The Guest List
Thursday August 24th, 2023 with Joe Reilly
An interview with the amazing Irish folk singer Lisa O'Neill and her new album All Of This Is Chance

NOTE: The On Demand version of this program is 5 minutes longer than the FM broadcast version of the show. It includes the song Silver Seed and an extra minute of interview with Lisa - both had to be edited from the FM broadcast version to ensure the program fit into its 60 minute time slot. Last week we talked to Jane Siberry about her take on the cosmos and the role music plays in our lives and today we have an equally, engaging, thought-provoking and deep conversation with the stunning Irish folk-singer Lisa O'Neill. When I received Lisa's fifth album, All of this is Chance, earlier this year, I was completely gobsmacked as I listened to the recording over and over again. Lisa's haunting voice drew me in immediately, but it was her poetic songs that captured my imagination and my heart. I felt that this woman was tapping into some part of the cosmos that mere mortals like myself cannot reach, and she was giving us a glimpse of our world from some alternative perspective. The natural world, ghosts and poignant characters loom large in her songs and using them she is telling us about what is great and beautiful within us... and perhaps being ignored in the fast-paced, rat race society we live in. And as she explains in this interview she is legitimately concerned about the fact that in our urban environments we aren't in touch with nature and cannot hear the sounds of the natural world. Ironically, we couldn't do the interview outside her hotel due to the distant humming of some construction equipment, and even within her hotel room you can hear the hum of refrigerator in the background, constantly reminding us of the inescapable noise of urban living. Listen to these songs - they really do speak to the human soul - and listen to her musings in this interview. I was in the company of a very special person when I conducted this interview and I remain grateful for having had the opportunity to talk to Lisa O'Neill, a few hours before her spell-binding performance at the Red Bird Live on Tuesday, August 15th. If you ever have the opportunity to see her perform, don't miss it! For more information about Lisa O'Neill check out these links: https://lisaoneill.ie/home/ https://lisa-oneill.bandcamp.com Check out her amazing Tiny Desk Concert at NPR: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hMxG92KTGE Support independent music in any way that you can and get out to see some live music this week if possible!