Episode four of Going Coastal, a podcast for Not Bad in which west coast artists talk us through some of their favourite songs.
This one was recorded in Cork by Elaine Malone and features west coast acts Perish and The Bonk as well as the tracks that have had an influence on Elaine’s own work.
Elaine Malone (Mantua/HEX/Land Crabs/Soft Focus) is an Irish psychedelic-folk songwriter. Hailing from Limerick, she currently resides in Cork, where she has carved a name for herself as an idiosyncratic musician known for her haunting voice and poetic lyricism combined with grunge roots and psychedelic leanings.
“For those yet uninitiated, Malone’s blunt style of penmanship is among the most unique and characteristic of any lyricist in the country. It’s poetry for sure, just minus all the bullshit that usually comes with it. Perhaps most telling is the wonderful ‘Vonnegut’, a writer with which Malone shares a unique worldview with. The entire EP plays and sounds wonderful from front to back, detailed with a level and care largely unparalleled in Irish folk this year.” – Nialler9.
Her debut single ‘You’ was premiered on Nialler9 in February and received international airplay. Her recent appearances include Quarter Block Party, It Takes A Village and support slots for Katie Kim, O Emperor and David Keenan. Her second single ‘No Blood’ released in March was described as “musically recalling some of Tim Buckley’s airy jazz inclinations, and the gently percussive Weltschmerz of Nick Drake, Elaine Malone‘s new single cranks tension between folk music as a vehicle for aural pleasure and folk music as a vessel for crushingly human storytelling.” – The Thin Air.
Her debut EP Land was recorded with fellow artist Sam Clague in a small home studio over the course of a year. Described by Dan Hegarty of 2FM as “quite something – what exactly? Striking, stunning and heartfelt are three words that go some way to encapsulating it.“ Also featuring on the EP are the twin rhythm-section of ‘Talos’, Josh and Sonny Sampson. Sam Clague also features heavily as a multi-instrumentalist. ‘Land’ deals with heartache, apathy, the tragic death of Ann Lovett and the torture of first falling in love.
“A truly engrossing journey of stark dark-folk sounds, washing textures and a central vocal that enraptures the listeners. Elaine Malone’s ‘Vonnegut’ is a must. “ Stephen White. The Last Mixtape “Land is an excellently crafted piece of story-telling through music, a story we would rather we never had to hear, but one she should be most proud of telling.” Remy
Named one of the Best New Irish Acts 2018 by Nialler9, she has recently appeared at Sounds From A Safe Harbour, Clonakilty Guitar Festival and Ireland Music Week. She is working on her debut album.
www.notbad.ie
