I love it when a creative collaboration ends up producing something ingenious or artistically wonderful. The feedback and symbiosis that can be had while working together can be game-changing and also reveal an artist’s own gifts as a professional and team player. Today we are thrilled to introduce you to a song that demonstrates just that in the new ‘Double Helix’ single by Brooklyn-based artist Ronan Conroy, on which he worked with vocalist Julie Dicterow, best known as frontwoman of the dreampop / indie band Oh Halo.
If this initial sampling of his new long-player ‘The Slow Death of the LoveMyth’ is any indication of what the full record will sound like, we are very keen to hear it. This single will appease our hunger for good music with its release tomorrow. We’ll need to wait a bit until we heard the rest – while the full album is not out until October, it can already be pre-ordered at https://ronanconroy.bandcamp.com/album/the-slow-death-of-the-lovemyth
Here we have a deep and penetrating sound that recalls such artists as Cocteau Twins, Dif Juz, Evi Vine, Andalusia, Beauty In Chaos, Bel Canto, Andalusia and This Mortal Coil. Perfectly reflecting this mood is the accompanying red-laced video created by NYC artist Hypnodoll, which, in itself, is quite a captivating creative work. While Conroy has many releases to his name, this album exposes quite a different facet of his musical being – dreamy, brooding and ethereal with a DIY punk ethos. The result is sonically haunting and otherworldly with dark fairy-land shimmer.
Apart from Julie Dicterow, this record also features vocal contributions by LA-based vocalist Shannon Brown and NYC’s Susan Hwang of Lusterlit fame, as well as stellar drums by Justin Wierbonski (a.k.a. Demonic Drums). It was produced, engineered and mastered by renowned producer Charlie Nieland, who has worked with Debbie Harry, Rufus Wainwright, Blondie, Dead Leaf Echo and Scissors Sisters, among many others.
Ronan Conroy explains:
“Where some of my songwriting has been more situational or distilled as expressions of particular events – universal human experiences like heartbreak, disappointment, betrayal, but driven by a need to process or express a particular chapter of my life – LoveMyth goes a step further in giving voice to the deeper underlying darkest fears that maybe aren’t always expressed, that are there as archetypal tendencies throughout many or all of the chapters of our lives, Maybe it’s fear of vulnerability, or discomfort with how raw, irrational or unacceptable some of our base preconceptions or pessimistic expectations can seem, that make them tougher subjects to explore musically.”
Hailing from Dublin, Ireland, Conroy found himself moving to the USA as a young adult. He would release two albums with Brooklyn’s The Listeners before joining Oh Halo on guitar and backing vocals. While with the band from 2011 to 2014, he featured on one of the band’s albums.
Since 2013, Conroy immersed himself in the ‘Lovemyth’ project, this work culminating in ‘The Slow Death Of The LoveMyth’ LP, a collection influenced by the 80s/90s goth bands he grew up listening to, as well as ethereal darkwave bands he would be introduced to later.
“Going deeper into my goth influences seemed to offer me a natural and more suitable sonic landscape for these topics, and channelling my love for seminal goth bands like The Cure, along with ethereal acts like Love Spirals Downwards, Autumn’s Grey Solace and All About Eve has been a special experience that I’ve laboured over for years. Each of the guest singers has elevated the project to new levels and surpassed even my own visions of how their voices could combine with the instrumentation,” says Ronan Conroy.
As of August 30, ‘Double Helix’ will be available digitally via Spotify, Apple Music and all good digital music platforms. Upon ordering the full album, It will also be available as an an instant-grat download on Bandcamp. Find it at https://ronanconroy.bandcamp.com/album/the-slow-death-of-the-lovemyth
CREDITS
Written by Ronan Conroy (ASCAP 3284024)
Ronan Conroy – lead and rhythm guitar on all tracks, and vocals on ‘This Dream’, ‘Born in Conflict’ and ‘Dark Paradise’
Charlie Nieland – bass, syths, piano, drums, and backing guitar
Justin Wierbonski – drums
Julie Dicterow – vocals on ‘Double Helix’
Shannon Brown – vocals on ‘Passenger’ and ‘Nightland’
Susan Hwang – vocals on ‘Love Myth’ and ‘Demon’
Publisher: Rip My Heart Out And Eat It Music (ASCAP 4499980)
Produced, engineered and mastered by Charlie Nieland at Capture Sound Studios, Brooklyn
Album cover and artist photos by Shannon Brown
Video by Hypnodoll
Artist photo by Shannon Brown
TRACK LIST
1 Double Helix
2 The Nightland
3 This Dream
4 Born in Conflict
5 Lovemyth
6 Passenger
7 Dark Paradise
Follow, support and fan out over Ronan Conroy
Website | Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube | Spotify | Apple Music
