At the end of last month, Dublin talent and our Artist of the Month, John Francis Flynn, released his debut album I Would Not Live Always, which Folk Radio’s David Weir described as “bracing, unpredictable and without a doubt one of the most deeply affecting folk debuts of recent years” (read the review here).
Today, we have the pleasure of sharing his new video for Lovely Joan. On the live version below, his Sam Amidon-sounding acoustic pattern is there from the opening. The live arrangement is just as striking, sounding out his label’s statement that Flynn is as much an experimental artist as he is an interpreter of traditional song. The atmospherics here are equally spellbinding and refreshing.
On the video, Flynn tells us:
“We travelled down to West Cork during lockdown to record a live set with our friends in Connolly’s of Leap. This extended, semi-improvised version of Lovely Joan was one of the pieces we performed.
“Director extraordinaire, Peadar Ó Goill, paired it with this lovely little story of a local man’s friendship with a cat.”
Peadar Ó Goill seems something of a master when it comes to interpreting and responding to Flynn’s music as he did so well with the inspiring video for My Son Tim…once again, his vision and perceptive camera work go hand in hand with the artist. Exceptional on all fronts; I guarantee this album will be in my Best Albums of 2021.
John Francis Flynn’s I Would Not Live Always is out on River Lea (30 July 2021).
Order via: https://store.roughtraderecords.com/products/john-francis-flynn-i-would-not-live-always
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Photo Credit: John Lyons