Alison O'Donnell explores rockier side of Irish folk on new United Bible Studies album

Mellow Candle's Alison O'Donnell joins David Colohan & Steven Collins on United Bible Studies' Strange Is The Coastline album due September 5th.

Here's the scoop...

United Bible Studies is a rotating experimental folk collective of Irish and international musicians founded in 2001. The current line-up is co-founder David Colohan, Alison O’Donnell (Mellow Candle/Flibbertigibbet; latterly UBS since 2008), and Steven Collins (The Owl Service).  

With an extensive back catalogue of varied recordings, their latest offering, Strange Is The Coastline (out September 5th from the UK-based label Talking Elephant Records), is an album of original folk-rock songs with artwork by Dom Cooper, also an occasional UBS participant at any given time. Songs are from David and Alison, arranged by Steven.

David’s songs: 

Gather Words For The Fire, In The Arms Of Lewes, and Til The Worm Turns all reside within a mythical Albion, that is nonetheless only a step removed from the real world and the messiness and joys it holds. Friendships played out between the shadows of chalk giants and winding village lanes. Chasing the sounds of drumming deep within the hills... 

Alison writes about: 

Ireland through the years on Roar No More, and of the iconic statue, Nerano Sailor, who guides seafarers in her hometown. There’s also a song about her love of the Leigh Folk Festival on Old Legra and a song about choosing the right or wrong path in Lilac Haze Of Lavender. This song also produced the title of the album, a reference to the chaos caused by climate change. There are two songs about the machinations of a stalker from back in the day on Hoist The Drawbridge and You Often Hid and a Victorian era murder ballad, Viewing The Waterhen. The first song on the album, Circles And Chambers celebrates the band’s long history of exploring ancient, sacred sites whilst meandering on mini-tours. 

United Bible Studies' new album Strange Is The Coastline is released on September 5 via Talking Elephant Records. Listen to tracks and get a copy via Bandcamp right here. 

Watch Alison perform a United Bible Studies set with David Colohan & Steven Collins at the Leigh-On-Sea Folk Festival on June 25, 2023 below. 

Happy Birthday Alison O'Donnell of Mellow Candle!

Raising a glass to Mellow Candle's Alison O'Donnell with a performance, some informative interviews and a family mystery. 

LINKS
The Self Portrait Gospel Alison O'Donnell of Mellow Candle

B-Side Wins Again: Alison O'Donnell & Gayle Brogan

Listen to "Winged Sages," the creepy cool flipside of Alison O'Donnell's limited-run single with Gayle Brogan aka Pefkin.  

All 97 copies of the 7" version of Alison O'Donnell's new single are sold out but you can get a digital version via Bandcamp here.

Happy Birthday Alison O'Donnell

Cheers to Mellow Candle's Alison O'Donnell. Her latest album Climb Sheer The Fields of Peace is available here. 

Mellow Candle's Alison O'Donnell releases new album July 14

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.

Happy Birthday Alison O'Donnell

Raising a glass to Alison O'Donnell on her day with Mellow Candle's Messenger Birds from 1972.

Happy Birthday Alison O'Donnell!

Here's a couple of Alison's recordings with Mellow Candle including the A-side of their first single from '68.

Happy Birthday Alison O'Donnell