At home with Leslie Dowdell

It won’t be easy, but you’ll eventually find Leslie Dowdall’s residence set among the Wicklow Hills in the ultra-secluded environs of Glenmalure.

The house is completely wooden, both inside and outside, in a style very popular in Sweden, replete with six rooms. Its high ceilings are another feature that distinguishes it from your bog-standard two-up, two-down.
Dowdall says: “I moved here about a year ago and I love the seclusion and the peace and quiet. I had the advantage that I had a friend who lived here and so I got to know the area very well. But I never actually thought I’d end up living here permanently.”
The singer obviously has an eye for the nature world and the great outdoors. She must enjoy having a house with a balcony that affords her truly stunning views. “It’s fabulous just sitting her and being able to look out my window across the glen and see sheep and rabbits and woods and hills," she says. "There are about 20 other houses in the area, so it has the best of both world in that it’s quite remote but on the other hand it’s not totally deserted.”
Whenever the need or the impulse takes her she nips across to Wicklow town for shopping trips. She’s not too far from either Rathdrum or Aughrim, and if she fancies dropping into a pub she’s relatively convenient to Glenmalure Lodge. It’s a popular stopping off point for walkers and ramblers whose activities Dowdall can identify with.
“I’ve always enjoyed walking and it’s great to be so close to the Wicklow Way and other pleasant walks,” she says. Although she doesn’t have a pet herself, she adds to her exercise regime by borrowing a neighbour’s dog. “There’s this beautiful Labrador called Nellie and I take her for walks as often as I can. I love dogs, but since I’m away so much it’d be unfair to have a dog here with nobody to look after it,” she explains.
Currently enjoying one of the busiest phases of her music career since her globetrotting days as the frontwoman with Irish ‘80s rockers In Tua Nua, much of Dowdall’s time is spent on the road touring with her musical partner, the former Stockton’s Wing songwriter Mike Hanrahan. But her home is no haven from the whirlwind world of her working on the road, and is actually full of music. In fact there are instruments all over the place, several guitars, keyboards and percussion instruments, with piles of CDs readily in view.
“I have an album due for release later in the year which consists of all my own songs," she says.
"I actually wrote most of them here in the house. I’m bringing out a new single called ‘Learning To Let Go’ and it’s available on MySpace now. It helps that I have my own recording set-up here in my own studio. It’s fantastic sitting down in front of my keyboard to work on my music while looking out at the beautiful natural surroundings. It’s truly inspirational.”
Dowdall uses a Yamaha PRS 9000 on which to compose her songs, and she has the added advantage that with no neighbours in close proximity, there’s nobody to complain on the noise front. “It’s very quiet all round, so if I want to turn up the volume I can just go right ahead and do it. Musicians also love coming here because they don’t have to keep an eye on the volume. It’s not often that you get that kind of situation, so we make the most of it!”
Her personal CD collection is fairly large and eclectic, ranging from classical to contemporary rock, although you probably won’t find much vintage Metallica in there.
“My tastes are fairly wide-ranging, so you’ll find Andrea Bocelli next to Amy Winehouse. Hers is probably the CD I bought most recently. I don’t actually try to keep up with everything’s that’s going on, but when I hear something I like as much as I love Amy’s album I go and get it. In fact my CDs are probably the most treasured possession I have. No matter where I ever live I’ll always want my favourite records with me.”
She listens to radio mainly for news, and never watches TV. “I hear East Coast Radio and South East Radio a lot, but I never watch television. Basically, I’ve no interest. It’s not pleasant any more, so I’ve given up on it. There’s too much crap these days, all that reality TV stuff that has really nothing to do with reality at all. In fact I have a TV set, but it’s for watching DVDs only.”
Her choice of DVD viewing is more likely to stray towards the biography end of the market. “I love films like Frida which I got recently. It’s about the Mexican painter Frida Kahlo, and I thought it was terrific.”
Her interest in books also leans towards the factual rather than the fictional. “I have to admit I usually have a few books on the go at the same time. Recently I got a present of a book called 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die. Then I was given a similar book about movies, so I’ve a lot of watching and reading to catch up on! I prefer biographies or autobiographies. I’ll read books about rock stars or film stars like Elvis or Greta Garbo. My father has also advised me to read Larry Kirwan’s Green Suede Shoes, so I’ll get around to that one as soon as I can.”
There’s a small well-tended vegetable garden outside, but inside the household is most likely to smell of garlic from Dowdall’s cooking adventures, or from the candles she burns regularly. “I love flowers and candles. Sometimes I burn so many candles it’s like the Taj Mahal here,” she laughs.
Pics: Cathal Dawson
Leslie Dowdall will appear on the Late Late Show on April 13 and starts a nationwide tour with Mike Hanrahan at The Forum, Waterford on April 14.