Track of the Day: Jane Willow - 'Hands On My Hips'

Dublin-based folk singer-songwriter folk Jane Willow has recently released her beautiful new single, 'Hands On My Hips', featuring Steve Wickham from The Waterboys.

The Dutch-turned-Irish musician is releasing her debut album Burn So Bright in November, which takes influence from the likes of Leonard Cohen, Nick Drake and Richard Hawley. The album will feature string arrangements by Joe Csibi, head of RTE Concert Orchestra, and Dave Hingerty on drums (Glen Hansard, Josh Ritter). Guest performances by Steve Wickham of The Waterboys, Pat Byrne and more are also expected.

"I wrote ‘Hands On My Hips’ in October 2018," Jane tells Hot Press. "The song is about feeling disconnected and not caring about the world as long as I get to be close to the people I love. It’s funny that the world changed in the way it did, and that as a result I did not get to be close to the people I love."

In the past, Willow has performed at Vicar Street, Whelan’s, Temple Bar Tradfest, Body & Soul and Electric Picnic - and has opened for Irish music veterans Glen Hansard, The Unthanks, Lisa Hannigan, Paddy Casey, Andy Irvine, Kíla, David Kitt, Aoife Scott and Mark Geary.

On her debut EP ‘Onward Still’ was released in November 2018, which saw Jane collaborate with musicians Dave Hingerty and Vyvienne Long, who has played cello for none other than Damien Rice. In 2019, her single ‘The Fool’ reached the finals of Radio Nova Discovered.

Willow will perform a headline show in Whelan's on Monday, January 31st 2022 to celebrate the release of Burn So Bright and 'Hands On My Hips'. Grab your tickets to see Jane live here.

"We started working on my upcoming debut album in the middle of the pandemic and 'Hands On My Hips' was quite the exercise in remote recording," Willow acknowledges. "Steve Wickham recorded his fiddle parts remotely in Sligo. The video was shot and directed by Kees and Femke in the Netherlands and the choir part at the end of the song was a last minute idea of mine. I wanted to hear some very wonderful people singing with me like the olden days, when you’d get to jump on stage at a gig and sing together."

"Now that the world is slowly starting to open up I can finally hug my friends again. I can finally play with my band again!" Jane adds. "I also have a Dublin headline show in Whelan’s on January 31st to look forward to. I can’t even describe how it makes me feel. Anyway, we’ve reached the end of one tunnel. I’m sure there’s more to come, but we’ll get there."

Check out the animated video for 'Hands On My Hips' below: