Cathy Davey

Cathy was born in Dublin, and grew up in Monkstown. She found her way into music almost accidentally. She was signed by Parlophone's Regal Recordings after a batch of home-recorded demos caused a bit of a stir, and played her first live date shortly thereafter.
Spirited away to a studio in Wales, she set to work on her debut album with producer Ben Hillier, who'd previously worked with Elbow and Blur. The result, Something Ilk, was a gorgeous collection of songs both sultry and sweet, with melodies that soared and guitars that buzzed, drawing comparisons to PJ Harvey and all those other female songwriters that female songwriters often seem to draw comparisons to.
At any rate, most of these comparisons fell by the wayside with time, as Cathy managed to wriggle out
of the indie-rock role that Parlophone had given her. She'd never felt comfortable making her voice heard in label discussions, and found that her debut was "very much other people's idea of what I should sound like." She found it difficult to perform the songs with confidence, and began to yearn
for more independence. She took her time to make the follow-up, and made it on her terms. Tales of
Silversleeve found its beginnings in some home demos Cathy recorded by herself, and brought with her, fully formed, into the studio. Over the three years since the release of Something Ilk, Cathy had learned how to have more faith in the songs themselves, and this time, with the help of engineer Liam
Howe of Sneaker Pimps, the end result didn't stray far from her original vision. Hit singles like 'Sing for your Supper', and 'Reuben' ( a no 1 radio hit) had a depth and emotional touch that she'd been hiding, and there was a confidence in her live shows, too, that won her many new converts.
Keeping control of the creative process from inception to studio had paid off. As someone who had always craved the independence of songwriting, Cathy came into her own, no longer dreading the stage, but thriving in her live performances. Several full tours of Ireland followed, as well as
well-received sets at prestigious international festivals such as SXSW and Eurosonic. In the end, Silversleeve would win Cathy a Choice Music Prize Nomination, and the Meteor Award for Best Irish Female. The Irish Times saying "There's no better female songwriter in Irish music right now".
Silversleeve achieved her a place in the Irish Times top ten Albums of the Decade; the only woman and the only Irish artist to feature there. Tales Of Silversleeve would go on to achieve double-platinum status, and accompanying it Cathy undertook an astonishing run of two and half years of sold-out
shows.

In 2008, at just the right time, the record industry underwent something of a crisis, and EMI dropped much of its roster. Cathy found herself suddenly granted the independence she had been seeking, and immediately began work on new material. Retreating to France for a month with a couple of suitcases
packed with equipment, and knowing little French, she found herself recording in a setting that would come to influence the songs in unexpected ways. Having spent many nights in a quiet old house belonging to a quiet old widow, she came home with a handful of joyful songs about love, absence and
death, and declared: "Silversleeve is grand. But I'll do better next time". She's been true to her word. The Nameless has more of Cathy's personality in it than any of her previous work, and the effect is astonishing. There's a darkness here that is more prominent than before, but it's coupled expertly
with songs as fine as anything she's ever written. Lead single 'Little Red' is the kind of song that will be adopted as a new national anthem, if there's any justice. A pop gem that grew out of long dark nights in that spooky old French house, it's got a soaring chorus coupled to a string section that swells and swoons. It's a fine indicator of the songwriting heights Cathy has reached.
She's brought back members of her band too: Conor J. O'Brien has returned on to play some guitar and some drums, taking a break from recording his debut album as Villagers. Choice Music Prize winner Neil Hannon is here to lend his voice too, helping to make songs like 'Army of Tears' grow into the best
Eurovision entry that never was, with imperious violins accompanying an oddly danceable beat. The record is full of moments of genius, moments that grab you and explain, as only great music can, how beautiful life can be. Songs like 'Habit' have already been causing a stir among those lucky enough
to hear it, with Irish Times scribe Jim Carroll describing it as a "monster song with a heart of gold and a mind to mine the dark side."

2015 will see the release of Cathy's new album, written in the woods, recorded in the NCH. She is finalising mixes before a release date can be set.