Latest news with #GeorgeHouston
Irish Times
29-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Times
George Houston: ‘Parts of rural Ireland can still do better with how they welcome queer children to the world'
George Houston is discussing his death. Not in the physical sense, but the young musician has been undergoing a rebirth of sorts in recent times. 'I don't know if you know about numerology or anything, but there's this thing with your birth year,' he says. 'Each year you have a tarot card prescribed to you, and last year, while I was recording the album, was my death year. 'This year I'm on a different card, and it's all change ... When the album was finished, it was like this big breath out. Now I can start thinking about new things. It feels like a new era.' Despite being only 24, Houston, who is from Burt, Co Donegal, has already released three albums since launching his career in 2020 with the wry folk-pop single Boo Fucking Hoo. READ MORE He's correct about it being a new era for him, though. His latest album, TODC, which, in a reference to his interest in tarot and numerology, stands for The Original Death Card, also marks him out as a talent to watch. He treads a line somewhere between the droll melancholia of Jens Lekman, the country-folk quiver of Orville Peck, the lyrical wit of John Grant and the tender alt-indie stylings of Sufjan Stevens. That spark has been noted by the likes of Paul Weller , who asked Houston to support him on his US tour last year, and Jools Holland , who recently invited him to play on his Later ... show on the BBC. Houston is a thoughtful conversationalist (despite apologising for being 'blabbery' when we talk) and a discerning lyricist. He loved growing up in the countryside with 'a big garden and plenty of fresh air from a very lovely family background'. His music-loving parents encouraged Houston and his two siblings to learn an instrument from an early age; seeing David Bowie in the film Labyrinth proved a pivotal moment: a convergence of his two loves, music and film (something he is exploring by making music videos for every song on TODC). 'But there's parts of growing up in rural Ireland that you become very aware that you're not so welcome, like growing up in Catholic schools,' he says. 'I love my background and I love where I'm from, but there are parts of rural Ireland that can still do better with how they welcome queer children to the world. Because I know too many [gay] people that will never come out, and will get married and have a wife and children. It's two very grim alternatives, so I'm incredibly lucky that I had this cocoon of community around me.' There's something very traumatic about growing up and loving all of that, and knowing that they hate you back — Houston on the Catholic Church On TODC he uses tarot as a framework to examine other topics that loom large in his life and his songwriting, most notably sexuality and the Catholic Church . The title track has lyrics such as 'I'm thanking God for all the work that I've done, to love those faults he's installed' over a jaunty indie-pop melody. The snarling Drag Queen, an album standout, lays waste to the church with the refrain 'The feeling is mutual, and the feeling is hate'. 'I wanted to write songs about queer love, and femininity, and different things that I've experienced in my life,' he says. 'I'm definitely out of my comfort zone, and I am being a lot more vulnerable in this album. 'I do reference religion a lot in these songs. I was raised going to Mass every Sunday, and I do have an affection for the Catholic Church; I think there are lovely cultural traditions within it, and I visit churches everywhere I go, because I think they're beautiful, calming spaces. 'But there's something very traumatic about growing up and loving all of that, and knowing that they hate you back. And then, on top of that, the things that you love and [the person] that you are is likened to being a 'sinner' and being told you're going to hell forever.' He shakes his head, sighing. 'So yeah, there's lots of trauma to unpack there.' Houston, who is bisexual, says he never felt the need to come out publicly, 'because I have that kind of security blanket of also being straight', he says. 'That is a ridiculous thing, but it's true. I never wanted to come out in secondary school, because I didn't owe the homophobes in the school any of myself, and I didn't want to give them any satisfaction of knowing more about me. 'I'm very anti the term 'the closet', because I'm a strong believer that that is a myth, and the closets are built up around children when they grow up by not educating them about who they could be, or about the different kinds of relationships and identities in the world. 'So I never did come out. I just showed up one day with my boyfriend to my parents' house, but they already knew.' He shrugs. 'It wasn't that I didn't want to come out, but at the same time I wasn't keeping anything a secret. I just wanted it to be normal, if that makes sense.' It was an earlier song of Houston's, In Aeternum Vive, from his 2023 album, Vehicular Suicide, that caught Paul Weller's ear. As well as inviting him on tour – Houston's dad drove him across North America to play such iconic venues as the Fillmore, in San Francisco, where he recorded a live version of his album track Jesus Freaks – Weller offered Houston the use of his Black Barn Studios to record the album. The singer recorded 10 tracks there over five days last August; the subsequent autumn tour with Weller was intense but an enormous learning experience. 'Some shows were more chatty, and people had a drink, and you just played into that. And some shows you could hear a pin drop and it was really lovely,' says Houston. 'I remember the Lincoln Theatre in Washington – the audience were very engaged. Then there was this theatre in Minneapolis that [was synonymous with] Prince, and every one of my idols played that stage. That was a real pinch-me moment.' George Houston: 'I'm probably a people-pleaser at heart' Weller, he says, was a great musician to tour with. 'I was very worried about getting in people's way, because I'm, like, 'Oh my gosh. How did I manage to get here?'' He laughs. 'But I think Paul maybe recognised that, and made the effort to come and chat to me, which was very lovely. He's brilliant for lifting up smaller acts. I wish there were more artists like him.' The Weller connection also went some way to landing Houston his appearance on Later … with Jools Holland, where his acoustic, tender telling of the single Lilith (performed in a resplendent glittering costume with black angel wings) was supremely assured. 'I suppose Paul put in a good word for me, which helps big time,' he says, laughing. 'I was just really lucky, and it was really good timing with the album release ... Jools came and said hello, and he made the effort to say he'd listened to the album and stuff ... I was more nervous than I let on, because it's a hard song to sing. It's one of my more high-pitched songs, and a bit more yodelly than I usually go.' He shrugs. 'But it worked.' If there's one thing Houston has learned over the past five years, it's that a sense of humour is imperative, both in navigating the music industry and tackling tough topics in his songwriting. 'I like to describe my music as sad music for people with humour as a defence mechanism,' he says, laughing. 'I'm probably a people-pleaser at heart; I get great joy from making people laugh and talking to people on stage, and I like to see people smile when I'm telling a story through the songs. I would hate it if people went away from a show of mine and were, like, 'How do I describe it?'' 'I want people to feel engaged and know that they were listening to what I was singing.' He breaks into a wry smile. 'A bit of humour helps with that sometimes.' George Houston plays at the Under the Drum festival, in Co Antrim, on Saturday, August 9th, and Balor Arts Centre , in Co Donegal, on Thursday, August 14th; he plays in Galway, Derry, Belfast and Dublin in October
RTÉ News
28-07-2025
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
10 great Irish albums you might have missed so far in 2025
The Irish music scene continues to flourish, and it's a beautiful thing to see some of our biggest acts - from Fontaines DC, to Hozier, to CMAT, to Kneecap - making such a huge impact on the global stage. That said, in the mad rush to proclaim the Next Big Thing, it can be all too easy to overlook the plethora of wonderful bands and artists releasing albums, who might not have a big profile or a label's PR department to push their work out to the masses. Considering we're past the halfway mark of the year, here are ten Irish albums that may have escaped your attention in 2025… 1. George Houston - TODC (The Original Death Card) Having spent part of 2024 supporting Paul Weller on his North American tour, this young Donegal musician decamped to Weller's Black Barn studio to record his fourth album. Interwoven with themes of tarot, TODC is a record that blazes with incandescent fury at the Catholic Church on the title track, yet also explores the more vulnerable aspects of growing up within the LGBT community in rural Ireland (Drag Queen). Houston deals with big topics, but as seen on his recent appearance on Later… with Jools Holland, he has the charisma and presence to draw you into his world. 2. M(h)aol - Something Soft Their 2023 debut Attachment Styles made quite a statement: this Dublin trio came out of the traps all guns blazing with a record that was uncompromising as it was brashly experimental. Their punky ethos continues apace with another collection of tense, nervy songs that tackle everything from animal welfare to consumerism. These are short, sharp blasts of propulsive punk, tinged with both fuzzy discordance and deep grooves. 3. Poor Creature - All Smiles Tonight The latest Irish act to be signed to Rough Trade's River Lea imprint is this supergroup of-sorts, comprising Cormac MacDiarmada and John Dermody (Lankum) and Ruth Clinton (Landless). Produced by John 'Spud' Murphy (Lankum/Oxn), Poor Creature's incursions into trad, folk and bluegrass are astonishing at times, eliciting comparisons to Cocteau Twins and even covering a Ray Lynam and Philomena Begley song for good measure. Whoever would've thought, etc… 4. Kean Kavanagh - The County Star You may have already seen comedian Peter McGann's memorable turn in the video for Kavanagh's single The Whistle; the good news is that the rest of the Portlaoise native's debut album is as good as that song suggests. This is a seriously accomplished record that sticks to its creative vision from start to finish, drawing in influences from country music, soul, indie and pop. Songs like Melting and Never are straight out of Beck's songbook, while A Country Song plunders from 1980s heartland rock. Throughout it all, Kavanagh's lyric sheet never strays far from his midlands hometown, as heard on 45s. 5. Paddy Hanna - Oylegate A long-term fixture on Ireland's indie and DIY scene, Dubliner Hanna has forged an impressive solo career after years in and out of bands like Grand Pocket Orchestra, Skelocrats and Autre Monde. His fifth album, named for a small village in Wexford and produced once again by Gilla Band's Daniel Fox, has all of Hanna's songwriting quirks - from the soft synthy throb of Harry Dean, to the loungey Caterpillar Wine and the clipped, XTC-esque Oylegate Station. 6. Curtisy - Beauty in the Beast He made quite a big impression with 2024's What Was the Question, which was nominated for the Choice Music Prize; Tallaght rapper Gavin Curtis, aka Curtisy, is a breath of fresh air on the Irish hip-hop scene. His mixtape with producer hikii showcases the best of his creativity, as he gets ultra-vulnerable on songs like W!, which sees him reflect upon his relationship with booze, and the title track which delves into the issue of addiction. It's thoughtful and thought-provoking fare, delivered in his idiosyncratic laidback style and infused with a healthy streak of humour. 7. Maria Somerville - Luster It seems criminal that such a superb album could possibly be overlooked, so don't let Maria Somerville's stunning work fall between the cracks of 2025. The Galway native signed to the prestigious 4AD label for Luster, a record heavily influenced by her native Connemara. You can well imagine gazing out onto a misty lough as the breathy Corrib or the propulsive, dream-like reverberations of Garden play over headphones. This is a finely-tuned, evocative collection. 8. Skinner - New Wave Vaudeville Skinner is the project of the Dublin-based multi-instrumentalist, singer and producer Aaron Corcoran who has been inspired by the New York no-wave scene in the late '70s/early '80s. On his debut album, Corcoran draws in influences from the likes of The B52s, The Rapture and even Pixies, all filtered through an Irish art-rock lens (there's even a song called Tell My Ma.) An enjoyably diverse mix of sounds - plus added saxophone, for good measure. 9. Bren Berry - In Hope Our Stars Align You may know Berry from his former guise as frontman of '90s alt-rock band Revelino, who released three albums during their seven-year tenure. It's taken until now for the Dubliner to go solo - but as this beautifully-crafted record proves, it's better late than never. Berry's odes to the simple pleasures of life - family, music, love - are funnelled into songs like Beautiful Losers, the slouchy soulfulness of We Have it All and the gently sweeping orchestration of Winter Song, while his experience in both the music business and life itself gives both character and depth to this collection. 10. Alanna Thornburgh - Shapeshifter We all know that Irish folk and trad is undergoing a major renaissance, but this album may have flown under many people's radars. Inspired by Irish fairy folklore and mythology, Mayo artist Alannah Thornburgh collected stories from a variety of historians, storytellers and locals; their tales are woven through this striking, mostly instrumental album, many of its songs composed on harp. An album that leans into the traditional side rather than the experimental, it's well worth a listen.
Irish Post
05-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Post
On the record - the best new music releases in Ireland this month
'GRATITUDE is the key to serendipity,' says Dirty Marmalade about their debut album, Hills of Breifne (Spooky Jazz Records). It's a fair enough observation from the Cavan band, who also state their manifesto (of sorts) via a press release: 'We stand for the creative weirdos struggling to find their place among mainstream society.' The outcome is a dishevelled record that nonetheless has a real sense of place (Cavan, naturally), atmosphere (a collection of audio samples), and some very catchy songs (Król Markus II, Love Bomb, Lucky Dip, and Big Giant Jelly Baby). Electric Penguins The album isn't the musical equivalent of rocket science, of course, but there is a feistiness here that other musicians should look for and familiarise themselves with. FOR SOMETHING a tad more considered and infinitely more accomplished, you could lend your ears to Electric Penguins: The Way Lights a Fire, Pt. 1 (Bohemia Records). The duo (Mark Cummins and Paul Murphy) has been around for 20 years, but the pair clearly prefer the seclusion of studio environments to performing live. This album is their first full-length studio collection of songs in 15 years, and to say it's a layered, brilliantly produced piece of work is an understatement. Highlights are many, from Oxygen's glam-glitter stomp to Penny in the Poor Box, which blends The Jam's English Rose with Elliot Smith's Beatles-esque tunes in a way that is very clever and cheeky. George Houston EQUALLY smart but not so brazen is George Houston: TODC (George Houston Records), which presents the County Donegal singer-songwriter's songs in sharp detail. The album title is the acronym for 'The Original Death Card', which references the tarot visual symbol of not only death but also the rebirth that follows. Houston says that his fourth album is 'a massive step in removing myself from the shame that comes with growing up queer in rural Ireland', and you can easily sense the level of liberation that comes with songs so flagrantly fresh and in your face. Despite his significant back catalogue, Houston might be unfamiliar to many people. If that's the case, dear reader, make amends with this album – it'll be worth your while. Amble's Reverie NOT SO much worth your while - unless you like music that is as soothing as a duvet day with a Lemsip in one hand and a TV remote control in the other - Amble: Reverie (Warner Records) contains little more than deftly played fireside tunes brimming over with melancholy and memories. In the past year, musicians and songwriters Robbie Cunningham, Oisín McCaffrey, and Ross McNerney have struck so much gold with their folk-tinged pop/pop-tinged folk songs that they have attained superstar status (selling out 3Arena-size venues isn't a problem). Such adulation for such gently unfolding music is interesting, but if that's what the customer wants, then that's what the customer gets. That said, if you're more into Irish folk/pop with grit and grind, best stick with the Mary Wallopers. ANOTHER Irish band with more grit than a sandstone quarry is Cork-based Crow Black Chicken, who may have taken some time to release Ghost Dance (the follow-up to 2016's third album, Pariah Brothers), but who also realise that perfection requires patience. In truth, Ghost Dance isn't perfect, but if your music preference is a straight-up mix of hard rock/blues ala Led Zeppelin's early albums, nifty guitar solos, finger-lickin' riffs borrowed from Lynyrd Skynyrd, blues-rock swooshes gifted by ZZ Top, and song titles that are as Southern Fried as the band's name (including Bottom Feeders, Fire and Blood, and Hot Molasses), then this album is for you. Besides, what's not to like about a band that has taken its name from a traditional fiddle song (rearranged) by Ry Cooder? Tuck in. See More: Ireland, Music, New Releases
