Musicians Rónán Ó Snodaigh (Kíla) and Myles O’Reilly recently released their sophomore album ‘The Beautiful Road’, a soulful blend of folk, traditional, and ambient crossover, via Claddagh Records…
Today, they share a new video for track ‘Calling All Angels’, filmed and edited by Myles, and featuring Rónán and former Wexford hurler, Diarmuid Lyng.
Speaking to Wexford Weekly about the video, Diarmuid says:
“I’ve long admired the work of Myles O’Reilly and Rónán Ó Snodaigh, both individually and collectively. Their first album was my go-to soundtrack for the lockdown. To get the opportunity to work with them was a gift. Particularly because the invite was ‘come as yourself, no acting, no staging of shots—just be as you’d be.’ It’s a rare invite when someone is shooting; it summons a grace that extends beyond the people and their stories. Myself and Ró were free to do as we generally do when we spend time together. We discussed through movement the ways in which music and hurling are similar, what separates us, and what brings us back together. For me, it was a chance to bridge the divide that can be present between the creative and the structured, both in myself and in the game in general.”
“Hurling is a fundamentally creative process, but as we continue down the path laid out by statisticians and sports psychologists, it’s hard not to think that some outlet for our young men, in particular, is being lost—individual creativity suffering function and outcome. At the same time, it’s a celebration of what the game is: a tonic, a community, our way of making sense of the fine line between battle and play—our game, played our way. Ró has been playing with the Katas of hurling from a young age, and we’ve been working on the footwork and movement native to the game to bring them to life. This is something we do when we get together without a specific aim in mind, but then along comes Myles with his camera, and the exploration finds a worthy outlet.”
Speaking to Wexford Weekly, Myles added:
“Upon hearing the track ‘Calling All Angels’ for the first time, I immediately recognised it was a total classic. It took me a while to fully grasp the depth of the lyrics, which hold a very personal significance for Rónán. He has written them so beautifully for them to hold a Universal meaning, and everyone has their own experience of angels. So, as we embarked on creating the video, our aim was to avoid a literal representation of the Rónán’s deeper meaning. As he and Diarmuid began to play with their hurls on the Dublin seafront, I realised it was my responsibility, much like Rónán’s approach to his lyrics, to view the scene through a poetic lens. I still can’t describe or explain what exactly they were doing, other than sharing a deeply personal and playful moment in their own private and symbolic way.”
The song featured on Rónán and Myles recent album ‘The Beautiful Road’, praised by the Irish Times as “experimental and intriguing”.
Likewise, Totally Dublin stated that it’s:
“…a testament to care. O’Reilly and Ó Snodaigh have created an album that is bursting with consideration and contemplation without ever veering too far towards rigid fastidiousness.”
Meanwhile, Folk Radio UK described the album as “a calmative, a sonic balm in times of literal and metaphorical noise, but also a reminder of the verve and the life that can still exist in music. It’s an exceptional feat.”‘
The Beautiful Road’ by Rónán Ó Snodaigh and Myles O’Reilly is out now via Claddagh Records. You can order the CD or vinyl at: https://claddaghrecords.com/collections/the-beautiful-road
Value our site? Register NOW for as little as €3 per-year…
For a €3 Subscription, click here.
For a €6 Subscription, click here.
Enjoy our content? Want to keep reading it? By registering, you will have access to all of Wexford Weekly’s content and you’ll also be supporting a growing independent brand. We thank you for your continued support. It costs less than one cent per day to register on Wexford Weekly. If you value our site, we really appreciate it.
– Access to all content
– Improved, premium features
– Discounts on products
– First to know about future buses
– Discounts on future events
Read also:
Remember to submit your news to Wexford Weekly! To advertise on our socials or website, email our team at info@wexfordweekly.com
