02 Mar Artist Profile: Chirpy
Style: Indie Folk, Folk Pop, Alt Folk, Classical, Singer Songwriter
Key words: Reflective, Moody, Tragic, Melancholic, Haunting, Overwhelming, Steady, Building, Angelic, Warm, Moving, Driven, Upbeat, Soaring, Nature, Uplifting, Sweet, Nature, Minimal, Reflective, Storytelling
When a piece of music has a wholesome strength and warmth about it, as well as a delicate vulnerability, it shows a wealth of musical knowledge and experience in the mind behind it, which is the case with Dublin singer songwriter Chirpy (Rebecca Shannon). Having toured with internationally acclaimed Irish choral ensemble Anúna for five years, Chirpy similarly uses enchanting arrangements and has an Irish/Celtic and classical feel. Gentle vocals, beautiful harmonies, lightly plucked strings, and lyrics that allude to nature and history thread through her music. Her debut EP Real Life, released mid 2017 and recruited into our catalogue soon after, includes six tracks with clear Irish influence and classical elements throughout. Track ‘The Sister’ is rich in delicate vocals harmonies and uses text from a poem by Irish poet Francis Ledwidge who died in the first world war and whose centenary occurred last year. One track in particular which perfectly showcases Chirpy’s talent in balancing rich and soft textures is ‘Real Life’. With harp, guitar, piano, strings and drums as her instruments of choice, the piece grows from a raw, light vocal and guitar accompaniment to a soaring wall of sound. With a soundscape and lyrics that predominantly celebrate life and nature (“Hold your head up high and let the earth move around you”- Real Life) Chirpy is a joy to listen to!
Video for ‘Real Life’
Clare McGonigle