This is such a welcome return to Dublin for the sublime talents of a singer songwriter who has seen her career continue to build real momentum since signing to Oh Boy Records back in 2021. Emily has a special gift of insight and observation when it comes to mirroring the human condition, with her songs of empathy and redemption find a natural home with the sensibilities of Irish audiences.
The storytelling tradition runs deep in the DNA of the Irish heritage, and Emily plugs directly into this rich vein in her songs, with quite a few of the capacity crowd looking to quietly dab at tearful eyes as her words find their mark in the sentiments and emotions that are stirred. Playing an impressive solo set with just acoustic guitar, Emily selects songs from her past catalogue, in addition to debuting new songs from her forthcoming release which is due early next year. The storytelling tradition runs deep in the DNA of the Irish heritage, and Emily plugs directly into this rich vein in her songs, with quite a few of the capacity crowd looking to quietly dab at tearful eyes as her words find their mark in the sentiments and emotions that are stirred. Playing an impressive solo set with just acoustic guitar, Emily selects songs from her past catalogue, in addition to debuting new songs from her forthcoming release which is due early next year.
The album that brought Emily to greater media attention was AMERICAN SIREN released in 2021. Tonight she includes four songs from this album with Cheap Seats opening the show, followed by performances of Old Gods, Things You Learn the Hard Way, and If Trouble Comes A Lookin’ featured in her set. The fact that the audience can sing along to a lot of the lyrics is proof positive of the growing influence that Emily’s music is having across her increasing fan base. The message in her songs is often one of not giving up, and growing from the mistakes made, highlighted by the words ‘Things you learn the hard way, Some lessons you can't teach, Until you're livin' through 'em, The wisdom's out of reach.’ Amen sister, we have all walked this road!
She introduces new songs from her forthcoming release with the title track Appalachia written in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene that swept through her home state of Carolina in 2024. Cast Iron Heart is a song that talks of second chances in love and the lines ‘People say we’re past our prime, I say we got here just in time’ resonating, bringing knowing smiles and quiet nods from the room. Time Traveller speaks of the onset of dementia, and how returning to an almost childlike state can be almost a comfort in old age. Another new song is Bless It All and it looks at being thankful for all the little things in life that make the colours brighter. These new songs leave a strong indication of the quality of material that continues to be finely honed and tuned to impressive heights.
The upcoming Halloween weekend is celebrated on Double Double, a song that appeared on a six-track EP from 2022 which was written for a performance of Macbeth, with the chorus ‘Double, double toil and trouble, Fire burn and cauldron bubble’ inviting the inevitable audience sing-along. The Time For Flowers was released in 2020, and it is the song that initially brought Emily to the attention of Jody Whelan of Oh Boy Records. Tonight it closes the show and although it was written during the Covid crisis as a prayer of comfort in challenging times, it equally applies to the present day and the troubled state of our fragile planet in terms of ongoing wars and environmental issues. Emily is presented with a bouquet of flowers after the song by two fans from the audience who are air hostesses with United Airlines, and who flew Emily (and her guitar) to Dublin to start her European tour – they stayed overnight to catch the show!
Her songs are all about community and connection, and this moment is testament to that, the song lyrics reflecting ‘It's time to fix what's broken, all the willing and the able, And when our honest work is done, we'll gather at this table, We'll hold each other's babies and pour each other's wine, And promise to remember that your fate's bound up in mine.’
The album TRAVELING MERCIES from 2019 is also featured with performances of the superb songs Westward Bound and Better With Time, and Emily also invites support act Seán Joyce to sing with her on a song he wrote If My Pockets Were Deep, a very gracious gesture on her part and a recognition of his talent. A request from a fan received via social media is played and the song Overalls is a poignant look at the dignity of facing our mortality with acceptance and grace ‘So raise a glass to my good long life, Don't dress in black, Don't let me see you cry, I'm not afraid, I'm just headed home, And it's time to let me go.’ As the song concludes, a lady from the audience approaches the stage and embraces Emily in a very special moment; clearly the person who had requested the song that meant a great deal to her. Yes, it was just one of those nights. Love was in the room and the rich applause that Emily received came with a promise to return in the near future, at which point I have no doubt that she will be enjoying the continued success of her blossoming career.
A word for the excellent support act tonight. Singer songwriter Seán Joyce hails from Ballinlough and he performed confidently on acoustic guitar, with his vocal delivery at times reminiscent of a young David Gray. He played a number of songs from his debut EP including Always Will, I’ll Stop Now, the impressive Bulletproof, Useless, and an excellent new song My Fathers Voice. Heartfelt and coming from a personal space, definitely a talent to watch.
Review by Paul McGee Photograph by Enya Özçelik