On Our Radar: Dani Larkin on 'Notes For A Maiden Warrior'

Your debut album is rooted in Irish folklore and mythology.

Yes, I felt an all-encompassing homecoming in wanting to delve into the stories that have shaped and continue to shape our collective psyche on this island. The more conversations I had with people, the more book recommendations and stories and songs came along. One of the first conversations I had was with Dr. Sharon Blackie when we were both on the bill for a TEDx-style event in Belfast. Sharon’s intersection of psychology and mythology inspired me greatly, and the journey continued from there.

Did you grow up in a musical household?  

Yes, my mother’s family are all musicians, beginning with my Granda who was in the showbands in the ‘60s and ‘70s. Almost every Sunday we would gather and sing, or tell stories, dance or showcase the play we’d written that week. There were no rules and there was no judgement. My grandmother held the space, and continues to do so, and it wasn’t until I left home that I realised gathering that way wasn’t a common experience. While I didn’t start writing songs or playing guitar until I was 23, I would say my journey as a musician started on those Sunday evenings when I was about 7 or 8.

How would you sum up Notes For A Maiden Warrior in a sentence?

What a cardinal task for any songwriter! An ancestral nod to the past, very much rooted in the present and looking to the beyond.

Listen to 'Notes For A Maiden Warrior' below.