Saoirse Miller
The Workman’s Cellar
Sunday 27th October
Doors 8pmRickets – €16.00 (inclusive)Fermanagh artist RÓIS
release a concept keening EP ‘MO LÉAN’, celebrating Ireland’s ancient
traditions around death on 4th October.
Self-released, written and produced by RÓIS with additional production
from John Spud Murphy (OXN/Lankum), ‘MO LÉAN’ is a concept EP, taking
the listener through the grieving process from start to finish, from the
chaos that loss brings, to the intense emotional outpourings and
finally, a cathartic release.
‘MO LÉAN’ features several new original recordings and reworks of songs
and hymns based around the concept of death, life, mourning and
catharsis. RÓIS re-imagines the tradition of ‘keening’ in Ireland that
goes back to pre-christian times, a practice in which women would ‘keen’
a lamenting wail at the side of a coffin during a wake. After
discovering the last two recordings of keening songs, RÓIS was inspired
by their ethereal melodies to give them a modern reworking yet honouring
the original women by sampling them in her adaption. ‘Keeners’ through
their voices, movements and laments, conveyed the communal expression of
grief and allowed those suffering a way to release their sorrow and
loss. RÓIS aspires to do the same with the album and her live tour, by
expressing the power of the voice to transcend death and help us
relinquish our fear of it.
The Irish Wake Tour reimagines the wake in contemporary times. The
period between death and burial, this cultural tradition is a core part
of Irish life, bringing the community together to deal with the grief of
loss. Yet, it is declining and many wake traditions are almost lost.
Saoirse Miller is an independent singer-songwriter composer from Dublin.
Drawing inspiration from Irish folklore, pagan mysticism and hauntology,
Saoirse’s music blends natural sounds with electronics and her
otherworldly vocals, to create ethereal electro-acoustic ambience. Her
repertoire explores distinctive new-wave trad as well as alternative
electro pop. Her live set-up blends music and poetry with live
audio-reactive visuals, to teleport the audience into her mystical
world.
In 2023 Saoirse made her festival debut at the Achill Island Music
Festival, and recently performed at Celtronic Festival in Donegal, in
March 2024. Saoirse has released her first solo EP “Birds”. The
ambitious project is an experimental blend of Irish trad music, poetry
and electronic production.
