Aoife O’Donovan releases “B61”, an arresting ode to apocalyptic refuge and the bittersweet nature of remembering. Written while lamenting the loneliness of mid-winter lockdown, the track shimmers with the fading intimacy of the Brooklyn bars Aoife loved. “how will i know if i’m the last one alive?” she sings, wavering between warm harmonies and more urgent melodies, “for forty one days and as many nights / i’ll be standing where we stood under an indigo sky.”
First conceptualized on a piano in Aoife’s New York apartment, “B61” truly crystallized upon the addition of David Piltch’s swaying bass and the slight swells of Jay Bellerose’s drums. Delicately wrought and gorgeously orchestrated, today’s release previews the hypnotizing ethos of her new record Age Of Apathy, out January 21st on Yep Roc Records.
Produced by GRAMMY-winner Joe Henry (Bonnie Raitt, Rhiannon Giddens), Age Of Apathy places O’Donovan’s vocals front and center. With melodies distinct and beautiful, delicate yet heartwrenching, she carves out a joyful existence amid grim forecasts of the future. Last month, the New York Times called her single “Prodigal Daughter” “a musical hint at multi-generational bonds,” adding that “as drama and tension rise, [O’Donovan’s] voice grows quieter and clearer.”
Watch a gorgeous performance of the track with guest vocalist Allison Russell, filmed backstage at Newport Folk Festival earlier this year, below.
Recorded through a unique residency with Full Sail University in Winter Park, FL, Aoife worked both on-site at their studio with GRAMMY-nominated engineer Darren Schneider while collaborating entirely remotely with Henry. Remote collaborations introduced unexpected rhythms and textures into the architecture of the songs, allowing O’Donovan to bend her sound into more expansive shapes. The result: an enveloping soundworld that singularly showcases Aoife’s masterful songwriting and emergent literary prowess.
Pre-order Age Of Apathy here: https://ffm.to/ageofapathy
Aoife O’Donovan will be touring Age Of Apathy throughout 2022. See full dates below.
2022 EUROPEAN TOUR DATES
January 26 – Mitchell Theatre – Glasgow, UK
January 28 – Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival 2022 – Belfast, UK *
February 1 – St. Paul’s Church — Birmingham, UK *
February 2 — Barbican, Milton Court Concert Hall – London, UK *
February 3 – Hallé St. Peter’s – Manchester, UK *
February 4 – The Sage – Gateshead, UK *
February 5 – Cambridge Junction – Cambridge, UK *
SPRING 2022 DATES
February 24 – Bolivia, NC – Odell Williamson Auditorium %
February 25 – Washington DC – Kennedy Center’s Terrace Theater %
February 26 – Fairfield, CT – The Warehouse %
February 27 – South Burlington, VT – Higher Ground %
March 1 – Portsmouth, NH – The Music Hall %
March 2 – Cambridge, MA – The Sinclair %
March 3 – Brooklyn, NY – Music Hall of Williamsburg %
March 4 – Northampton, MA – Academy Of Music Theatre % ^
March 5 – Albany, NY – Swyer Theatre %
March 18-25 – Miami, FL – Cayamo Cruise
March 25 – Charleston, SC – Charleston Music Hall ~
March 26 – Atlanta, GA – Tabernacle ~
March 27 – Asheville, NC – The Orange Peel ~
March 29 – Nashville, TN – The Ryman Auditorium ~
April 7 – Berkeley, CA – Freight & Salvage ^
April 9 – Grass Valley, CA – Center for the Arts ^
April 10 – Carmel, CA – Sunset Center ^
April 12 – Santa Barbara, CA – Lobero Theatre ^
April 13 – La Jolla, CA – The Loft
April 14 – West Hollywood, CA – The Troubadour ^
April 15 – Scottsdale, AZ – Virginia Piper Theatre ^
May 13 – Hamilton, MT – Bitterroot Performing Arts Center ^
May 14 – Denver, CO – First Baptist Church ^
May 25 – Washington DC – The Kennedy Center Concert Hall !
May 26 – Washington DC – The Kennedy Center Concert Hall !
Jun 10 – Copenhagen, DK – CPH Americana
June 11 – Stockholm, SE – STHLM Americana
June 12 – Oslo, NO – Oslo Americana
June 16-19 – Telluride, CO – Telluride Bluegrass Festival
Aug 26 – Vineyard Haven, MA – Beach Road Weekender
Oct 28 – Copenhagen, DK – Musikhuset
* support from Donovan Woods
% support from Yasmin Williams
^ support from Taylor Ashton
~ supporting Gregory Alan Isakov
! performing with the National Symphony Orchestra, Renée Fleming, Lalah Hathaway, Moses Sumney
