A NEW single 'When I Was Younger' by Bonny Light Horseman was recorded at Levis’ Corner House in Ballydehob.
The song has been released alongside a video filmed on location by Jason Lee, Donal Scannell, and Colm Rooney, and credits the ‘Levis’ Town Chorus’ on backing vocals.
‘When I Was Younger’ encapsulates the rich musical heritage and intimate atmosphere that defines both the venue and the band.
Levis', a century-old family-run pub, nestled in the heart of the picturesque seaside village of Ballydehob, has long been a cultural hub and haven for artists and musicians alike.
Bonny Light Horseman felt that the venue's rustic charm and intimate setting provided the perfect backdrop for capturing the raw emotion and authenticity inherent in their sound.
'There’s a whole genre of trad songs with this ‘domestic frustration’ sentiment, like ‘Single Girl Married Girl,’ ‘Wish I Was A Single Girl Again,’ etc,' the band commented.
'This song is inspired by those, but we wanted to write it as a duet, to tell two sides of a story. We recorded it live, so you can hear coughing, cars, and the whole audience did that wordless wail with us in the middle. It felt like a primal collective shake-off. Next morning we were collecting our things from the pub and the owner Joe was out front in flip-flops sweeping up the cigs from the street singing, ‘When I was younger, I used to dress fancy…'
Bonny Light Horseman share deep-rooted connections to Cork. The group landed there last September on invitation from Sounds from a Safe Harbour Festival Director Mary Hickson, and they hopped in a van west following their headline concert with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra – a show described by Anaïs described as 'a full-circle event'
Bonny Light Horseman’s first outings in 2018 were events under the 37d03d – (PEOPLE) banner, with their debut performance at Eaux Claires fest in Wisconsin (headed by Justin Vernon of Bon Iver and Aaron and Bryce Dessner of The National), then on to an artists’ residency and 37d03d/PEOPLE festival in Berlin.
The common denominator here was Cork native Mary Hickson, who spearheaded these 37d03d gatherings.
Hickson’s passion for music and culture has made an indelible mark on the local arts scene.
Her unwavering support for emerging artists and innovative collaborations has helped shape Cork's cultural landscape, fostering an environment where creativity thrives and boundaries are pushed.
Hickson’s impressive black book brings some of the most exciting international talent to work and collaborate in Ireland.
There, they are welcomed with open arms and hearts by the likes of Caroline O’Donnell and Joe O’Leary, the couple behind Levis Corner House, Ballydehob.
Levis Corner House have a busy calendar of gigs each week. Earlier this month they hosted singer-songwriter Niamh Regan, and the audience were treated to a surprise impromptu performance from Niamh and Grammy-nominated Icelandic artist Olafur Arnalds.
In the coming weeks enjoy gigs over the shop counter from Eve Clague, Seamus Fogarty, Patrick Stefan, The Kates, Oisín Leech, and Rhob Cunningham, + many more.
Levis continue to collaborate with their artistic and wider communities in establishing a cross-border artist's network alongside The Duncairn in Belfast for their ‘Shared Island’ project.
They also house a number of festivals from the Ballydehob Trad Festival in March, the annual boutique Ballydehob Jazz Festival in May, and ‘Secret Song’ – a one-day all-secret line-up of music and spoken word guests, in October.
There are markets, workshops, and so much more.
For more details on Levis, and details on upcoming events, visit: https://leviscornerhouse.com/
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