Singer-songwriter Ultan Conlon announces album launch gig at the Workman's Club

Galway musician Ultan Conlon has announced his solo album launch gig at the Workman's Club next month, after working with Grammy Award-winning producer Sean Watkins on his recent record There's a Waltz.

Ultan was introduced to Watkins four years ago in Los Angeles while gigging at Largo, the nightclub where Sean and Sara Watkins host The Watkins Family Hour.

“When I met the musicians that Sean brought on board to record my songs and we played the first few bars, I knew this record was gonna make itself, under the influence of Sean navigating us all ever so gently,” Conlon said of his kinship with Sean.

The gang of musicians includes Watkins on numerous instruments, Don Heffington on drums, Sebastian Steinberg on bass and double base, Gabe Witcher on fiddle, Rich Hinman on pedal steel, Sara Watkins on backing vocals. and Tyler Chester on B3 and piano.

The formidably experienced group have worked with the likes of Neil Diamond, KD Lang, Paul Simon, Beck, St Vincent, Lucinda Williams, Jackson Browne, Andrew Bird and Bob Dylan.

Conlon’s poetically-enigmatic songs and lyrical pearls of wisdom usually stem from his own personal experiences, whether he is reflecting on the dark days of his battle with alcohol addiction ('A Long Way Back'), the isolation incurred by the internet and digital landscape ('World from A Window'), anxiety regarding the earth's future ('A Landslide') or a journey towards self-acceptance ('There's a Waltz').

'World From A Window' was inspired by his pet kitten's habit of staring at the outside universe through a glass pane.

"Kitty was staring out the window all day and there I was feeling so sorry for her limited life, looking out at birds and cars, and then I noticed myself, stuck on Twitter and Instagram, scrolling at mind-numbing crap," Conlon said.

"The song expanded from that moment into a realisation that so many of us are not immune to spending much of our lives on the windows of one’s computers or cell phones.”

The song's music video features watercolour illustrations from Brazilian artist Maria Eugenia.

With comparisons to Roy Orbison among other musicians, Conlon's unique sound has gripped fans all over the world for its depth, introspection and self-awareness.

According to his website, the Irish singer-songwriter began creating songs after the death of his father, moved to “write as a form of comfort."

The artist has shared the stage with the likes of John Fogerty, Mavis Staples, Shelby Lynne, Jackson Browne, Bryan Ferry, John Grant, Eddi Reader, Patty Griffin and Richard Hawley, among others throughout his career, and has also performed duets with Glen Hansard and John Martyn.

There's a Waltz is Ultan Conlon's fourth record in 10 years, with Jackie Hayden of Hot Press giving it a strong review back in April when it was released:

"Throughout There’s A Waltz, Conlon sings with conviction and ease, as if he’s nothing to prove (because he hasn’t). His songs are based on a confronting of reality rather than offering escape routes, songs of substance told with intelligence and wry observation. He does it all with compassion and a lack of finger-pointing, so nobody takes the blame here."

Listen to the full album below ahead of the gig:

https://open.spotify.com/album/4kz2WfdYSbUrfKZFcO1Wzm