Former Hozier band member Alana Henderson draws from her classical background and Irish roots in her solo effort. A brilliant cellist and singer-songwriter, Alana channels vulnerability and beautiful, stripped down melodies as evident in her latest single “Let This Remain.” It’s an icy and unforgiving anti-ballad, fusing an electronic undercurrent to her darkly organic indie-folk sound.
We asked Alana to put together a playlist of tracks and artists who have influenced her solo material, including Joni Mitchell and Sia. Listen below!
Fever Ray- Keep The Streets Empty For Me
“This track has almost all of my favourite things; sweeping synth, melancholy vibe & spooky vocals. It gets better with each listen.”
Joni Mitchell- Cactus Tree
“I was reading a book of interviews with Joni Mitchell called ‘In Her Own Words’ at about the time I wrote ‘Let This Remain.’ I’d been touring for about 1.5 years. ‘While she’s so busy being free’ resonated.”
Sia- Fair Game
“Sia’s track about the ‘game-playing’ of a relationships is really smart. This minimalist string-laden track was my favourite on her ‘1000 forms of fear’ album.”
Arthur Russell- That’s Us/ Wild Combination
“Arthur Russell has been a huge influence on me. He was the first ‘cello-singing’ artist that I ever encountered. The distorted cello on the album ‘calling out context’ and his use of electronic elements is something I took inspiration from for ‘Let This Remain.'”
This Mortal Coil- Song To The Siren
“This Tim Buckley cover is a long-time favourite of mine. Its so mystical and evocative. It really draws you in. That little ornamentation on the line ‘waiting to hold you’ reminds me of old-style Irish ‘Sean-nós’, which I grew up singing. “
Esme Patterson- My Young Man
“Esme Patterson describes this as ‘the feminine aspects of herself writing a love song to the masculine aspects.’ There is definitely an element of that in ‘Let This Remain’… it’s the heart and the head having a conversation about the risks involved in loving someone.”
Ani Di Franco- Untouchable Face
“So much wonderful contradiction in this. I’ve loved this song since I was a teenager.”
Laurie Anderson-O Superman
“This track is still so unsettling, strange and brilliant. The fact it got to #2 in the charts is also heartening!”
Ane Brun-Do You Remember
‘Do you remember when we forgot how to smile at each other? To believe that the other wants only what’s good for you?’
“Maybe its a Scandi thing but there’s just something so gut wrenching in Ane Brun’s lyrics. The tribal beats belie the fact that the words are totally devastating.”
Fionn Regan- Dogwood Blossom
“Fionn Regan is an underrated and inventive Irish Singer-Songwriter. His lyrics are second-to-none. I had this on heavy rotation for a spell.”
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