Mick Flannery and Susan O'Neill have announced a collaborative album, In The Game, set to be released in September 2021. Coinciding with the news, the pair have shared a powerful new single, 'Chain Reaction'.

This new track follows their 2020 duet ‘Baby Talk’, which won ‘Best Original Song of The Year’ at the RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards and has racked up nearly one million streams to date.

‘Chain Reaction’ offers the first glimpse at an album that documents a couple’s coming together and falling apart, offering up longing, redemption and equal measures of seduction and sorrow, desire and despair.

“This is the sweet one, the call and response," Susan says. "There is a feeling of love and balance here as both voices verbalise the same lyrics, thoughts and gratitude.”

“This song arrived at night/morning early in pandemic lockdowns," Mick adds. It was partly inspired by hopeful talk of a “reset” and/or environmental benefits to a great slowing of human activity.”

Speaking to Hot Press in July 2020, Mick revealed that work on the collaborative album was already underway:

“Susan did a couple of support gigs for me, and then we started to try co-writing,” he said at the time. “I started to write songs with a project in mind, and Susan did too. Now we’ve a mixed bag of songs that we’ve written together, and songs we’ve written separately. We’re going to start recording it this summer, but with the timeline of things, it will probably be next year by the time we get to release it. There’s a semi-theme going through the whole thing – we’re playing the part of a couple, but things don’t always go so well for them...”

Mick and Susan recorded in Co. Cork, with Christian Best engineering, as well as playing drums on the track. Tony Buchen took over producing duties in Los Angeles, bringing in various players including Death Cab for Cutie’s Zac Rae on Wurlitzer duties.

The pair have also announced a string of Irish shows in support of the new record, in October and December 2021 – including Cork Opera House; Dolan’s Warehouse, Limerick; and Whelan’s, Dublin. New dates go on sale today, and more shows are to be announced soon.

Take a look at the video for 'Chain Reaction', filmed in Co. Clare, and directed by Christopher Luke, below:

LIVE DATES - MICK FLANNERY + SUSAN O’NEILL
Oct 9 - Dolan’s, Limerick
Oct 17 - INEC, Kilarney
Oct 22 - Opera House, Cork
Oct 23 - De Barra’s, Clonakilty
Oct 29 - Sligo Live Festival
Oct 30 - Vicar St, Dublin (Sold Out)
Nov 6 - Whelan’s, Dublin
Nov 11- Spirit Store, Dundalk
Nov 12 - Ramor Theatre, Virgina
Nov 13 - The Duncairn, Belfast
Nov 19 - Roisin Dubh, Galway
Dec 12 - Watergate Theatre. Kilkenny