Mick Flannery has announced The House Must Win, his first-ever double album, due May 8th via One Riot Records. The news arrives alongside lead single Rising Tide, a duet with GRAMMY-winning singer-songwriter Anaïs Mitchell.
The album is Flannery’s ninth studio record and spans 20 songs that tell the full story of his forthcoming stage production of the same name. Its origins stretch back two decades to his 2005 debut Evening Train, which followed the intertwined fates of two brothers in a small Irish town. Written as a college project at Coláiste Stiofáin Naofa in Cork City, that record grew from a single song, Creak in the Door, into a narrative of love, gambling, and betrayal. The House Must Win reimagines songs from that debut alongside ten new compositions, all arranged by American musician and Hadestown music supervisor Liam Robinson, and recorded at Monique Studios in Cork with long-time collaborator Christian Best.
Rising Tide, one of the first songs written specifically for the stage production, is built around a memory of a near-drowning incident that serves as a metaphor for the characters’ present-day feelings. Mitchell’s voice meets Flannery’s in a delicate ballad that draws on both writers’ instinct for theatrical storytelling. “I have sincere gratitude to Anaïs for her continued support and in this case, for lending her beautiful voice to this recording,” Flannery says. Mitchell is equally generous: “Mick is among my favorite writers on earth so I jumped at the chance to sing this stunner (Rising Tide) with him and also to support his journey from songwriter to theatre artist, a journey which is close to my heart!”
The guest list across the double album is rich. Mercury Music Prize nominee Lisa Hannigan, Choice Music Prize nominee Susan O’Neill, Portland songwriter Jeffrey Martin, JUNO Award nominee Jenn Grant, and West Cork folk singer Marybeth O’Mahony all feature, alongside Belfast artist Tabitha Smyth — who plays Grace in the debut stage production — and Flannery’s brothers Brian, David, and Eamonn, who make their recording debut on Take It on the Chin.
“The band on this record have been working on these arrangements with us for the past few years,” Flannery says. “It’s been a great experience to capture the recording ahead of the stage production and to be able to share the story and the songs in this format.”
The House Must Win is out May 8th via One Riot Records. Rising Tide featuring Anaïs Mitchell is available now.
Pre-Order The House Must Win: https://ffm.to/thehousemustwin