Heathers' album 'Kingdom' was one of my favourite Irish releases of 2012. Expanding on the harmonies-and-acoustic-guitar formula that worked so well on their debut, the girls incorporated synths, strings and percussion into the mix for a fuller pop sound.
They may have risked alienating their folk fanbase but the strategy paid off in spades, with the album spawning the anthemic radio hit 'Forget Me Knots' and earning the Blackrock twins a Choice Prize nomination (Ireland's answer to the Mercury or Polaris).
Now, with a national headline tour under their belts, they return with the moody new single 'Lions, Tigers, Bears' and a windswept video to boot (in parts reminiscent of All Saints' 'Pure Shores'.)
Although their 2008 debut album, ‘Here, Not There’, made Heathers (Blackrock sisters Ellie and Louise MacNamara) darlings of the Irish music scene, it wasn't until their track 'Remember When' was featured in a Discover Ireland advertisement last year that their music began reaching a mass audience.
For their sophomore release, due later this year, the girls have expanded on the simple but effective formula of tuneful harmonies and guitar accompaniment to more intricate arrangements, adding percussion, electric guitars and cello into the mix.
I was lucky enough to catch the girls debut some new material at a gig before Christmas and can happily report that the new material is pretty special. A live version of one of the tracks, Find A Way, has surfaced online and is every bit as good as I remembered it being:
Here's another couple of tracks of theirs I really love:
Oh wait, I do actually. I fully intended to make a hullabaloo last week about how brilliant Dublin-based duo Heathers' gig was but got distracted by (seemingly fruitless) job interviews and whatnot.
I've been a huge fan of Heathers' album 'Here, Not There' for a long time and, despite the fact that they play practically every fortnight, circumstances had always prevented me from catching their live show. So, despite a chronic lack of funds at the moment, I decided to head along to catch their gig at the Project Arts Centre with Paula and Eimear.
The set-up is simple: sisters Ellie and Louise, armed only with a microphone each and Louise's guitar - but. my god, what a beautiful racket they can produce with just these tools.
If anything, the sisters' gorgeous harmonies are even more impressive in a live setting than on record but I think what really differentiates Heathers from similar indie-folk outfits is their distinctive stop-start style of singing.
There are plenty of gentle, wonderfully understated moments throughout the set but Heathers are most dazzling when belting out songs like 'Margie' and 'Remember When' at full-throttle. At these moments, well, the microphones become a bit redundant.
Heathers are playing with Choice Music Prize-winners Super Extra Bonus Party on Friday, the 13th of November (spooky) in The Academy. Get tickets here.
Dublin-based sisters, Heathers, have been providing the soundtrack to my News Reporting cramathon and soothing my stressed head. I'd advise anyone who enjoys a bit of Tegan and Sara and "DIY"-type music to get hold of their album, "Here, Not There".
Check out these harmonies:
The girls are Ellie and Louise McNamara. Irony of ironies, the lecturer for whom I have an exam tomorrow shares their surname.
