DUBLIN, Ireland- The Dublin four-piece Cloud Castle Lake announced they will be returning to North American shores in 2018 (full list of tour dates below) and have released their latest single “Bonfire”. “Bonfire” was produced by Rob Kirwan (Hozier, PJ Harvey).
Sonically, I was particularly enthralled with the way the mood and atmosphere of the recording swells with emotion, the crescendo commencing with muted snare drums, culminating in a huge vocal arrangement and frenetic break beats towards its conclusion. It’s seemingly delicate yet swathed in intensity.
The video is similarly engaging, mirroring the mood of the music with hopeful imagery of and outward view from a window, which shifts to a dark abandoned alleyway then to a fiery pyre.
“Bonfire is based around a pretty simple melody I came up with a few years ago […] I kept being drawn back to it periodically and steadily adding and expanding it until it grew out into a full song. Writing it felt like a meditative task – what I’d imagine knitting a scarf is like. The choir parts were performed by our pals Tonnta, a contemporary choral group from Dublin. The giddiest day of recording for me was probably the first day they came in and sang through their parts. Getting to hear such talented musicians turn all that midi data and notation into music feels like magic. The lyrics have to do with doubt and denial and keeping secrets. They’re very loosely based on an old Irish/Welsh myth about rival tribes trying to find out the secret name of the other’s god in order to defeat them.” -Daniel McAuley (Vocalist)
We think this is a fabulous recording (with simple yet similarly fabulous imagery). What do you think? Leave a comment below!
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NORTH AMERICAN TOUR DATES
1/29 – Hotel Café – Los Angeles, CA
1/30 – Brick and Mortar Music Hall – San Francisco, CA
2/1 – Schubas Tavern – Chicago, IL
2/5 – Great Scott – Allston, MA
2/6 – Rockwood Music Hall – New York, NY