Many of you may recall Irish Songwriter and Producer Matt McGinn‘s ‘Lessons of War’ which he recorded with musicians from areas of conflict all around the globe. In his album review for Folk Radio UK, Bob Fish concluded “Whether it’s a full choir or just a man and his guitar, the passion of Lessons of War cannot be denied. Matt McGinn’s collection of songs deserves to be heard again and again until we finally learn the lesson and begin to find new ways to resolve the problems that confront us.”
McGinn should have been touring the album during 2020 but as we all know, that wasn’t to be. Says McGinn“The past few months have been crazy and beautiful, but mostly crazy…”. That said, Matt McGinn strikes me as a man who is not going to stand still for very long and Matt, along with friend and singer Cormac Neeson, launched a virtual ‘In the Round’ platform in Facebook called ‘COCOONS’. Over 20 weeks later, Cocoons has had performances from over 70 established artists from around the world and raised over £10,000 for various charities.
Between Cocoons and home-schooling, Matt also found time to record a new album, and ANNIE (Many Moons Ago) is the 1st single and also our Song of the Day. It is staggeringly beautiful, McGinn is not only a songsmith of the highest degree, but there is an unmistakable warmth of character in those vocals that beckon you back like a welcoming fireside for another tale to unfold.
Annie (Many Moons Ago) features multi-instrumentalist Matt McGinn on vocals, harmonies, drums, piano, percussion, guitars. From their Portglenone home, married ‘Beoga’ bandmates Sean Og Graham and Niamh Dunne added beautiful accordion and fiddle. Then over to the Isle of Wight where Jon Thorne glued everything together with his double bass.
The cover art is the perfect companion to this song and is taken from a painting by Jenny Maginn. She, like Matt McGinn, is from Hilltown, a small village in Co. Down, Northern Ireland. This piece is titled ‘Beyond the Veil’. You can view and buy Jenny’s work at www.instagram.com/jennymaginnart
Annie (Many Moons Ago) is released on digital platforms on 7th September 2020.
Photo Credit: Ken Haddock