Galway singer-songwriter Niamh Regan found herself planted firmly in the spotlight following the release of her debut album Hemet last year. In his review of the album here, Billy Rough concluded:
It’s impossible not to fall a little bit in love with Hemet. Beautifully listenable and rich in some rather gorgeous melodies and emotive arrangements, it is an adept and utterly mesmerizing debut. Niamh Regan’s deliciously languid voice is one to watch; warm and vulnerable in equal measures. Combined with her talent as a songwriter, Hemet presents the artist as a force to be reckoned with. A heartfelt, timeless, and captivating release.
Those sentiments were clearly shared by many as she went receive nominations for ‘Best Album’ at both the prestigious RTÉ Choice Awards and the RTÉ Folk Awards. Naturally, this has led to greater exposure with live stream shows around Ireland, performances for national television (Other Voices, The Late Late Show), receiving substantial radio play on (RTÉ Radio 1, BBC NI, BBC 2, RTÉ 2FM), and collaborations and performances with singer songwriter David Kitt (whose new album “20” we recently reviewed here) and the RTÉ Concert Orchestra for a Bank Holiday Special with RTÉ Radio One.
Niamh’s follow up single ‘Happy Again’ is produced by Alex Borwick. Those gorgeous melodies and emotive arrangements are still there in abundance through which she weaves some powerfully heartfelt and poignant lyrics. Those levels of emotion surge throughout this song, taking the listener on a beautiful journey. After listening to Regan, I often feel lost for words that will do her justice; that acknowledgement alone is an affirmation of her undeniable talent as a singer and songwriter.
Speaking of the single, Niamh says, “This was the first song I wrote after releasing Hemet, and it was in the middle of lockdown. It’s roughly about the work you do to turn things around or feel better again. And I suppose this kind of work can go unrecognized and feel quite isolating. So, this song was an opportunity for me to acknowledge this process in all its glory.
“The whole production of this song felt very natural and easy with the band and my producer Alex Borwick that it almost felt cathartic in the studio as it came together. It’s a simple song but I’m really proud of it and feel very happy to have the chance to share it with you now.”
The ‘Happy Again’ artwork is by Claire Helgeson, an Irish American artist from Juneau, Alaska. She draws inspiration from her work in Indigenous language revitalisation in Alaska, as well as her studies of Gaeilge (the Irish language). This is shown by strong place-based themes in her work. (Instagram @claire_helg)
‘Happy Again’ is the first song Niamh shares from her forthcoming EP ‘In the Meantime’ coming this October. This release is made possible thanks to the generous support from Galway International Arts Festival’s Elevate Bursary.
Buy / stream it here: https://shor.by/zC6c
Watch Niamh perform ‘Happy Again’ on ‘The Heart of Saturday Night’ on RTÉ One, 9.55pm, Saturday 14th August. The episode also features appearances from Villagers, Soda Blonde, Seamus and Caoimhe Uí Fhlartha and Bill Whelan.
Niamh has a number of live dates around Ireland over the coming weeks, plus a London show supporting Damien Dempsey at the London Irish Centre; for full listings and tickets, visit http://niamhregan.com/tour.html
Photo Credit: Rich Gilligan