If Irish singer-songwriter Fionn Regan's The End of History was the sound of the countryside and woodland lanes, this record is the sound of towns and dimly lit streets; heartfelt and with a ragged edge. He has ploughed himself a new furrow.
It was during a period of great global upheaval, whilst touring his debut album for two years worldwide, and in particular across America, as Fionn puts it “seeing the world, the bone structure, the pulp” that he began work on its follow up. It seems natural that his response was to become more outward looking “as a writer you hold up a mirror, its reflections become the work” and in The Shadow of an Empire this manifests itself in a collection of songs that are peopled with characters and conversational dialogue. The often witty vignettes are used to facilitate more complex soul-searching.
On the subject of influence, Fionn describes it as “hard to quantify, I wrote these songs from the page up, on an Olympia portable, the idea being that the words would stand up on their own. I think the percussive nature of typing informed the phrasing. I was reading a lot of Welsh, French and American poets, I started to explore Brecht, Mahagonny in particular, I have always loved Kerouac…, then I admire visual artists like Joseph Beuys, Basquiat and Francis Bacon equally. All these people switch the light bulb on, make me connect back to my work”
The album was self-produced (as was the case with the 2007 Mercury Prize nominated The End of History) and recorded in a small, disused factory space in Fionn’s hometown in Co. Wicklow, Ireland “There were no airs or graces about it, we cut live in the room, live vocals… the piano had come off a cruise ship and we wheeled it down the road…the guy who sold it to us threw a couple of cheap Silvertone guitars and a circus drum into the bargain. As far a production goes…I’m very much into keeping mistakes, a crack in the voice, the natural ebb and flow of live drums, so that there’s a sort of evidence of the process… I think it’s that atmosphere which makes me want to revisit my favorite albums again and again”
“The Shadow of an Empire” will be released on Heavenly Recordings / Universal in early 2010
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Hey thanks a million for accepting my friend request Fionn ive been a big fan of yours for a long time.hope you can check out my song and hope you like it.take care
has anyone ever told you you resemble the boy in Harold and Maud? well, i think you do. and i can always turn on your music and be happy with what im listening to. cheers, erin
I saw you last night in Brighton - You were all Brilliant!! (Apologies for the idiots who talked through it - we who were near were all annoyed!!) I've seen Dylan and there is the same energy there from you when he was young!! I loved the song you sang before picking up the Flying V ( what was it - it Napolionic Wars ?) Truly one of the best real Gigs I've seen will treasure the Memory - Have a Good rest of the tour and I want to say THANK YOU to all of us who were in awe!!
We just got back home from Glasgow. Thanks for a superb hour or so in your company. The new songs are really exciting, can't wait for the album to come out.
Haste ye back to Scotland ... bigger venue next time as it sounds like quite a few folk couldn't get tickets.
Enjoy the rest of the tour - the audiences to come are in for a special treat :)
