Got a great reason for visiting Dublin this summer for you guys! Following on from the successful launch of his single "Not Without
You" in March, my good friend Johnny Rayge will release his debut album
"Vigil" in The Button Factory on Friday, June 13th. You will definitely find some new alltime-favouite songs on this record, I can promise!
After years pursuing rock-and-roll grooves with his former
band ITO - you know them from here - Johnny decided to take a more meditative approach
in recording this album. The result is a collection of contemplative songs as
complex as they are catchy, incorporating intricate harmonies and epic choruses
to create songs that are "as dramatic as they are musical" (Independent Music
Review Ireland)
Johnny says "it’s just about being honest with myself, living
everyday like it’s the last and loving every moment of it. It sounds cliché but
it’s not about arriving, it’s all about getting there; the relationships you
build, the songs you sing; there’s a lot of love and loss, and we all go through
it. This is just my way of dealing with it. I hope that this album, which is
just honest, and these songs, will connect with some people and say to them what
they say to me"
The album is being launched alongside a busy Summer for
Johnny. As well as having several festival dates already lined up (including
Glastonbury, Electric Picnic and Body & Soul)
Johnny has been a mainstay of the Dublin music scene since his previous band
ITO first broke into the Irish music charts in 2006 with "Higher Than The
Sun" but this album marks Johnny's first major release in seven years. The
first single from the album, "Not Without You", has already received airplay on
a number of radio stations.
On Friday, June 13th, Johnny will play the entire album live
backed by an array of Dublin's finest musicians including Jebediah Funkfield,
Chris O’Sullivan, Abel Benito, Noemie Chivas Baron and Sascha Herndl.
Curious what "Vigil" sounds like? Click here for buying the complete album!