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‘I like busyness!’ the soft-spoken singer enters into a seemingly confessional mood, her gently lilting Irish brogue paralleling the sounds for which her music has become known, ‘You know in my first year of marriage I was still with Clannad, I did my first solo album and I had my first baby!’ A small chuckle, ‘So I think that gives you an indication… I mean I was doing the video of Against the Wind from my first solo album and breast feeling in between takes!!’ Again a broad smile and a belly laugh accompanies the realisation that she might just have strayed into the realms of “too much information” so early in the interview, ‘So that sort of epitomises the way my career is – I do like busyness!!’ And busy she is, with not one but two albums to promote. Her solo album Signature was released in the ‘It’s only released in three countries so far, and it’s doing quite well. I suppose ‘And I love the freedom of it; doing my own thing because I’ve got my own studio at home here and playing with people I like. And you know that’s a great freedom… and not tied to any record company either. Coz that was a thing years ago if somebody said “D’you want to come and sing on my album?” – and sometimes you’d want to do it for nothing – but you weren’t allowed! So you know, having that freedom is so good. And just singing with friends or just doing something. You know I had a call from Hans Zimmer and we ended up doing the King Arthur film theme together and some other music and just being able to do that without having to say “Oh can I pleeeeeeze! …Teacher?” Well that’s great.’ Getting back to her current disc I comment that although she is quoted as being her most personal album to date it doesn’t take a traditionally autobiographical route. ‘Oh it’s not and it’s not chronological either. It’s just flashbacks of moments…, sad moments, childhood moments, happy moments and that – significant events. The way I write it’s not very obvious references. You know, a lot of my fans are having great fun trying to figure out which parts of my life I’m actually singing about! But it’s also like being brought up in the traditional style of Gaelic music, my first language, learning the old Gaelic songs. You know, they used to write in quite cryptic form so I suppose that’s crossed over into my way of thinking. I sort of write it in a …erm …colour …in a mood.’ Although tinged throughout with a distinctively Celtic sound and drawing on traditional themes Signature still seems a very contemporary and varied album. Tentatively I float the thought that she might one day try a more truly traditional sounding set, particularly given her skills on the harp. ‘Well, I suppose down through the years I already have. I mean the first six Clannad albums were nothing but traditional songs. Thinking about it though, it would be nice because it is lovely to do those but I suppose it’s wherever my mood takes me. I feel that if you do something it’s nice to move on to something else. But it’s nice to go back and forward as well. I’d hate to be doing the same sort of thing all the time – or maybe just what people relate to me as, as well, you know the Harry’s Game and that.’ ‘You know we delved into all sorts of areas. All bringing that sound into different types of moods and music. When we did an album called Sirius it was really slated because they were saying “Oh we’re trying to be Fleetwood Mac” or whatever. But it was just us wondering what an American producer would do with our sound. People forgot that I grew up in a house where my Mother and Grandmother teaching us these old songs but, of course, my Father had a show-band. There was a fusion there and what we did was we allowed all that influence into our lives rather than oppress it. So there was always a touch of listening to my Dad playing and learning Elvis, Nat King Cole, Everley Brothers, Bill Haley and whatever was going around when I was growing up. So those kind of songs were always around as well.’ One of the striking and oft forgotten things about Clannad’s output was that among the more ambient, Celtic stereotype which inhabits public perception of the band, they also produced some great pop and rock music. ‘Yeah, like In a Lifetime that we did with Bono… yeah there was.’ ‘You know it’s like when I travel now people say to me “Oh I love the Celtic sound!” and I say “Well, what’s the Celtic sound you’re talking about?” because there is such a variety… there’s the Chieftains side, there’s the Riverdancy, dance music side (even though there’s a part of the Clannad sound in that as well). But this sound they’re referring to as the Celtic sound, it started with Clannad. It was something developed by Clannad and now people copy that, you know, like James Horner did for the Titanic thing, you know what I mean. And it’s nice to think what we’ve achieved – without trying, you know we didn’t set out to – but we’re in the history books for developing that sound that’s now thought of as “the Celtic sound”. And people like Lorena McKennitt would say that she’s influenced by the Clannad sound and Anúna who did the songs for Riverdance and things like that too.’ ‘On the first of February there are the kinda Brit awards of Irish Music and we’ve been nominated for the Lifetime Achievement Award’ a pause and a chuckle ‘I hope that it doesn’t mean that I have to stop now! But it’s so nice to be acknowledged and I suppose that Clannad have a very significant musical history in the Irish scene. So you know in that way it is nice. But as you say, it is also nice that you can throw in a Closer to your Heart. Because that is a part of our upbringing as well, that show-band thing. And anybody that knows Clannad would understand that part of it. But I think that we still do it in our own style. And I think that a part of that is my voice.’ Acknowledging that her music touches styles beyond the oohs and aahs of songs like Robin, the hooded man I do confess I was surprised to see her album opens with Purple Haze! This provokes a huge laugh! ‘I know, a lot of people went “WHAT?!!??!!” But it just happened!’ For clarity it should be said that the song isn’t a cover and Moya elaborates. ‘Of course that’s a very significant part of my life that whole scene, listening to Jimi Hendrix so it’s very funny that those words just came in because… because it’s all just part of my life. And I suppose it’s funny to you because it’s such a well known song but, ach, I’m not afraid of anything anymore!’ With the rich musical environment
she had growing up it almost seems an inevitability that music became a
fundamental part of her and her siblings lives. ‘Music would have
been there whatever! I was actually teaching music before Clannad
decided to go professional in 1976. I’d gone to the ‘You know, where I come from it’s a very laid back place and its attitude to Clannad is laid back. And I think that’s why the sound is what it is because of where we come from and the Gaelic and everything. And that’s just how we went about it. It took a while because we just let it meander into our sound to the point that when Harry’s Game happened we hadn’t a clue when everybody said “Where did you get that sound?” and we were all “What sound?” You know what I mean? It was lovely to think that it’s developed the way it did. And that was the strength of it. That’s why I’m still doing it because I love music, I absolutely love it! We’re all doing it because of the love of it. It had a real soul.’ This reflection on music, fame and motivation brings a philosophical turn to the conversation and suddenly the singer’s tone becomes more serious. ‘Maybe that’s why so much music now doesn’t last; it doesn’t have that. It’s done for the pure object of being famous or “Look, I’m this great singer!” you know? Like in the style of the X-factor… but you don’t learn anything… you learn how to sing, you learn how to be on stage but you don’t get “inside” anything.’ With thoughts turning a little more serious I wonder whether it’s appropriate to ask how Moya feels about Signature exposing her private emotions to the glare publicity. ‘Well, I mean, they’ve already been explored in my autobiography so it’s no big deal in a way. But you know, Black Night is my favourite song on the record; I love singing it though it’s very much the tragic part of my life. But you know, as I said, it’s already been written in the papers, been in the news – a moment that looking back on it now wouldn’t be the proudest moment of my life – and it’s a feeling I can still feel about the abortion that I had, I suppose it’s like that sort of loneliness you feel during that time. And that’s basically where that song comes from.’ ‘And it’s more the
emotions. And that’s why I like doing interviews sometimes
because I think you learn more about why you wrote things from people
talking to you. You know, people see different things in music and I
think in this sort of music particularly it’s open for people to
read that into – maybe they can become part of it. And it’s
been really well received. The only place I’ve toured with it yet
was Mention of An Irish Christmas
begs an obvious question and provokes a knowing chuckle…
‘I did it because, particularly in America, I’d seen loads
of sort of “Celtic Christmas” albums and I’ve
listened to them… and if they’re in search of the Celtic
sound something like Clannad or my family’s stuff… anyway
I thought, “Well they aren’t really there yet so why
don’t I do it?” So that’s why I did it in my style
and I’m thrilled with it. So it’s a little bit different to
the norm.’ And different it is too with some beautiful
arrangements of well known carols with that authentic Clannad flavour. ‘Yeah, like God Rest You Merry Gentlemen which is a kinda diddle-iddle jig time. Or adding a little tune at the end of Deck the Halls. And The One of the most interesting things about Signature
is that, for the first time it blends the twin tracks of
Brennan’s music – secular and spiritual. ‘Well,
because of being known from Clannad when I did a couple of contemporary
spiritual/Christian records a lot of people thought “Oh,
she’s become all religious or something…” and you
know some people didn’t come to my gigs because they thought that
maybe I was going to preach to them. But it wasn’t that at all
– it was just another part of my life. And I’d love to tell
them “It’s OK! Everybody has a right to believe in what
they want to.” And the thing that fascinates me is if I said to
people I’d gone to ‘What’s nice about Signature is because it’s chapters and snapshots of my life this is a big part of it so it’s OK to include it. And it was OK to do the Christmas album because, well’, once again an infectious laugh lights up the room, ‘everybody does Christmas songs!’ ‘You know, there’s all sorts of mixtures that come to my gigs which is really what I wanted to achieve. And what I’ve also discovered is that people, and well known people who know me from Clannad, they’re sometimes surprised that I don’t kinda give them lectures but, ironically, then they start asking me… because we all search. And it’s really important to realise that the spiritual side of your make up needs to be fed. And when people realise that… you know, it’s really difficult to tell young people that because they think “I don’t need it and it’s not part of my life” and all but they will soon realise that later on. I mean, the suicide rates and things like that are on such an up and really it’s partly because of this spiritual drought. You know, if you’re an addict and you go for treatment no matter what kind of treatment you go for, you HAVE to find your spiritual side to achieve the drive of getting through it. Because the whole point of life is that you can’t do it by yourself, you cannot do it all by yourself. So you need.. for me, I need God in my life.’ ‘You know, I take things on now and years ago I would have said “Ooooh let me think about it and, yeah, maybe if and…” but now I can just say yes to everything and I know that I’m not by myself. I know it’s a funny way of looking at it but it’s incredible. Comforting… And like I said, it’s also made me into a better person – though I’m not saying I’ve found the perfect answer or I’m the perfect person or anything like that – but it’s just that there’s something to strive for.’ As if promoting two albums across the globe wasn’t enough to be getting on with there are other momentous events on the near horizon. The first gig in ten years for the band that made her famous. Again, the enthusiasm is palpable… ‘Oh that’ll be fun! Would you believe we’ve already been rehearsing – it’s going to sound amazing! Because of the time span it’s exciting again and that was really important for Clannad, because of where we came from. But 10 years ago we came to a stage of “Well are we doing it for the sake of doing it?” and we didn’t want to just do another Clannad album just for the sake of doing one. So it was really important for us to have a pause. Of course, we didn’t know it would be 10 years. But it’s been good because we’ve all been doing different things and now we can bring those influences in as far as thinking about going back into the studio after just playing together again. It’s really great, it’s lovely just having that because I guess we can all so feel the excitement. And because we’re all family we’re not doing one of those not-talking-to-each-other-on-stage things – you know the way some bands have reunions but they have their own floor in the hotels because they can’t risk bumping into each other. We’d continually be at home playing together at our father’s pub, with my brothers singing. And we’d go up in ones and twos or whatever. You know, it’s like being there together but not in a Clannad way or anything. So it’s a nice feeling there.’ So maybe Wears the Trousers can get the inside skinny on what the future holds for Clannad as the singer muses on what might come next… ‘You know I think it might be a good time maybe to take it further in the sense of maybe looking at an album or taking on a dozen gigs next year. You know, not to be thinking of it as getting into a big big thing… but of course, I’m saying this and you just don’t know where it might go to. But it’s nice with the lifetime achievement award thing coming – and we’ll be performing at that. You know, Clannad were always getting options to do gigs and we used to say “No, we’re not happening at the moment.” So now that we’re running with the band it’ll be interesting to see what happens with things like that! But I’d still like to continue with my own stuff as well because I’m really enjoying it, you know.’ Well, whatever the future holds somehow you get the feeling that she’ll enjoy it. After all, she does like busyness! |
Hailed
as the “first lady of Irish music”, with a career spanning
nearly 30 years – with both multi-million selling, Grammy award
winning Celtic rock band, Clannad, and as a solo artist – Moya
Brennan could be well forgiven for taking some time out to rest on her
achievements. However, the quiet life doesn’t seem to be on her
immediate agenda, as Wears the Trousers’ Trevor Raggatt quickly found out!