Music by Pearse McGloughlin and Enda Roche.
Produced by Darragh Nolan at Asta Kalapa, Gorey
'Whale Song' is a single from Irish group Nocturnes' new album 'The Soft Animal'. The piece is inspired by the song whales use to communicate and it draws parallels between these great ocean creatures and our human selves. The sea represents our unconscious, our spiritual depths and the song gives voice to a desire to live lives of connection, nobility and strength.
Kevin McGloughlin has directed a number of videos for his brother Pearse, songwriter with Nocturnes. For 'Whale Song' Kevin combines animated footage and live action footage to mesmeric effect, creating an imagined astro-aquatic environment which is both the sea and the cosmos, the aquatic and the astronomic.
Kevin on his approach to the piece
'After many a chat with Pearse over the course of the album I had a good idea of where the song was coming from. So it was a matter of visualising an already painted picture. I took quite an expressionistic approach to the video, not worrying much about realism and detail while putting my focus on creating an immersive experience for the viewer. We felt a surreal mix of the ocean and the cosmos fitted nicely, highlighting the depth of the ocean and the depths within ourselves'.
Whale Song (Single)
Spotify: open.spotify.com/track/3jnPNa6PslaaSBEihLamHs
iTunes: itun.es/ie/SjT6eb
Bandcamp: pearsemcgloughlin.bandcamp.com/track/whale-song-single-edit
CDBaby: cdbaby.com/cd/nocturnes4
The Soft Animal (Full Album)
Spotify: spoti.fi/2aQ7KCR
iTunes: itunes.apple.com/ie/album/the-soft-animal/id1139489343
Google Play Music: http://bit.ly/2crKEBk
Bluestack Records: http://bit.ly/2ait677
Bluestack Records Bandcamp: http://bit.ly/29WSWDq
Pearse McGloughlin Bandcamp: http://bit.ly/29EgM1z
More about Nocturnes and The Soft Animal
'The Soft Animal' by Nocturnes is Sligo songwriter Pearse McGloughlin’s first
album release since the birth of his daughter, and a more personal record than
previous works. A transformed creativity and time of reflection has resulted in an
emotionally resonant album drawing from childhood and parenthood, and human
spiritual and animal nature.
Nocturnes features Choice Music Award winning Adrian Crowley on lead
vocals for ‘Heikegani’; Pearse’s long time collaborator and multi-instrumentalist
Enda Roche and Christophe Capewell on violins. Produced at Asta Kalapa
studios by Darragh Nolan, the album was largely recorded in live takes creating a
heady organic impact.
A follow-on from his previous collaboration ‘Idiot Songs’ with friend and composer
Justin Grounds, The Soft Animal is a new departure, in essence an ambient first-
person narrative. A collection of new age noir, it features meditative atmospherics
alongside folk-tinged tales of redemption. The story of the record is an intriguing
one; it involves oceanic themes, dramatic rescues, glimpses of the fantastical,
and our struggles with serpents of many types, real and imagined.
Pearse, on the inspiration behind The Soft Animal, observes: ‘I wanted to explore
what we share as humans: our animal origins, our residence in the natural world.
Having my daughter arrive into my life prompted this simple reverie.’
The Soft Animal interweaves live recordings with rich production to create an
expansive range of sounds and emotions echoing influences as diverse as Sufjan
Stevens and A Winged Victory for the Sullen.
Reflecting on the recording process Pearse comments: ‘Enda, Darragh and I were
guided by the drama of what can happen when you record musicians playing live
together. We were seeking feeling and atmosphere.'
The Soft Animal has featured on BBC Radio Ulster, RTE, Today FM as well as on Jason Kramer's show on KCRW.
‘subtle elements of the fantastical’ - The Irish Times
‘flits between folk, ambient, orchestral and singer-songwriter styles, underscoring
an inquisitiveness and search for something greater within’… Nialler9
‘Release of The Week’ ….. The Irish Times Culture
‘beautiful harmonies’ - BBC Radio Ulster Across the Line
"a rewarding listen, 'The Soft Animal' is a true album " - The Last Mixtape
Album of The Week - Dan Hegarty, 2FM