Acclaimed singer-songwriter (and Folk Radio UK reviewer) Matt McGinn releases his new single ‘Bubblegum’ (feat Ciara ONeill) on 9th November, the lead single from his forthcoming 4th studio album ‘Lessons of War’ which sees Matt collaborate with musicians from war-affected areas across the world for a stunning collection of songs that explore the futility of war, its horrors, its affects, and after affects.
Bubblegum was inspired by the teenage diaries of Bronagh McAtasney (https://nornirongirl1981.com) and is accompanied by a video which you can watch below. It’s also our Song of the Day.
Matt recalls: “In a writing session one day with [Irish Songwriter] Mick Flannery, I told him about an interview I’d heard on RTE Radio on the journey down. It was a lady from the North reading from her teenage diary and it was amazing how her everyday teenage experiences were surrounded by the darkness of ‘The Troubles’. It was enough to start myself and Mick off and it wasn’t long before ‘Bubblegum’ was finished.”
Matt asked friend and fellow Co. Down songwriter Ciara O’Neill to help out on vocals.
“It’s a bit weird ‘not singing’ one of my own songs on my own album, but I have always loved the purity of Ciara’s voice. It made sense to get her involved as the song is from the point of view of a young woman. As soon as I heard her sing it, I knew I’d made the right decision”
Matt also approached Vyvienne Long to play cello on ‘Bubblegum’
“I have loved Vyvienne’s playing since the first time I heard ‘O’ {Damian Rice}. I was delighted that she got what the song was about and was happy to play on it.”
‘Lessons of War’ – the Album
Bubblegum is the lead single from the forthcoming 4th studio album ‘Lessons of War’. The album sees Matt collaborate with musicians from war-affected areas across the world for a stunning collection of songs that explore the futility of war, its horrors, its affects, and after affects.
“I didn’t mean to write an album of anti-war songs, it just kind of happened. The first time I saw the image of the young refugee washed up on the shore, it triggered something in me. I felt I had to do something, and writing was all I could do.”
In 2016, with help from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Matt set about reaching out to musicians from areas across the world that had been scarred by conflict. It was to be the beginning of an incredible three-year journey that took Matt, from his home in the Mourne Mountains, to working with some of the most incredible individuals.
One of the key collaborators on the album is Yazan Ibrahim, a young virtuosi Flamenco Guitarist from the Golan Heights, occupied territory that borders Syria whom Matt brought to Ireland. Over five days they wrote and recorded anti-war songs, designed to try and show mistakes of the past in the hope they might never be repeated.
Other contributions on the album came from Citizens of the World, a London based choir of refugees from all over the world; Seydu a percussionist and philanthropist from Sierra Leone; Richard Moore a guitarist and producer from Derry who was blinded by a plastic bullet, aged 11 and Mark Kelly, a band manager and music engineer who lost his legs in a bomb blast.
Belfast filmmaker Colm Laverty was on hand to capture much of what happened over these years and has created a documentary, also titled ‘Lessons of War’, soon to be released.
To get as many different perspectives as possible, Matt brought in some of Ireland’s finest songwriters, namely Mick Flannery, Ciaran Lavery, Ben Glover, Stephen Scullion and Brigid O’Neill. And while there are almost too many musicians to count, there are standout performances from Mickey Raphael (Willie Nelson), Barry Douglas (Gretchen Peters), Vyvienne Long (Damien Rice), Gerry Morgan (James Bay) as well as vocal contributions from two beautiful female Irish voices, Ciara O’Neill and Ria Maguire.
Pre-Order the album via Matt’s website where you can also check out his upcoming live dates: http://mattmcginnmusic.com/