Pool Of Sound - Lucy Gaffney

 

Lucy Gaffney grew up in Belfast where her life was steeped in music from an early age. She started playing the piano when she was 7 and was in the choir at school so learnt to harmonise pretty early. After her brother Thomas learnt the guitar at 15 they used to sing together and go busking on Fountain Street in Belfast for pocket money, and, as they didn't really know any covers, they just wrote tunes. When she turned 19 they moved together between London and Liverpool in a band called 'Southern'. However, having a deal with an indie record label that they didn't like, supporting the likes of Jake Bugg and hellraising Libertine Pete Doherty, and touring across Europe to perform at star-studded fashion events, all this would come to a sudden end. The reason being that despite all the glitz and glamour, the thrill of living and learning in London, of being produced by Ian Broudie of  'The Lightning Seeds', and hearing their own songs recorded on vinyl, their musical journey came to an abrupt halt in February 2015 when Thomas contracted a rare autoimmune disorder. Forced to put the London-based 'Southern' on hold and return home definitely felt like the end of an era as they had been set to release an album. With London proving pricey, they had upped sticks and moved to Liverpool, a fertile playing ground for musicians of all kinds. Ian Broudie had produced their debut EP and 'Queens of the Stone Age' producer Mark Rankin their first album, which was never released due to Thomas' illness.

Back in Ireland, as Thomas gradually recovered, they started to write and record again in their own  studio. In their new incarnation as 'MMODE', they started their musical careers afresh and with the help of many musical friends from Belfast and further afield, they recorded their eponymous album at home. Now Lucy seemed to be singing lead more with Thomas able to sit back and take on the producer role and also take his guitar playing in a totally new direction. On tour with 'The Coral', James Skelly was watching Lucy and the band live and said, "These songs are really good. Have you recorded any of them?’ So Lucy and the band went into the studio with him, and what they did felt more like a solo project. She decided that this should be the way forward, and James helped develop it – along with her brother. It just fell into place with Lucy doing her own songs that she'd had on the shelf for ages and her brother also was really into the vibe that they were getting. Now Lucy and Thom are both releasing their own new music and still produce a lot of it together. 

These days Lucy has settled in Liverpool where she's pursuing a solo career, though one in which she still works closely with Thomas. Her debut single 'Can't Escape', four-minutes of lustrous pop, was released on Friday the 17th of April 2020 on Modern Sky/Run On Records. The success led to the release of the 'In The Air' EP, a four track record made up of  her own take on 'DMAs' 'In The Air', Oasis' 'Songbird', The Stone Roses', 'Your Star Will Shine', and her acoustic take on her own debut single, 'Can't Escape'. She thinks Liverpool as a city makes it more accessible to be a musician with an abundance of rehearsal studios and venues. She says, " I have so much love for Liverpool’s music scene! I don't think I've ever been to a city where music's such a huge part of day to day life, it's awesome and it's super easy to be a brand new artist here because there's always 'music nights' on for any genre of musician. I think Liverpool's one of the best city's to find your feet when developing your sound. It was for me anyway. I've gotta say my favourite space in Liverpool not to just to play in, but also to record and write in, is Parr Street Studios."  Her new single 'Send Me Away', via Frictionless Music in October 2020 was produced by 'The Coral’s' James Skelly, positioning her as a rising artist in the fertile Northern English indie scene. Featuring on the track alongside Lucy is Thom Southern on Electric Guitar and Bass and Jim Sharrock on Drums. Lucy has won plenty of acclaim from RTE for this single and elsewhere for her enthralling cover songs, not least from Liam Gallagher for her version of Oasis classic ‘Songbird’ and he called her music 'celestial'. A collaboration with 'DMA's' and tours with Bill Ryder Jones and 'She Drew The Gun' saw support from BBC Radio 1, as well as BBC Introducing Merseyside and BBC Introducing Ulster. 

She told Hot Press in February 2021, "I've got quite a lot to come out this year. I was fairly busy towards the end of last year – working with a producer in LA, and a producer in England. I'm also writing some stuff with Bill Ryder-Jones at the minute. I should be releasing my next single and an EP in March. So it's been a pretty busy year, in a weird way!" Lucy Gaffney is a compelling artist and talented songwriter, showing strong personal musical growth from her days in 'Southern' and 'MMODE'. 'Send Me Away' is just a glimpse into her musical prowess and songwriting capabilities. 

see also:- http://www.thefootballvoice.com/2021/05/pool-of-sound-mono-lps.html