By the time Irish musician Maria Somerville started writing Luster, her landmark label debut for 4AD, she had lived away from her native Connemara for quite some time. Having grown up amongst the wild, mountainous terrain of Galway’s rural west coast, she later relocated to Dublin, where she patiently developed an atmospheric dream pop signature inspired by the landscape of her youth – a spellbinding soundworld of gusting ambient electronics, ethereal guitar strums, sparse percussion, and hushed lyrical vignettes. In 2019, this culminated in All My People, a self-released LP steeped in reverb, nostalgia and a yearning for home that won praise from discerning press and listeners alike.
It was upon returning to Connemara, in a house near where she was raised overlooking one of the country’s largest lakes, Lough Corrib, that work commenced on the songs that would eventually become Luster, an album that illuminates Somerville’s music anew, pushing it forward in both sound and spirit. Where All My People conveyed memories and melancholic longing with misty slowcore balladry, these 12 tracks show us an artist who’s more assured in the path her life has taken, and the person she’s become in the process. As she sings in ‘Trip’ – “I can see more clearly than I could before. I know now what’s true for me.”
Invigorated by her surroundings and emboldened by her community, Somerville found a renewed sense of creative energy upon returning to home soil. It provided “fertile ground” for free-flowing recording sessions in her small living room studio, where she stitched together demos that were then fleshed out with friends and collaborators, and later mixed by the renowned New York-based engineer Gabriel Schuman. Contributors included producers J. Colleran, Brendan Jenkinson and Diego Herrera, aka Suzanne Kraft, as well as Lankum’s Ian Lynch, whose uilleann pipe drones you can hear in ‘Violet’, and Margie Jean Lewis, whose violin bows reverberate through the ambient haze of ‘Flutter’. Sessions with musicians Henry Earnest and Finn Carraher McDonald (aka Nashpaints) helped “tie it all together”, while contributions from friends Roisin Berkley and Olan Monk enshrined the companionship they’ve shared since Somerville returned to Connemara.
Listeners have had a window into Somerville’s world every Monday and Tuesday morning since 2021 via her beloved Early Bird Show on NTS Radio, where her dawn chorus selections range from blissful ambient and shoegaze to traditional Irish folk songs. Since signing to 4AD that same year, Somerville has toured with her label mates Dry Cleaning, and released two covers for the label’s 40th anniversary celebrations – taking on Nancy Sinatra’s ‘Kinky Love’ and Air Miami’s ‘Sea Bird’. With the release of Luster, she has signaled the arrival of a new era that will see her play around the world in 2025 accompanied by a live band. Rest assured though, no matter where Somerville goes, she’ll take a piece of home with her – a living, breathing, timeless essence you can sense in every note, as clear as the air by the Corrib.
Colle, the moniker of New York experimental musician Maya McGrory, has released Montalvo, a collection of songs that return to her past, offering a perspective of multiple lives lived at once. This reflection contrasts with her present, exploring how these early experiences shape and rebuild her understanding of connection and healing. Initially an experiment in electronic music production, Colle became McGrory’s defining musical voice with the release of her first EP For Now. Her music invites listeners into immersive emotional landscapes, where expansive glacial synths, strings, and driving beats converge, enriched by her sincere and alluring vocal delivery.
Drawing inspiration from the notion of living multiple lives, McGrory’s childhood memory of living on Montalvo Rd. serves as a prism through which she views her existence. She navigates through the contrasting landscapes of her life, finding solace in the innocence and simplicity reminiscent of childhood. Now, her focus lies solely on the ephemeral, on the effortless flow of existence. In the world of childhood, worries are scarce, and even the harshest conditions hold a certain allure. And though the journey back may seem daunting, Colle feels that it’s not merely a matter of distance it’s a journey of rediscovery, of embracing the innocence and wonder that defines her today.
Throughout Montalvo, the songs swell and flow with natural instrumentations and samples. Haunting, poignant synths and strings envelop the tracks, creating a foundation for McGrory’s vocals, which feel like a faint, distant call in the dark of night. Delayed and open guitar strings add harp-like textures, while the driving, trip-hop shoegaze inspired beats propel the music into an experimental interpretation of electronic rock. McGrory infuses her melodies with chromatic notes, creating a captivating blend of familiarity and innovation. The album, originally conceived as a return to a specific time in her life, evolves into a journey back to traditional songwriting, only to be reimagined into a distinct experimental version during the production process.
McGrory’s musical evolution is tangible, drawing from her varied experiences within club culture, creating visual art, and participating in performance art spaces, along with her involvement in live alternative rock ensembles. This breadth of musical affiliations reflects a newfound maturity in her latest release, marking significant growth in her music career. McGrory’s performances transcend traditional settings, often taking place in nontraditional spaces and enhanced by immersive sensory experiences. Performing sometimes with Mitchell Hiers, she incorporates his live projections, projecting abstract visuals generated from old 3D computer programs onto the performance space as she plays live guitar over her computer tracks. These innovative elements combine to create a unique and captivating audiovisual experience for her audience.