Warm sounds of Sophie Coyle for home gig in Black Gate

Groove Tube with Cian O’Connell

It’s almost a year and a half since Dundalk-based singer-songwriter Sophie Coyle released her debut album Blame Me for the Storm.  The eleven-track folk LP was a remarkably diverse debut – reminiscent of Leonard Cohen in its narrative depth and minimalist instrumentation. Now, with two children and a new set of songs, Sophie is gearing towards a sophomore record following a busy summer.

Next Friday, September 6, Sophie will return to her home city to play the Black Gate Centre on Francis Street. Accompanying her on the night will be drummer Conor Taaffe, bassist Caroline Whately and keyboard player Sharon McArdle. With the intensity of her personal life over the last couple of years, one might be surprised by how determined and hard-working she remains with her music.

“I put out my first album around the time of our first girl,” she recalls. “Having kids was probably the most focusing thing that’s happened in my life. When I had them, I was worried it would negatively affect my creativity but it actually sort of doubled it. I’m kind of time-poor but what I do with my time is much more effective. It also made me want to achieve some goals that maybe I’d been putting off for a while – the first album was a result of that.”

Sophie’s song-writing process has evolved to suit the intensity of her day-to-day life. While she has less time to devote to her craft, the moments she does get have become more precious to her. The additions to her set are testament to her proficiency as a writer.

“I’ve had the ideas for this new set of songs for a while,” Sophie admits. “It’s harder to devote time to the song-writing . . . I used to have loads of time and luxuriate in the time it took to create but now I’m snatching bits here and there. When I started out first the songs used to come in a flood or a rush . . . You’d have a song written in a day or two whereas now I might get the bones of one down and come back to it.

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.

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