News: CELEBRATED IRISH SINGER ELEANOR McEVOY’S TENTH STUDIO ALBUM INSPIRED BY BRIAN JONES FEATURE IN MAGAZINE

Renowned for her intimate, emotional and uplifting performances, celebrated Irish musician Eleanor McEvoy releases her tenth studio album, ‘If You Leave…’, on May 6th 2013.

The inspiration behind McEvoy’s new album came after reading a magazine feature that told the story about Brian Jones’ role in “bringing The Rolling Stones together and helping them pursue an authentic blues sound.” McEvoy said, “Whilst I was preparing this album, I read this wonderful feature in MOJO. It was the spark that started the fire, and I started revisting some classic 60s albums by The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, The Beach Boys, stuff like that. Not only is there a wonderful simplicity, clarity and depth to the sound, it was a very lucky era, in which it was acceptable to be both innovative and very successful. I wouldn’t presume to emulate such great music, but let us say their creativity haunted our recording.”

For the sessions, McEvoy recruited the talents of Grammy award-winning songwriter Jimmy Smyth on guitar, keyboard player James Delaney (Chuck Berry, Clannad), bassists Paul Moore (Van Morrison) & Eoghan O’Neill (Chris Rea, Moving Hearts) and drummer Des Lacey (Katie Melua), with special guests Brian Connor on piano and David Agnew on oboe.

McEvoy is also joined by guest vocalist Mary Coughlan, Gemma Hayes and Hermione Hennessy with Sharon Shannon on the accordion for the song ‘Secret of Living’. The song was written especially by McEvoy for a run of nine sell-out shows at The Olympia in Dublin to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the album ‘A Woman’s Heart’, the third biggest-selling album in Irish chart history which helped to establish McEvoy as a star in her home country. McEvoy said, “I thought I should write a song for all the performers who were going to be featured in the show, something like The Outlaws or The Traveling Wilburys, where everyone gets a chance to sing.”

Amongst the twelve songs on ‘If You Leave…’ there are four cover versions, including The Beach Boys’ ‘God Only Knows’, ‘Lift The Wings’ from the theatre show Riverdance, the Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly penned song ‘True Colors’ and Elmore James’ ‘Dust My Broom’. The latter serves as the album’s encore and is McEvoy’s salute to Brian Jones, who is believed to have taught his contemporaries the blues standard’s slide guitar part.

To support the release of ‘If You Leave…’, Eleanor McEvoy will play the following UK tour dates:

(* appearing as special guest with Paul Kelly)
(** appearing as special guest with Lisbee Stainton)

11th April – Southampton, The Brook *
12th April – London, Cadogan Hall *
14th April – Glasgow, The Arches *
16th April – Dublin, Unitarian Church *
22nd May – Glasgow, The Glad Café
23rd May – Motherwell, Berits and Brown
25th & 26th May – Portsoy, Haal Festival,
23rd June – Colchester, Wivenhoe House Hotel
17th Aug – Dorchester Forever Sun festival
1st & 2nd Nov – Denholm Folk Festival Scotland
7th November Bromsgrove, The Artrix **
8th November Durham, Gala **
9th November Leeds, City Varieties **
10th November Canterbury, Gulbenkian **
12th November Hereford, Courtyard **
13th November Bury St. Edmunds, The Apex **
14th November Chesham, Elgiva **
15th November Southport, The Atkinson **
19th November London, Cecil Sharp House **

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