Alison O’Donnell, the legendary vocalist with acid folk luminaries Mellow Candle, sometime singer with Ireland's United Bible Studies and England’s The Owl Service, is releasing a new solo album, Climb Sheer The Fields Of Peace on Mega Dodo July 14. As with other strictly limited Mega Dodo releases designed to sell out quick, there will be a small vinyl pressing of just 250 copies.
Born in Dublin, Alison O’Donnell made her first single, "Feeling High" b/w "Tea with the Sun" for SNP's Simon Napier Bell and David Hemmings at the age of 15 with the folk-rock band, Mellow Candle in 1968. During their brief run which extended into the early 70s, Mellow Candle shared concert stages with Genesis, Thin Lizzy, Donovan, The Chieftains and Steeleye Span.
Picked up by Decca's Deram subsidiary, they recorded their incredible Swaddling Songs album in December of 1971. Although it sold few copies upon its release in April 1972, over the years, the spooky cool songwriting, stellar arrangements and sweetly soaring vocal harmonies of O'Donnell and Clodagh Simonds made the unjustly overlooked Swaddling Songs a much sought-after item for serious Brit-folk collectors around the globe. Subsequent critical reappraisal in the early 90s has led to a couple of reissues and sky rocketing prices of the rarely seen original. Listen to Mellow Candle's "The Poet and the Witch" below.
Alison’s latest recording, Climb Sheer The Fields Of Peace, is a collaboration with United Bible Studies' Dave Colohan (aka Agitated Radio Pilot, Raising Holy Sparks) and mixes folk and electronics to remarkable effect. As with Alison’s previous work, Climb Sheer The Fields Of Peace is at turns unpredictable, chilling, heart-breaking and exhilarating. Listen to Alison tell Jason Barnard about her career on The Strange Brew podcast right here.
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