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The Irish Albums Chart is the Irish music industry standard albums popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on its behalf by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured electronically each day from retailers' EPOS systems and certain digital retailers. Currently all major record stores and over forty independents submit data for the charts, accounting for over 80% of the market, according to Chart-Track. A new chart is compiled and officially released to the public by the Irish Recorded Music Association on Friday at noon. Each chart is dated with the "week-ending" date of the previous Thursday (i.e. the day before issue).

It is currently released as the Top 100, however Chart-Track's records only record the Top 75 in the archives.

See also[link]

• List of number-one albums (Ireland)

A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40.

There are lots of different criteria used in different charts used to reflect popularity, commonly: sales of records, cassettes and compact discs; the amount of radio airplay; and (recently) the number of downloads.

Some charts are specific to a particular musical genre and most to a particular geographical location (although download charts are not easily pinned down in this way). The most common period of time covered by a chart is one week with the chart being printed or broadcast at the end of this time. Summary charts for years and decades are then calculated from their component weekly charts. Component charts have become an increasingly important way to measure the commercial success of individual songs.

Chart hit[link]

A chart hit is an extremely popular recording, identified by its inclusion in a chart that uses sales or other criteria to rank popular releases. Chart-topper and related terms (like No. 1 hit, top of the charts, chart hit, and so forth) are widely used in common conversation and in marketing, and are loosely defined. In North America, the weekly charts from Billboard magazine are most often referenced (quite often internationally, as well), particularly the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart and Billboard 200 album chart, although there are many other charts and sources. Because of its value in promoting recording artists and releases, both directly to the consumer, and by encouraging exposure on radio, TV other media, chart positioning has long been a subject of scrutiny and controversy. Chart compilation methodology and data sources vary, ranging from buzz charts based on opinions of various experts and tastemakers, to charts that reflect empirical data such as retail sales. Therefore, a chart-topper may be anything from an "insiders' pick" to a runaway seller.

Other terminology[link]

There are several other commonly-used terms when referring to a music/entertainment chart or the performance of a release thereon.

The term new entry is commonly used to denote a title which is making its debut appearance in that chart. This is applied to all charts, for instance a track which is outside the Top 40 but which later climbs into that level of the chart is considered to be a 'new entry' to the Top Forty that week. In most official charts, tracks have to have been on sale for a period of time in order to enter the charts; however, in some retailers' charts, new releases are included in charts as 'new entries' without a sales history in order to make them more visible to purchasers. A real new entry is a title that makes its first debut on the chart no matter how many positions officially the chart actually is. In the UK the official published chart is a Top 100 although a new entry can take place between positions 101-200. The Top 40 is only used for radio to shorten the playlists.

The term re-entry is used if a track which has previously entered a chart falls out of that chart and then later re-appears in it. This may come about if a release is reissued or if there is a surge of interest in the track. Generally any repeat entry of a track into a chart is considered a re-entry, unless the later version of the track is a materially different recording or significantly repackaged (such as Michael Jackson's "Thriller 25"), where the release would normally be considered separate and thus a "new" entry.

The term climber is used to refer to a release which is going higher in the chart week-on-week. Because chart positions are generally relative to each other on a week-to-week basis, a release does not necessarily have to increase sales week-to-week to be a climber, as if releases ahead of it decline in sales sufficiently they may slip below it. By the same metric, not all week-to-week sales increases result in a climber, if other releases improve by a sufficient amount to keep it from climbing. The term highest climber is used to denote the release making the biggest leap upwards in the chart that week. There is generally not an equivalent phrase for tracks going down the chart; the term "faller" is occasionally used, but not as widely as 'climber'.

The terms top 10, top 20 and so forth are used to determine the relative success of a release. For instance, a track may be referred to as a 'top 10 hit' if it reaches a position between 1 and 10 on the singles chart, as a 'top 20 hit' if it reaches between positions 1 and 20, and so on. The most commonly known chart is the 'top 40' widely used by the media in various territories, though it is common for longer lists to be produced for or by the music industry. For example, in the UK, the Official Charts Company produces a top 200, although various media only publish shorter lists.

The term flop is a title that never reaches an official chart position. A relative flop is a term given to a title by an act that usually has big hits then only a minor hit in between.

The term one-hit wonder is for an act that appears on the chart just once, although the term true one-hit wonder was the term given by Guinness Book of British Hit Singles & Albums and also the Billboard book Top Pop Singles) is an act that has one number one hit and nothing else on the chart ever. If an act appears in some other form, (for example) a solo act that appears with a band or with other acts then these are taken separately.

See also[link]

• List of record charts

External links[link]

• Top 20 Chart
• Global Reggae Charts
• All Music Hits
• Current and Chart Archives from around the world
• Charts all over the world
• Choice Hits Top 50
• Wall brawl hourly chart
• The Best Selling Albums Ever... Worldwide

The Corrs are an Irish band which combine pop rock with traditional Celtic folk music. The brother and sisters are from Dundalk, Ireland. The group consists of the Corr siblings: Andrea (lead vocals, tin whistle); Sharon (violin, vocals); Caroline (drums, piano, bodhrán, vocals); and Jim (guitar, piano, vocals).

The Corrs have released five studio albums and numerous singles, which have reached platinum in many countries.^[1] Talk on Corners, their most successful album to date, reached multi-platinum status in Australia, and in the UK was the highest selling album of 1998. The band are only the second group in history to hold the number 1 and number 2 album positions simultaneously in the UK charts with Talk On Corners at number 1 and Forgiven Not Forgotten at number 2. The first group to achieve this accolade was The Beatles. Forgiven Not Forgotten was the second highest selling album in Australia in 1996, behind Alanis Morrisette’s Jagged Little Pill. Their third studio album, In Blue went to number 1 in 17 countries.^[2]

The Corrs have been actively involved in philanthropic activities. They have performed in numerous charity concerts such as the Prince's Trust in 2004 and Live 8 alongside Bono in 2005. The same year, they were awarded honorary MBEs for their contributions to music and charity.^[3] The Corrs are on hiatus because Jim and Caroline are raising families, while Andrea and Sharon are pursuing solo careers.

History[link]

Early years[link]

The Corrs' parents are Gerry Corr, a manager of the payroll department of the Irish Electricity Supply Board, and his wife, Jean, a homemaker, who died in 1999 while waiting for a lung transplant. They raised their family in Dundalk, Ireland. The Corrs' paternal uncle, Peter Corr, was a professional footballer who played for Ireland and several clubs including Everton. Gerry and Jean performed together as a band called Sound Affair, and often brought their children to their performances,^[4] where they played songs by ABBA and the Eagles in local pubs.^[5]

With the encouragement of their parents, Jim took guitar lessons and Sharon played the violin. Caroline did not learn to play the drums until she was 17 and was helped by a boyfriend at the time and Andrea did not take up the tin whistle until she was 19. They were all taught the piano by their father.^[6] Throughout their teenage years the children practised in Jim's bedroom at a rented house. Andrea sang lead vocals, Sharon played the violin, and Caroline and Jim played the keyboards.^[7]

1990–1994: Early commercial success[link]

While Caroline and Andrea were still attending school, Jim and Sharon began playing as a duo, often at their aunt's pub, McManus's.^[8] In 1990, Jim and Sharon added their younger siblings, to form a quartet.^[5] Their career took off in 1991 when they auditioned for the film The Commitments. Jim, Sharon, and Caroline each had small parts as musicians, while Andrea had a speaking part as Sharon Rabbitte.^[9] John Hughes noticed them when they auditioned for the movie, and agreed to become their manager.^[10]

In 1994, the American ambassador to Ireland, Jean Kennedy Smith, invited them to perform at the 1994 FIFA World Cup in Boston after seeing them play a gig at Whelan's Music Bar in Dublin.^[6] After an appearance at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, United States,^[11] The Corrs joined Celine Dion's worldwide Falling into You Tour as a supporting act.^[12]

1995–1999: International fame[link]

Jason Flom, Atlantic Records's head of A&R, recommended that they meet with David Foster,^[13] a Canadian musician, producer, composer and arranger.^[14] The Corrs played live for Foster and he agreed to sign them to Atlantic Records. They extended their stay in the US for over five months to record their debut album, Forgiven, Not Forgotten.^[6] Forgiven, Not Forgotten featured six instrumental selections among its Celtic-influenced tracks. The album sold well in Ireland, Australia, Japan, Norway and Spain. Major success in the US and the UK, however, was not immediately forthcoming. Eventually, the album reached platinum status in the UK^[15] and Australia,^[16] and quadruple platinum in Ireland,^[11] making it one of the most successful debuts by an Irish group.^[12]

The Corrs' next album, 1997's Talk On Corners, was produced by Glen Ballard, who was respected for his collaboration with Alanis Morissette.^[17] The Corrs also collaborated with Carole Bayer Sager, Oliver Leiber, Rick Nowels, and Billy Steinberg.^[18][19] The album met with lukewarm response.It was successful in Ireland and entered the Australian album charts at number 3.^[18]

After the band recorded a version of Dreams for a fleetwood mac tribute album, they re-released Talk on Corners, with new remixes of "What Can I Do?", "So Young" and "Runaway".^[19] The special edition topped the charts worldwide, and again reached multi-platinum status in the UK^[20] and Australia.^[21]

In June 1998, The Corrs participated in the Pavarotti and Friends for the Children of Liberia charity concert. The concert was held in Modena, Italy and was hosted by Luciano Pavarotti. Other performers included Jon Bon Jovi, Céline Dion, Spice Girls and Stevie Wonder.^[22] The concert aimed to raise money to build the Pavarotti and Friends Liberian Children's Village, to provide refuge for children in Liberia.^[23]

The following year, The Corrs received a BRIT Award for Best International Band.^[24] They performed live on MTV's Unplugged on 5 October 1999 at Ardmore Studios, Co. Wicklow, Ireland.^[25][26] The resulting CD and DVD sold 2.7 million copies and featured live performances of previously released songs, plus a new song, "Radio", later featured on their third album, In Blue.^[24]

2000–2002: Mainstream success[link]

In 2000, The Corrs returned to mainstream success with their third album. Unlike their previous albums, In Blue moved towards mainstream pop. Nevertheless, In Blue hit number one in its first sales week in the UK, Ireland, Australia, Germany, Switzerland, and Austria and debuted at #2 in France and Norway. It climbed to the top spot during its second week in Sweden and Spain.^[27]

The Corrs worked with Alejandro Sanz on In Blue, recording "Una Noche (One Night)", a duet between Sanz and Andrea Corr; Sanz played Andrea's love interest in the music video. In return, The Corrs performed "Me Iré (The Hardest Day)" with him on his album, El Alma Al Aire.^{[citation needed]} The Corrs collaborated with Robert Lange^[28] to produce a mainstream hit single, "Breathless", which reached number 34 in the Billboard Hot 100,^[29] number seven in Australia,^[30] number three in Ireland^[31] and New Zealand,^[32] and topped the charts in the UK.^[2] The album went straight to number one in the Irish Albums Chart, the third highest single-week sales in the history of the charts, behind U2's The Best of 1980-1990 and Oasis' Be Here Now.^[33] In Blue achieved platinum sales in the US,^[34] double platinum in the UK,^[35] and quadruple platinum in Australia.^[36]

During the production of the album, the Corrs' mother, Jean, died while waiting for a lung transplant.^[37] She was buried at St. Patrick's cemetery in Dundalk, and Bono, Larry Mullen, Brian Kennedy and Paul Brady were among the congregation at the funeral.^[38] "No More Cry", written by Andrea and Caroline Corr for the album, was written to help their father get over his grief.^[39]

In 2001, The Corrs released their first compilation album, Best of The Corrs. The album featured previously released songs and new tracks, such as the singles "Would You Be Happier", "Make You Mine" and "Lifting Me".^[40] The album did not chart highly in Ireland but reached platinum status in Australia.^[41] The Corrs collaborated with Josh Groban, recording Canto Alla Vita, for his eponymous debut album.^[42][43]

When the band returned to Ireland, they hosted another live concert at Ardmore Studios, where they previously performed for the MTV's Unplugged series.^[25] Guest performers included Bono from U2 and Ronnie Wood from the Rolling Stones. During the concert, Bono joined Andrea Corr for a duet of Nancy Sinatra's "Summer Wine" and a performance of Ryan Adams' "When the Stars Go Blue". Ronnie Wood joined the band onstage to play guitar on their version of Jimi Hendrix's "Little Wing" and the Rolling Stones' "Ruby Tuesday".^[44] These performances were recorded and compiled on a live album, VH1 Presents: The Corrs, Live in Dublin, which was released in the UK.^[45]

2003–2005: Later years[link]

(L-R) Sharon, Andrea and Jim Corr in concert

In 2003, Andrea Corr recorded "Time Enough for Tears", written by Bono and Gavin Friday^[46] for the film In America.^[47] This track was featured on The Corrs' 2004 album, Borrowed Heaven. Recorded over an 18-month period in Dublin and Los Angeles, Borrowed Heaven was produced by Olle Romo, who previously worked with Melanie C and Kelly Clarkson.^[48] The album marked The Corrs' return to the folk rock genre with a slightly heavier emphasis on guitars.^[49] Nevertheless, the album was not as successful as their predecessors, but at least successful enough to enter at No.2 in both the UK and Germany and reach silver status in the UK as well as gold in Germany.^[50] Jason Duffy temporarily joined the band as drummer,^[51] filling in for Caroline while she was pregnant with her second child and unable to tour.^[52] Borrowed Heaven was dedicated to the band's parents.^[53]

The band also dedicated their 2005 album Home to their deceased mother.^[54] It is regarded a traditional Irish album as the band covered traditional Irish songs^[55] taken from their mother's songbook to commemorate their 15 years as a band.^[56] The album was produced by Mitchell Froom and featured the BBC Radio 2 Orchestra.^[57] The songs on Home spanned the history of Irish music.^[57] It also included two songs in Irish, "Bríd Óg Ní Mháille (Brigid O'Malley)" and "Buachaill Ón Éirne (Boy from Lough Erne)".^[58] Home had success in Ireland, France (reaching #5) and Germany (reaching #12) and was certified silver in the UK.^[59]

2006–present: Children and a solo career[link]

The Corrs have been on hiatus since 2006.^[60] Sharon, Jim, and Caroline are raising their own families while Andrea pursues a solo career.^[61] Sharon married Gavin Bonnar, a Belfast barrister, on 7 July 2001.^[62] Since then, they have had two children, Cathal Robert Gerard^[63] and Flori Jean Elizabeth.^[64] Jim's child, Brandon, was born in 2006 to Gayle Williamson, his ex-fiancée and a former Miss Northern Ireland.^[65] Caroline married Frank Woods, a property developer in Majorca, Spain on 22 August 2002.^[66] They have three children, Jake, Georgina and Rihann.^[67][68] Andrea released her first solo album, Ten Feet High, on 25 June 2007. It was produced by Nellee Hooper, who has worked with Gwen Stefani and Madonna; Bono was an executive producer.^[69] The first single released from the album was "Shame on You (to Keep My Love from Me)". On 30 May 2011, Andrea released her second album, Lifelines, an album of cover songs, with The Blue Nile's "Tinseltown in the Rain" as the first single. As of 2009, Sharon is pursuing a solo career, her single "It's Not a Dream" was released on 29 August 2009.

The Corrs released their second compilation album, Dreams: The Ultimate Corrs Collection, on 20 November 2006. The album consisted of several of the band's hits, as well as tracks that had not previously been released on Corrs albums, such as "I Know My Love", a collaboration with The Chieftains, and "All I Have to Do Is Dream", Andrea's duet with Laurent Voulzy. The album also featured remixes of "When the Stars Go Blue" and "Goodbye". The latter was released as a download-only single to promote the album. However, the album charted poorly, reaching number 24 in Ireland.^[1] On 25 September 2007, The Corrs released another compilation album, The Works. The album consists of three CDs that feature previously released songs. It performed worse than its predecessor, failing to chart at all.^[1][2]

Musical style and influence[link]

When asked to describe their genre, Caroline Corr said it was a "blend of modern rhythms and technology with acoustic instruments, violin, tin whistle, drums, and of course the voices, the marrying of these instruments is our sound".^[70] The Corrs' music is typically categorised as folk rock. This is evident in their first two albums, Forgiven Not Forgotten and Talk on Corners, although Andrea described the genre of Talk on Corners by saying "it [has] got more of an edgy feel, a little bit more guitar-orientated and also an Irish sound, which is in Forgiven, Not Forgotten."^[71]

In Blue moved to towards mainstream pop, placing heavy emphasis on synthesisers.^[18] The move attracted criticism from many; one Entertainment Weekly critic called it "a disheartening example of musical ethnic cleansing".^[18] A USA Today critic called it "the best mainstream pop album you're likely to come across".^[72]

Borrowed Heaven placed heavier emphasis on guitars, while retaining the original folk rock genre.^[49] Home is a traditional Irish album, where the band covered many traditional Irish songs.^[55] The album contained songs from different eras of Irish music, including a 1982 song written by the late Phil Lynott ("Old Town")^[57] while the 1,000-year-old "Return to Fingal" featured as a bonus track on the Japanese, limited German and Spanish editions.

The Corrs' main influences were their parents who were musicians^[73] and encouraged them to learn instruments. They drew inspiration from musicians such as The Eagles, The Police, The Carpenters, Simon and Garfunkel and Fleetwood Mac,^[72] which Sharon said in an interview with CNN is the reason "our songs are very, very melodic and [harmonious]".^[73]

Philanthropy[link]

The Corrs have been active in supporting charitable and philanthropic causes and disaster relief. In 1996, the Corrs participated in the Pavarotti and Friends for the Children of Liberia charity concert. The concert was held in Modena, Italy and was hosted by Luciano Pavarotti.^[74] Among the other participating artists were Jon Bon Jovi, Natalie Cole, Pino Daniele, Céline Dion, Florent Pagny, Eros Ramazzotti, Spice Girls, Vanessa L. Williams, Stevie Wonder, Trisha Yearwood and Zucchero.^[22] The concert raised money that was used to build the Pavarotti and Friends Liberian Children's Village and to provide a refuge for orphans in Liberia during the civil war.^[23][75] The Corrs, along with Sinéad O'Connor, Van Morrison, Boyzone, U2 and Enya held a charity concert in 1998, to raise money for the victims of the Omagh bombing in Northern Ireland.^[76]

The Corrs' mother, Jean, died in Freeman Hospital in Newcastle, England.^[37] The Corrs showed their appreciation to the hospital by performing a one-off charity concert, held in 2001 at the Telewest Arena; it raised more than £100,000.^[77] The money was used to extend the William Leech Centre of the hospital, which is dedicated to research into lung treatment.^[78] The city of Newcastle presented them a limited edition painting of Tyneside's quayside in return.^[79]

The Corrs' played at a 2004 charity concert for The Prince's Trust, a UK-based charity that provides help, training, financial, and practical support to UK citizens aged between 14 and 30.^[80] They performed with Will Young, Blue, Avril Lavigne, Lenny Kravitz, Busted, Anastacia, Nelly Furtado, Sugababes and Natasha Bedingfield and raised more than £1 million.^[81][82]

They are ambassadors for the Nelson Mandela's "46664" campaign, where they performed live to raise awareness towards AIDS in Africa.^[83] The concert was held on 29 November 2003 in Cape Town, South Africa. The concert aimed to "[raise] awareness of HIV in South Africa and launched the 46664 campaign" and the money raised was donated to the Nelson Mandela Foundation for Aids.^[84] During the Edinburgh Live 8 on 2 July 2005, the Corrs performed "When the Stars Go Blue" alongside Bono to promote the Make Poverty History campaign,^[85] which aimed to increase awareness and pressure governments into taking actions towards relieving absolute poverty.

In recognition of their charity work, the Corrs were made honorary Members of the Order of the British Empire in 2005 by Queen Elizabeth II.^[86]

Personal[link]

The Corrs are four siblings: Andrea Corr; Sharon Corr; Caroline Corr; and Jim Corr. After the release of Forgiven Not Forgotten in late 1995, Anthony Drennan (lead guitar/dobro) and Keith Duffy (bass guitar/percussion) joined the lineup for their Forgiven, Not Forgotten World Tour. Both Drennan and Duffy subsequently became permanent members of the touring ensemble and all subsequent recordings. During Caroline Corr's absence due to pregnancy for much of their 2004 Borrowed Heaven Tour, bass player Keith's brother, Jason, who was known as the former drummer of Michael Flatley in Lord of the Dance and Celtic Tiger Live took over. When Caroline reunited with the band, she did piano and percussion as it was easy for her as she progressed.

They had numerous producers working for their albums, using differing styles. For Forgiven, Not Forgotten they enlisted David Foster.^[13][14] They recruited Glen Ballard to produce Talk on Corners. Mutt Lange produced In Blue,^[28] Olle Romo produced Borrowed Heaven,^[48] and Home was produced by Mitchell Froom. Froom also produced The Corrs Unplugged.^[57]

Band members[link]

Current members

1. Andrea Corr - (lead vocals, tin whistle)
2. Sharon Corr - (violin, vocals)
3. Caroline Corr (drums, piano, bodhrán, vocals)
4. Jim Corr - (guitar, piano, keyboards)

Touring members

1. Anthony Drennan (lead guitar/dobro)
2. Keith Duffy (bass guitar/percussion)
3. Jason Duffy (Drum)

Discography[link]

Albums[link]

Compilation albums[link]

Live albums[link]

Tours and other media[link]

Tours[link]

• Forgiven Not Forgotten tour (1996–1997)
• Talk On Corners Tour (1997–2000)
• In Blue Tour (2000–2001)
• Borrowed Heaven Tour (2004)
• The Corrs: In Concert

Video[link]

• The Corrs Live At the Royal Albert Hall
• The Corrs Live at Lansdowne Road
• The Corrs Unplugged
• The Corrs Live In London
• All The Way Home/Live in Geneva

Awards[link]

Many of the Corrs' songs have charted at #1 in numerous countries. They won one BRIT Award, in 1999,^[87] and have twice been nominated for Meteor Music Awards, in 2005^[88] and 2006.^[89] They were nominated for two Grammy awards in 2001 too: one for their song Breathless and for another one due to their instrumental song Rebel Heart.

See also[link]

• Music of Ireland
• List of artists who reached number one in Ireland

References[link]

Sources[link]

• Cornwell, Jane, The Corrs, London: Virgin Publishing Ltd. ISBN 1-85227-840-4

Footnotes[link]

External links[link]

• The Corrs official website
• Disfrutaloscorrs.es

Lisa Hannigan
Lisa Hannigan in Temple Bar, Dublin
Background information
Birth name	Lisa Margaret Hannigan[1]
Born	(1981-02-12) 12 February 1981 (age 31)
Origin	Kilcloon, County Meath, Republic of Ireland
Genres	Indie folk
Occupations	Musician
Years active	2001–present
Labels	Barp/ATO Records/Play It Again Sam[2]
Associated acts	Damien Rice, Vyvienne Long, Tom Osander, The Frames, Mic Christopher, David Kitt, Herbie Hancock, Paul Noonan, David Geraghty, Bell X1, The Cake Sale, Gary Lightbody,[3] Cathy Davey,[4] Jason Mraz,[5] Mick Flannery.[6][7]
Website	http://www.lisahannigan.ie/

Lisa Margaret Hannigan (born 12 February 1981) is an Irish singer, songwriter, and musician. For several years she was a member of Damien Rice's band before beginning her solo career in 2008. To date she has released two albums: Sea Sew (2008) and Passenger (2011).

Hannigan has been the recipient of various award nominations and critical praise both in Ireland and the USA. She has performed and been associated with Cathy Davey, Mic Christopher, Mick Flannery, David Kitt and members of Snow Patrol, The Frames and Bell X1. She has performed at the Glastonbury Festival both as a solo artist and with Damien Rice.

Early life and education[link]

Hannigan was born in Dublin but grew up in Kilcloon, County Meath, Ireland.^[8] She attended primary school at Scoil Oilibhéir Naofa^[9] in Kilcloon and secondary school at The King's Hospital in Palmerstown.^[10] At the age of eighteen, she enrolled at Trinity College, Dublin, where she studied Art History.^[11]

Career[link]

2001–2007[link]

Hannigan began her six year collaboration with Damien Rice at a concert in the Temple Bar Music Centre in Dublin in early 2001.^[12][13][14] She sang on most of the tracks for Rice's 2002 album O. In 2006, she sang the lead vocal on Rice's song "9 Crimes" and performed at the Electric Picnic music festival in Stradbally, County Laois.^{[12][13][13][15]} As a member of Rice's live performance band, she contributed vocals and on occasion electric guitar, bass and drums.^[12][13]

In 2007, Hannigan left the Damien Rice band to pursue a solo career.^[14][16] “It was upsetting, but worse things have happened. For everybody it was coming to the end of its cycle.”^[15] Hannigan returned to Dublin and began her solo career.^[7][8][16] The singer later said of the split: "I suppose it was coming for a long time. I had become pretty outspoken about my frustrations at the direction the band was going in, and I'm sure he was starting to find me a pain."^[8] Rice said that their incompatible song writing styles were to blame for the inadequacies in his song "Unplayed Piano".^[17] She was comforted by members of The Magic Numbers and has not spoken to Rice since the split.^[8]

2008–2010[link]

Some of Hannigan's live recordings were made available through trading networks radio shows. These recordings included: "Willy" by Joni Mitchell, "Be My Husband" by Nina Simone (from the 1965 album Pastel Blues), "Mercedes Benz" by Janis Joplin and "Love Hurts" by Roy Orbison.^[13] Hannigan also performed live with her own band, called The Daisy Okell Quartet and contributed guest vocals to the recordings of Mic Christopher, The Frames and Herbie Hancock.^[13]

Lisa Hannigan's debut solo album, titled Sea Sew, was rehearsed in a barn in Thomastown and recorded in Dublin before being released in Ireland in September 2008.^[18] The lead single, "Lille", was made available as a free Internet download and other tracks were available for preview on her Myspace page.^[19] The sleeve featured needle-work by Hannigan.^[4][20] Some music critics called the recording one of the best Irish albums of the year.^[21][22]

Sea Sew was played on the American radio station KCRW and received favourable reviews in the Los Angeles Times and The New York Times.^[8][23] The single "Lille", released in August 2008 on Irish and American radio stations.^[7] Hannigan performed at Electric Picnic 2008.^[24] Hannigan supported singer-songwriter Jason Mraz on a 42-date U.S. tour in 2008.^[5]

Also in 2008, she appeared on the charity album Even Better Than the Disco Thing and performed a duet of Mick Flannery's new song "Christmas Past" with Flannery on Tony Fenton's Christmas Special on Today FM.^[6][25] In December 2008, she made her UK solo debut at St Johns Church in London.^[26] Hannigan signed with ATO Records in the U.S., where her album was released in February 2009.^[27]

Sea Sew was nominated for the Choice Music Prize and Best Irish Album at the Meteor Music Awards in January 2009.^[28][29][30]

That same year, Hannigan appeared on the American television shows Jay Leno, The Colbert Report and was well received by their respective hosts.^[8][15][31] In 2009, Hannigan also appeared on the BBC's Later... with Jools Holland, performing her song "I Don't Know".^{[15][32][33][34]} Sea Sew rose in the UK charts following this appearance^{[citation needed]} and she performed at Glastonbury 2009 music festival and went on tour later in the year.^{[26][34][35][36]} She performed at the nomination ceremony and she was greeted by confused journalists wondering "Lisa who?".^[18]

Hannigan performed at Electric Picnic 2009^{[8][37][38][39][40][41]} and Le Chéile.^[42] Later in 2009, she toured the United States with David Gray and performed solo shows in New York, Los Angeles and London.^[43] She then began a tour of Ireland to finish the year.^[43] Hannigan's song "Ocean and Rock" was used in a 2009 Irish video supporting same-sex marriage entitled "Sinéad's Hand".^[44]

In 2009, a broadcast of Other Voices was recorded.^[45]

2011–present[link]

Hannigan recorded her second album, titled Passenger, at Bryn Derwen Studios in North Wales with producer Joe Henry and engineer Ryan Freeland. The album was released in the US and Canada on 20 September 2011, and on 7 October in Ireland and the UK.^[46][47]

Hannigan performed at the Eurosonic Festival in 2012 when Ireland was the "Spotlight Country".^[48]

Reception[link]

Her music has received critical praise, airplay and award nominations both in her native Ireland and the United States. In 2008, her debut album Sea Sew spawned the single "Lille", a Choice Music Prize nomination, two Meteor Music Awards nominations and a Mercury Prize nomination. There has also been praise from fellow musicians and, in recent times, Jools Holland of the United Kingdom and US television hosts Jay Leno and Stephen Colbert.

Hannigan performs using "broken-down, wheezy old instruments", assisting her band members in the transportation of this equipment. Her blog posts are noted for containing recipes for baking cakes.^[15] Herbie Hancock said of her vocals, "there's so much jazz in the notes and phrases that she picks. She was singing the ninths, the elevenths of the chords...I mean some of the things sound like choices that Miles would have made." Possibilities DVD.^[13]

To date,^[when?] Sea Sew has sold 45,000 copies worldwide – with 15,000 of those copies sold in Ireland.

Personal life[link]

As part of an advertisement campaign for Oxfam's Make Trade Fair, Hannigan was drenched in melted chocolate and she participated in the Irish musical collective The Cake Sale with lead vocal on the track Some Surprise, which was played on the US television series Grey's Anatomy.^{[3][12][13][16][49][50]}

Hannigan also contributed to the 2009 charity album, Sparks n' Mind, released in aid of Aware.^[51]

Discography[link]

• Sea Sew (2008)
• Passenger (2011)

Awards[link]

[edit] Hot Press Readers' Poll

Hannigan has four Hot Press Readers' Poll awards. She won Best Debut Album, Best Irish Album, Best Irish Track and Best Female in 2009.^[26]

Choice Music Prize[link]

Hannigan's debut album, Sea Sew, was nominated for the Choice Music Prize in January 2009.^[52] The award was won by Jape for the album Ritual on 4 March 2009.^{[53][54][55][56][57][58][59]}

Hannigan's second album, Passenger, was nominated for the Choice Music Prize in January 2012.^[60]

Meteor Music Awards[link]

Hannigan and her work was nominated in the Best Irish Female and Best Irish Album categories at the Meteor Music Awards in 2009.^[61] She was the only solo artist nominated in more than one category at the awards. She lost to Imelda May and The Script's self-titled album respectively.^[62]

Mercury Prize[link]

Sea Sew was nominated for the Mercury Prize on 21 July 2009.^{[63][64][65][66][67][68][69][70]} It was Hannigan's first nomination.

Hannigan was referred to as 2009's "token folk nominee" in the UK,^[16] with the NME calling her a "token folkie".^[71] One British journalist even claimed she was "truly obscure" and part of the "moribund sensitive singer-songwriter genre".^[16] Ed Power, writing in the Irish Independent, criticised such claims, wondering if Jape (whose album Ritual beat Hannigan to the Choice Music Prize) had come close to receiving a Mercury nomination—"Or, for that matter, how many of the judges had even heard of him".^[16]

See also[link]

Side projects of Lisa Hannigan

References[link]