Celtic Folk Harpist Joy Shannon Unveils New Single
Irish harpist Joy Shannon is set to release her upcoming album, “An Chailleach”, on November 1st, 2024! The title, which is Irish for the crone or elder goddess, sees Shannon delving into the lore of the dark wintertime goddess of Ireland, with stark and stunning compositions.
Ahead of this, Shannon released her new single “The Spell”, featuring a collaboration with Emily Jane White, on September 13th, 2024!On this album, Shannon collaborates with the dark folk band Osi and the Jupiter, the ambient artist Leila Abdul-Rauf, singer and guitarist Jessica Way from the ethereal metal band Worm Ouroboros, the folk metal band Aerial Ruin, the haunting singer and songwriter Emily Jane White and throat singer and shamanic practitioner Kai Uwe Faust of Heilung.
Speaking about her latest single, "The Spell", Shannon has said:
““The Spell” is the first single from my 2024 album “An Chailleach”. The album takes its name from the crone goddess of Irish mythology. “The Spell” imagines what the lair of the crone goddess might look like: a cave deep in the earth, from which the source of water, wisdom and healing emit. The goddess casts spells, cares for seeds and transmutes death into new life. The crone assures the listener: “love you know well, remember your heart spell, keep your heart pure, That’s how you will endure this hell”.
The video, directed by Matt Kollar, can be found below.
The tracklisting for the new album is:
1. Corr Bán
2. Cailleach (feat. Jessica Way)
3. The Crone of Loughcrew
4. The Spell (feat. Emily Jane White)
5. Mo Corra
6. Caer Ibormeith (feat. Osi and the Jupiter and Leila Abdul Rauf)
7. Airmid (feat. Leila Abdul Rauf)
8. Heather (feat. Osi and the Jupiter)
9. The Cannon Fire (feat. Aerial Ruin) (music and lyrics written by J. L. Fox of Fox and the Red Hares)
10. The Cailleach Well
11. Stupstock (feat. Emily Jane White)
12. The Flood
13. Leaving (feat. Leila Abdul Rauf)
14. Song of My Father
15. Corr Bán (Tar Árais Dom) (Feat. Kai Uwe Faust of Heilung)
Joy Shannon is an Irish harpist and singer whose ethereal and haunting songs come from depths of Irish folklore. Her melodies evoke images of witch’s lairs in dark woods or the distant echoes of the voices of spirits in the ancient places of the Irish countryside.
“An Chailleach”, or Irish for the crone or elder goddess, sees Shannon delving into the lore of the dark wintertime goddess of Ireland, with stark and stunning compositions. On this album, Shannon collaborates with the dark folk band Osi and the Jupiter, the ambient artist Leila Abdul-Rauf, singer and guitarist Jessica Way from the ethereal metal band Worm Ouroboros, the folk metal band Aerial Ruin, the haunting singer and songwriter Emily Jane White and throat singer and shamanic practitioner Kai Uwe Faust of Heilung.
To date, Joy Shannon has released several notable albums: “Mo Anam Cara” (2015), “Aes Sídhe” (2017) and “The Cave” (2020).Joy’s 2015 album “Mo Anam Cara”, or Irish for soulmate or spiritual teacher, follows the ancient Celtic calendar, with a song for every pagan holiday. Songs like “Imbolc Invocation to Brigid”, resurrect the old traditions of how the Irish used to honour the goddess of light Brigid, with offerings of song and hospitality.
Shannon’s 2017 album “Aes Sidhe”, Irish for “the spirits of the other world”, leads the listener through a musical journey through the Irish afterlife, from entering the dark of the burial mounds to the glorious peace of the Irish afterlife lands of “Tír na n’Óg”. On this album’s song “A Pause”, Shannon worked with guest artist Xasthur, the black metal project.
In 2020, Joy Shannon released a sublime album called “The Cave”. This was recorded with producer Christopher Juul of the incredible band Heilung. “The Cave” was inspired by the ritualistic use of caves in ancient Ireland, where they were used as meditative places to connect with the gods and face one’s fears. The songs are, at times, droning and mesmerising and, at other times, they pulse with the heartbeat of the earth.
