Irish singer-songwriter, Niall McDowell has just released their highly anticipated sophomore EP, ‘It was an Honour to be Nominated.’ Described as, “A Future Headliner” on BBC Ulster’s iconic Across the Line show, the multi-talented artist released the lead single from the album, Brokeback, in June. It was chosen by Hot Press as track of the day, the third track of theirs to be chosen by Ireland’s national music press. Produced by Chris Ryan (NewDad, Just Mustard) and recorded at home, ‘Brokeback‘ marked a new era for the singer. They focused heavily on getting an intimate and raw feel to the song, with the soft sounds of strings plucking on a telecaster and the swoons of shifting reverb synths, layered with McDowell’s mellifluous vocals.
McDowell brings a modern twist to alt country with their intimate reflections on love and loss, poetic imagery and beguiling, lyrics, turning their soul inside out with warmth, wit, eloquence and authenticity.
‘It Was An Honour To Be Nominated’ balances the maximal and minimal leanings of McDowell’s song writing and the raw nature of ‘Brokeback’ suggests a newfound confidence in writing and style, particularly in reference to singing about the queer experience.
McDowell’s voice is liquid gold, embroidering a bed of ornamented riffs with tender, defiant and honest lyrics that could make Alanis Morrisette, Elliot Smith or Liz Phair proud. It is heartfelt, witty, charming and raw.
It is often said that, “The more specific we are, the more universal something can become. Life is in the details.” Here, it is the specific details in McDowell’s heartbreak ballads that make their songs so universally appealing, almost like a companion to your inner monologues. Fans of The Smiths will love it.
Speaking of the EP McDowell said,
“I have been working on these songs over the course of the past two years, and I’m very proud to finally have a small body of work that exemplifies my ever-changing style as an artist. I started to release music just before the pandemic, and since then I’ve felt very disconnected from any kind of scene as a queer songwriter, and the creation of this project has been incredibly validating in moving closer to finding community, to understanding more about the craft of song writing and coming to terms with my own feelings surrounding grief and loss.”
It could be argued that McDowell’s disconnection from ‘any kind of scene‘ is what makes their musical creations so authentic, honest and beautiful, rather than an exact replica of anything that has come before.
Speaking of the latest record, McDowell says: “There’s a mesh of narratives within these five songs, written as I grappled with situations in real time, and in the end I believe it came together as a time-capsule more than anything, of a chapter that I am relieved to be over with but grateful to have experienced.”
This EP showcases the impressive range of McDowell’s song writing skills from the spacey, sombre fingerpicking folk of ‘Brokeback‘ to the full-blown country and western in ‘Tennessee‘; the 90s dream-pop in ‘Down To You’: the 60s crooning within ‘Personal Hell’. All of this culminates in the title track, that stands as a fierce, soaring mission statement. Niall McDowell is a star on the rise and we are here for it. Listen to the spellbinding EP Here:
It Was An Honour To Be Nominated by Niall McDowell – DistroKid
Bandcamp or Spotify.
‘It Was An Honour to be Nominated‘ follows McDowell’s 2019 EP ‘Valentine‘ , 2020’s ‘Find your Man’ and Hot Press Track of the Day, 2021’s ‘Do you think I’m Pretty?”
Niall McDowell Photo Credit: Aaron Cunningham @Avcunningham
Album Artwork: Artwork by Aine Livia Gordon ainelivia.com
