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"I wish John would do another album, We have the Wells of
the World worn out" Christy Moore
"As far as I'm concerned 'The Wells of The World 'is the best Irish
album for the past ten years" P.J Curtis, Lyric FM
"But Spillane, of course, dominates centre stage and as he gently steers
us through his vast back-catalogue of understated gems, you start to divine
the depth of his abilities." Kevin Barry, The Irish Times
“With ‘The Wells Of The World', John Spillane has created not only a
striking and individual musical statement, but one of the albums of this
or any other year. From start to finish, I love it to bits." Oliver P.
Sweeney, Hot Press
“Already the critics are struggling for superlatives to describe ‘The
Wells Of The World', a tasteful, visionary work from a gentle, insightful
spirit.” Paul Dromey The Examiner
“Twelve beautifully crafted songs presented in a form which manages
to be absolutely contemporary, while simultaneously harking back to an
ancient, timeless sean nos Irish singing style.” Declan Hassett, The
Examiner
“ ‘All The Ways You Wander', surely one of the loveliest songs ever
written for a child” Victoria White, The Irish Times
“ Spillane's debut into the World of Solo is a masterpiece” On The Town,
The Echo
“ When he let his voice fly one felt as if a bird had escaped from a
cage and was celebrating freedom with a great show of power and colour
and emotion. This man has more to offer than he thinks” Jim Kelly, Irish
Music Magazine
Review of John Spillane, Barge Rooms Ennis ****
Gerry Quinn, The Examiner Saturday 16th June 2007
Cork song-poet John Spillane's inspiration derives from myriad sources,
in keeping with his quirky yet bang-on observations about life and it's
complexities. From the weeds on the side of the road to the curious
titles of traditional tunes, no stone is left unturned. Spillane's ascent
to household name status has taken an unorthodox route, from academic
to journeyman musician to composer of killer songs - a voyage of self-discovery,
underlined by a quick wit and candid appraisals of his everyday world.
An often childlike and almost self-deprecating delivery disguises a
multi-layered talent. There's a disarming quality to Spillane that's
not quite as it seems on first sample and there is an honesty and integrity
that creeps up on you as the layers are peeled.
The gig was a joy, with a partisan yet discerning audience willing
to allow the singer/songwriter to indulge himself while trawling through
an impressive back catalogue.
The comical and infectious Johnny Don't go to Ballincollig has effected
a response in the form of the relatively new Beautiful Ballincollig,
an almost child-like lament for times past.
But as always an astute surveillance of our chase to urbanise and speculate
for profit, at the expense of natural beauty, is revealed.
The Mad Woman of Cork mixes chilling and quasi-religious images with
funny and poignant reminders of vulnerability, while songs like The
Dance of the Cherry Trees, Hey Dreamer and The Land You Love the Best
all exhibit the strength and character of Spillane's gift for story-telling.
John Spillane "I'm Moving On" single
review Hot Press Magazine 29th July 2005
Ireland's most unappreciated performer, delivers the goods yet again.
Beautiful hooks and melodies fly out of his guitar as if sent from the
back of beyond in deepest Cork. His latest album, Hey Dreamer, is a
stunner, "I'm Moving On" being one of its many highlights.
Catchy, entertaining, and with a hidden depth just beneath its exterior,
this is trademark Spillane. Long may he continue.
Irish Music Magazine
- Vol. 6 No. 11 July 2001
When John Spillane released his first solo release, "Wells
of the World", reviewers were tripping over themselves with numerous
accolades. Almost every one said it was the best contemporary CD of
the year. For example, award-winning broadcaster, author and producer,
P.J. Curtis says, "John is one of the most talented, significant singer/songwriters
to emerge in Ireland in the last decade. His work with Nomos and his
debut solo album "Wells of the World" is proof of this. The album shows
John to be an emerging artist who has something to say and says it with
commitment, style and authority. I know few singer/songwriters who express
such an acute sense of place as does John or who is so totally engaging
in "live" performance. He is also a true poet and wraps his poetry in
memorable melody. This is one of the truest Irish voices of his generation".
Even Christy Moore, who has recently recorded one of Spillane's songs,
"Johnny Don't Go to Ballincollig", says in his liner notes that "Wells
of the World" was an undiscovered gem of the 90's.
Undiscovered, indeed. A very bad experience that resulted in the album
getting virtually no promotion or exposure. To the detriment of not
only John's career, but to multitudes of listeners everywhere who missed
out an extraordinary debut album. While some might thrown in the towel,
Spillane, although disillusioned, continued writing. Now with a new
record company, he is about to bless us with his second solo release,
"Will We Be Brilliant Or What?", to be released this autumn.
John Spillane loves songs, to put it simply, and we are the richer
for it. His thought process is as lyrical as his songs when asked what
got him started in music. "I discovered that I loved music when I was
about four years old", says John. "I would go around singing the same
song over and over. I love that thing which is the SONG--how it travels
through time--choruses sometimes if it wants--how only one bit can be
happening at a time, but it is built on the piece before. How the marriage
of music and words make a magical combination that is something beyond
either. How when you come to the end you can start over again if you
want. How you always believe a song, even when it might contain the
most unlikely stuff.
Believing in John's songs is easy to do, and unlikely stuff doesn't
enter into it. He writes about love and life in contemporary Ireland--what
is going on right here, right now. His quiet confidence translates into
songs that are true and honest and resonate within the listener. Its
not just the words, either. Spillane has a knack for melody and if he
doesn't draw you in with the lyrics, he'll most certainly make sure
it will be hard to resist the tune. "Music is, of course, a completely
magical material", says Spillane. "It cannot be seen, it cannot be touched--it
only exists in the mind. Music and songs play tricks with time--when
you are in them, they only exist one note or word at a time, yet they
can also exist simultaneously all together in another part of your mind".
"Wells of the World" came out just as Spillane was ending his almost
six year tenure with the superb group Nomos, where his songs helped
forge the band's distinctive flavour. "I found it to be a great and
very educational experience to play with a traditional band because
I was surrounded by tunes, morning, noon and night, absorbing hundreds
of melodies all the time and getting a steeping in Irish music. I find
Irish music to be very powerful and it is the music which moves me the
most. I love the modes and scales in which the tunes are written and
I hope to write some great songs using these notes--wild gaelic notes,
wild and free and beautiful grace notes, too". "I've been a solo artist
for three years now and I kinda miss the lads alright. I've always been
in some band or another since I was sixteen, so I have been doing occasional
projects like recording a duet with Juliet Turner on the title song,
"Will We Be Brilliant, Or What?".
Other songs on the upcoming album are all from the pen of Spillane
with 4 produced by Peter O'Toole and 8 by Declan Sinnott. 10 of the
songs are brand new ones that John has been working on over the past
few years, and there will be a few familiar ones as well. John gives
a brief summary-- "Peter's tracks are more dancy and maybe contemporary
and Declan's are beautiful. There is one Nomos song, "I'm going to set
you free", and one other, "Prince's Street" which is about Cork that
I did before in my band, "The Stargazers".
Another project Spillane is justifiably proud of is his work with
poet and friend, Louis de Paor. Louis and John went to school together
and have been writing songs together for years. The two of them have
formed what they call "The Gaelic Hit Factory", for their collaborations
and won the annual Radio na Gaeltachta competition this year for contemporary
songs in Gaelic with the song, "Ag an gCoisir" (at the party).
Additionally, Karan Casey recorded two of TGHF songs, "Buile mo chroi"
(the madness of my heart) and "You Brought me Up" on her latest release,
"The Winds Begin to Sing".
While not a native speaker, John is fluent in Irish and loves it.
"I love Irish and I live to speak it. I have spent a lot of time learning
it, and still am, but it is not the main part of what I do musically
and songwise. I've only written one song in Irish myself, "Rinn na Mara".
All the others have words written by Louis. We have written about 15
songs together, 13 of which are in Irish. There is a lot of work to
be done in writing contemporary songs in Irish, and we in TGHF are certainly
playing our part. In fact, I have more lyrics from Loius waiting on
my answering machine for music to be put to them, even as I talk."
With Louis providing the lyrics and John the melody, it seems like
TGHF might live up to its name, but Spillane cautions that it isn't
as easy as it might appear, doing contemporary songs in Irish. "It seems
that the language does not fit in well with pop music or rock and roll,
but sounds great with Irish traditional music, naturally enough". "However",
says Spillane, "when people are trying to be contemporary they think
that means modern music, which means pop or rock or mainstream. This
is a mistake. It has to sound good, be natural and real, and my Nomos
experience has taught me very well that Irish music is completely contemporary--that
its happening now, all over the world and does not belong to the past
anymore than it belongs to the present".
It seems that the wealth of singers and songwriters that have come
out of Cork--the likes of Rory Gallagher, Jimmy MacCarthy, Mick Hanley,
Sinead Lohan, Ger Wolfe, Frank O'Connor and many others has been increased
by yet another---when asked why so much talent seems to come from that
particular part of the country, Spillane replies, (in true humble Cork
fashion) "I think that the reason for all the really good songwriters
who come from Cork is that we are a naturally brilliant people! I can
think of no other explanation for it!"
Maybe that should be, "Will Cork be Brilliant or What?"
John Spillane's newest release, "Will We Be Brilliant Or What?", will
be released on the EMI label this autumn.
By Cindy Reich, Irish Music Magazine
John Spillane - The Wells of the
World - Hot Press Review
HAVING EXERCISED his larynx with Nomos for the past number of years,
John Spillane has now unleashed his first solo on an unsuspecting world.
It hasn't been an easy path - all the usual obstacles such as time and
finance got in the way - but it has been worth the wait.
As with fellow Corkonians Jimmy Crowley and Eamon O'Tuama, his is
not a conventional style. Sure his songs posses recognisable structures
like middle eights and intros and suchlike, but it's the combination
of voice, language and production that gives this album its cutting
edge.
Vocally, Spillane's quite unique, with an almost sean nos-like element
in his singing, notes and phrasing slip-sliding with abandon all over,
playing hooky with internal rhyming and rhythm, while still managing
to end up in synch with the time signature. Lyrically, he engages the
listener from the off, with his unusual combination of topic and delivery.
These songs are conversations with the outside world, full of colloquialisms
and wit, eavesdropping on life's canvas of experiences, ranging from
blighted love to dissatisfaction with one's lot.
Lest you get the impression from that observations that this is a
whingey album, let me tell you it's far from it. It carries life's pulse
throughout, its impact strengthened even further by Declan Sinnott's
production. Apart from playing most of the instruments on the album,
he understands - perhaps more closely than anyone working in Irish music
today - the notion of giving the songs their space. That they emerge
so strong from what is often such a sterile process owes as much credit
to Declan as to John and his material.
With The Wells of the World John Spillane has created not only a striking
and individual musical statement, but one of the albums of this or any
other year. From start to finish, I love it to bits.
11/12 Oliver P. Sweeney
News of the World -
The Craic - My Songs are all Corkers
WHILE some Irish singer songwriters happily work within
American genres, John Spillane has always felt “phoney” doing it.
“Van Morrison took on this American persona and became brilliant within
that,” he said. “U2 took on the US rock voice-I find it more exciting
having local CORK music.
” The first song on his solo album last year, The Wells of the World,
is a fine specimen of the new genre, though it is unlikely to be clasped
to the heart of the Second City. The narrator issues a terrible warning
to the fella propped up beside him at the bar: “Johnny don't go to Ballincollig.
” What might happen to Johnny if he ventured forth from the to that
comfortable suburb-or worse still, to Carrigaline-is not spelled out.
The narrator can only come up with the reason that the suburbs always
disappoint Johnny in the end but there is worse hinted at. He might
fall in love, or realise that the world is bigger than a bar in Cork
city or-worst of all he might miss his round.
When Cork born poet Theo Dorgan heard the song he wrote to Spillane
and described it as being about the Cork tendency to not want anyone
to grow.
Spillane, 38, says: “It came out of me like an explosion. I didn't
know what I was saying. I write best when I'm unhappy, like I was then.”
He loves his native city, but he says there is “a negative thing” in
Cork. The song on the album which most reflects it is the last one,
which has as its title that niggardly Irish answer to the question,
“How are you?” - ”Not too bad”.
But most of his songs, wheter on the solo album he has recorded or
on the two much-praised albums he recorded with the traditional group
Nomos, are gentle and thoughtful, and sometimes quite magical, beautifully
delivered in a soft, traditional and yes, recognisably Cork style.
Of these, perhaps All The Ways You Wander is best known, a typically
mystical promise to wait for the wanderer “like a true friend.” The
gorgeous cascading melody was with Spillane for years, he says, and
he thought it was a classical tune he had picked up somewhere.
But the inspiration for the words came from his daughter, Leslie:
“I stared it when she was two, when I saw her in he garden looking so
beautiful. I didn't finish till she was six.” His relationship with
Leslie's mum ended when the child was four.
The sudden maturing of Spillane's songwriting talent, when he was
in his early thirties, coincided with the catastrophe of the break-up.
“The break-up was all very tragic of course, but it was the best thing
that ever happened to me” he says. He joined Nomos soon after that.
Why did he leave them? “We were on different wavelengths.
” He was disappointed that the rave reviews his album last year received
didn't translate into stardom. But he has no intention of moving to
Dublin or London to gain greater recognition.
“I will never leave Cork. Its people are the salt of the earth and
inspire me every day of my life,” he says.
“There is no place quite as good as living outside Cork near Passage.
I live near the river and the peace and tranquillity can never be beaten.”
He has written Dance Of The Cherry Trees about two cherry trees talking
to each other. “Everyone thinks I was on drugs writing such a song,”
he says. “It couldn't be further from the truth.
“I got the inspiration when I was on the bus to Passage and I saw
a couple of trees out the window. It was spring time....”
The Irish Times - Saturday,
November 27th 1999 - Folk
What a thing it is to craft a song which stays in the
minds of it's listeners. Cork singer/songwriter John Spillane has done
it again and again. There's Johnny Don't Go to Ballincollig, that dark-hilarious
warning to the fossilised Corkman on the bar-stool, there's Eist do
Bheal, recorded so well by Sinead Lohan on the album , Eist, there's
When You And I Were True, a shocking vision of post-relationship dustbowl,
ther's the glorious, cascading All The Ways You Wander, surely one of
the loveliest songs ever written for a child. This headline gig at 8pm
tomorrow in Vicar Street will be a huge treat.
Victoria White
Irish Music Magazine
- John Spillane - Vicar Street - Nov 29th 1999
Vicar Street, empty before the start of the gig. Candles
flickering on every table and looking like a shoal of votive lamps in
the nave of a mediaeval church lacking the odour of sanctity. All a
bit weird and maybe a bit intimidating for the performer one suspects.
When the Sunday night crowd streamed in they were up for the gig and
not in the least subdued by the ecclesiastical atmosphere.
When John Spillane came on the stage they joined with him fight away
in a conspiracy of intimacy which conjured up a host of ghosts which
delighted and distributed and ended in something approaching sacrilegious
joy and near abandon. None of your ‘hitting over the head music' from
this singer songwriter from Bishops town in the County Cork. His songs
are full of nuance, humour , and meaning delivered in an understated
way that most times adds to their power. The words are important and
well worth listening to but the voice is sometimes held on to tight
a rein. On the odd occasion when he let his voice fly one felt as if
a bird had escaped from a cage and was celebrating freedom with a great
show of power and colour and emotion. This man has more to offer than
he thinks. Has he yet broken with the discipline of his years with Nomos?
Rugadh me i gCorcaigh is a poem by Galway poet Louis de Paor set to
music by Spillane and delivered in a brilliant fusion of sean nos and
a driving up-tempo rhythm. A product of what he calls the Gaelic Hit
Factory. By the time he invited Declan Sinnott on stage to join him
Spillane as in full flow. The weaving guitar of Sinnott seemed to draw
Spillane's voice out and he reeled of a clutch of songs- My Love Will
Not Sing For Me, Seanie Boo and the Big BlueEmpty, and Let the River
Flow. This last a haunting song of tragedy, which it was not surprising
to learn later, was born out of a personal experience of suicide.
He brought the audience to a full throated roar of approval immediately
after with Johnny Don't go to Ballincollig which even those not from
the rebel county (and we were in the minority), who may have been short
on local knowledge to understand all the subtleties of this song, joined
in with gusto. The audience many of whom are, one suspects, regulars
at Johnny's gigs in the Cobblestone across the river took his gentle,
good-humoured chiding like family members might. No gulf here between
performer and audience. Everything about this man is round. His hair
his body his voice and his personality. No jagged edges except of course
in some of his more serious songs which still however manage to deal
with the harsher realities in life with humanity and compassion.
A gig that made you feel a little bit better about yourself.
Jim Kelly ( Irish Music Magazine/ Feb 2000)
Billboard - Global Music Pulse
- edited by Nigel Williamson - August 17th 2002
Global Music Pulse - edited by Nigel Williamson - Brilliant
Tradition - the continuing commercial strength of traditional Irish
artists is highlighted by the domestic success of Cork-born singer songwriter
John Spillane whose second solo set, Will We Be Brilliant or What?
(EMI Ireland) charted at number 14 on the Irish albums chart a
week after it's May 3rd release. Spillane - a former member of acclaimed
trad group Nomos - brought in Peter O' Toole (of Hothouse Flowers) and
Declan Sinnott to produce the album, which so far has spawned two singles
"We're Going Sailing" and "The Dance of the Cherry Trees". Spillane's
songs have been covered by the likes of Sinéad Lohan and Christy
Moore. He also recently won a prestigious Irish-language song contest
for his collaboration with Gaelic poet Louis de Paor on "Bata Is Bothar"
. The annual competition, called Realta 200, is organised by Gaelic-language
radio station Radio na Gaeltachta. Extensive touring around Ireland
in support of the new album culminated in an appearance Kilkenny's Source
Festival as a special guest of Paul Simon and Van Morrison.
Will
We Be Brilliant or What? Review on campus.ie
"Perhaps it's just the patriotism talking, but am I the
only witness of Dublin/Sligo's toddler pop-trite (amongst other boyband
mimeathons) dragging our nations musical heritage through the mud? Is
it possible such a tiny minority of artistically devoid puppets could
strip the lacquer from our nations prestige in the arts? Either way
and fortunately for Irish music, it's only a matter of time and luck
that can deny the emergence of the unstoppable creative energy known
as John Spillane." more...
Celtic Connections: Mary McPartlan
with John Spillane - Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow - Rob Adams - The Herald
Glasgow
This double bill featured two of Ireland's most recently feted artists:
the one, John Spillane, whose star has already risen as the writer of
songs sung by Christy Moore, Karan Casey and Sean Keane; the other,
Mary McPartlan, who's quickly making up for lost time in, for years,
neglecting music as a professional career.
Listening to Spillane's between-song barrow boy's pitch-cum-hilariously
tongue-in-cheek harangue, it's still difficult to reconcile him with
the quiet youngster who sung so sweetly with the marvellous Cork-based
traditional music quintet, Nomos, in the 1990s. Sweetly sung, beautifully
wistful songs are still partly his stock in trade, although he's long
since developed a darker, madder side of writing to match his lovably
outrageous persona.
Singing to just his own nylon-strung guitar accompaniment, Spillane
can bewitch one minute and create deep rumbling clouds the next, such
as the drumming menace that underscores his pleading, soulful Beat of
My Heart. The piece de resistance here, though, was his epic telling
of the three whales which – in Spillane's version – terrorised Cork
in 2001. Truly, the spirit of Alex Harvey lives on in this tousle-haired
troubadour.
McPartlan's first album, The Holland Handkerchief, has seen her hailed
as a great new voice of the tradition. Her palette's wider than that
implies, with touches of skiffle, blues and kabaret here. I found her
approach on these styles a little strident, but her singing of Shane
MacGowan's Rainy Night in Soho echoes the warm, clear storytelling in
her traditional repertoire.
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