years, I got big into gardening. I just have a small patio area in the city and I started planting seeds and bulbs and different kinds of things.

“With gardening, you learn how to be more observant of how nothing stays the same and things are constantly changing and it felt like an interesting thing to explore.

“When I was younger, I used to always look forward to the summer… That idea of hopefulness kept recurring in all of the songs I was writing.

“With the lockdown, it was a chance for everybody to pause and reflect on things and I think having something to look forward to is such an important part of life. It’s nearly a given that the summer will bring good weather so there are literally brighter days ahead.”

Working in isolation proved fruitful for Eoin. The absence of distraction gave a pace and energy to the recording process that surprised the man himself. His home set-up is a familiar one but it’s never been more valuable.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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