Cara Dillon announces her first new album in six years — Coming Home — and shares the first single, ‘Clear the Path’.
Irish folk singer Cara Dillon is probably best known as one of our most gifted carriers of song. Some of those songs have been with her all her life, as she revealed in A Thousand Hearts (2014), while others, such as the carols that adorn Upon a Winter’s Night (2016), have become an annual winter event for many through her popular annual show which captures the mystery of Christmas with a collection of songs ancient and modern.
Cara breaks new ground with her new album, Coming Home, set for release in early 2024. Coming Home is not only her first album of entirely original material but the ten tracks that make up the album also blur the lines between spoken word and song.
Few singers are as celebrated and revered as Cara Dillon, and if you’ve been lucky enough to see her live, you’ll know this. She balances passion and sincerity with every song she handles, whether traditional or original songs she leaves you with lasting memories. One of my own is from the 2018 Folk Awards in Belfast when she sang They Were Roses to mark the 20th Anniversary of The Good Friday Agreement. Her delivery of the song, penned by the legendary Tommy Sands (who was in the audience), could not have been more moving; the was air thick with emotion, which intensified as the audience joined in on the chorus.
If you’ve been lucky enough to catch Cara and Sam live on tour, you may have heard one of Cara’s poems, accompanied by her partner Sam Lakeman on piano. Unlike the dramatic audience reaction I mentioned above, Cara’s spoken words build an intimacy that draws you in and silences the room. On her new album, through these words, she brings to life intensely personal memories of her native Co. Derry and the people, places, and customs that have shaped her.
Coming Home will be released alongside a book of the same name, featuring Cara’s original poetry and lyrics, as well as personal stories and anecdotes, offering a rich context for her artistic work.
Writing poetry has revealed a new freedom of expression for Cara, and this album finds her at her most reflective and personal, exploring themes of family, cultural identity and home.
‘Clear the Path’, the album’s opener, is a piece which reflects on the influence of those who have gone before us, both acknowledging and respecting the significance they have on our lives today.
In many ways, this song is a timely release with the approach of winter when, traditionally, we look back at the past, our memories, those personal and shared, and remember our ancestors and the path that led us here. It’s maybe something we need to find more time for…
Video Director Odhrán Mullan finds the perfect visual balance for the song, shot in a woodland surrounded by autumn leaves, Cara’s words are enhanced by the beautiful visuals and Coralie Calfond’s dance that was choreographed by Kennedy Junior Muntanga. The director, cinematographer, Jacob Gibbins, and colourist, John Rogers, have all captured the tone and mood so perfectly.
“What is it that makes us who we are? Which talents, traits, and resemblances have we inherited? What has trickled down through the generations? Our ancestral paths should be kept clear and not allowed to become overgrown. There’s wonder and joy if you follow that path.” — Cara Dillon
Lyrics to Clear the Path
Clear the path now.
Weeds have gathered on our ancestral trail.
Singers of songs long gone,
Poets, storytellers, artists, weavers,
Give in now and surrender to them.
Those from whom you came,
The long lines coursing through your veins.
Come on and fan the flames and concentrate,
For it’s written on your son’s face,
That light, shining through,
Blazing, in a moment of grace.
We are the daughters
Of women that we will become.
The trailblazers whose lives will never be done.
For they stood on this self-same soil,
Buried the seeds that germinated, birthed and fed
A new generation of tiny intricacies,
Forgotten family traits and oft-remembered eyes
And hidden talents that reveal themselves
At the strangest of times.
Speak of them,
Search for them,
For they are true.
Speak of them,
Search for them,
For they hold you.
We are the daughters
Of women that we will become,
Whose lives can never be done.
Clear the path, clear the path,
Clear the path, clear the path.
Ahead of the album and book release, Cara embarks on an extensive UK tour this autumn where she will present the new material for the first time live, including a prestigious showcase concert at Belfast’s Grand Opera House, as part of the Belfast International Arts Festival.
‘Clear the Path’ is out now on all digital platforms. Coming Home, the album and book will be released in early 2024. Cara is on tour in the UK throughout autumn/winter 2023.
Listen/download Clear the Path: orcd.co/char012
Coming Home Live Dates 2023
Cara presents new material alongside catalogue favourites:
05 OCT CAMBRIDGE Junction
06 OCT SOUTHAMPTON Turner Sims
13 OCT GATESHEAD Sage
14 OCT KENDAL Brewery Arts
15 OCT LIVERPOOL Philharmonic Music Room
18 OCT BELFAST Grand Opera House
31 OCT BRISTOL St. George’s
08 NOV BURY ST. EDMUNDS The Apex
09 NOV LINCOLN The Drill
10 NOV POCKLINGTON Arts Centre
11 NOV SHEFFIELD Upper Chapel
12 NOV MILTON KEYNES The Stables
18 NOV MANCHESTER The Stoller Hall
23 NOV EDINBURGH The Queen’s Hall
Cara’s Christmas show ‘Upon a Winter’s Night’ dates:
14 DEC BUXTON Pavilion Arts Centre
15 DEC WORCHESTER Huntingdon Hall
16 DEC BASINGSTOKE Haymarket Theatre
17 DEC FROME Cheese & Grain
19 DEC LONDON Union Chapel