Ely O Keeffe Interview 1st May 2011Shane spoke with Ely O Keeffe singer songwriter from Knocknagree in County Cork has been making waves in recent times on the Irish music circuit. Currently working on launching her new album she is as busy as ever. The Album was two years in the making and was not without interesting times. Ely comes from a musical family and played with her own family band for about 5 years before she branched out on her own.
Her house growing up was a very musical family where her Father who sang encouraged music in the house. Ely then started college and moved to Cork to study music in 2006 at Cork Coláiste Stiofáin Naofa which was when she became known for her own songwriting. She began to recognise and explore her talents not only as a singer, but as an expressive writer. Over the past four years, she has built up an impressive repertoire of songs which feature on the album, and has shown her ability to experiment stylistically in a mature and informed way. Under the guidance of John Fitzgerald, along with the creative contributions from band members Edel Curtin on Piano, Brian Hassett on Bass, Christian Best on Drums, Elaine Kenny on Viola and Aisling Fitzpatrick on Cello, She has emerged with an album that promises to become the soundtrack to 2011. The album which is a delicious fusion of folk, pop, jazz and blues influences, showcases both the immense power of O' Keeffe's unique, raw vocal and her talents as an edgy and relevant female songwriter within the Irish music industry.
Having been in a band with her family it was a whole new world and allowed her write more songs personal to herself. Daniel O Keeffe her younger brother is well known for his version of The Ballad of James Connelly which was widely requested on local radio in Cork. She has become a frequent fixture on the live music scene for the last two years, and has played some of Cork and Kerry's most renowned venues, such as the Crane Lane Theatre, The Savoy, The Pavilion, The Lobby and Killarney's INEC. This has given O' Keeffe the opportunity to perfect her sound and her live show, and she has accumulated an avid following in the process.
Currently Elly is putting a management team around her and getting sorted which always takes time and will be promoting her album over the summer months the one thing Elly says is that she loves playing live and interacting with a live audience is what gives her the most satisfaction. Having received radio play herself from everyone from John Creedon on RTE Radio 1 to local radio she is looking forward to a good year. So keep an eye out in a venue near you for this great singer songwriter or you can check her out on youtube here.
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