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The Patience of Trees EPK
Niall Connolly's The Patience of Trees, out on June 2, 2023, has its own EPK.
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What the press say
“Terrific. Disarming and beautifully crafted folk-pop. Connolly is a witty storyteller and a not-to-be-missed songsmith.”
“An absolutely beautiful collection of songs… I was gobsmacked by the quality of the songwriting… accomplished composition and arrangements… 4 stars.”
— The Arena, RTE Radio 1’s Art Show
“Deeply Passionate. Engaging songs that are very much in the vein of early Dylan and showcase the strength of his voice and the potency of his words.”
“Among the most vibrant, poignant, and authentic indie folk artists in New York City.”
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Recommended if You Like (RIYL)
- Belle and Sebastian
- Bob Dylan
- Leonard Cohen
- Wilco
Press releases
Niall Connolly - The Patience of Trees
Out June 2, 2023 - c.u. records
A master storyteller, Niall Connolly is the kind of guy you want to find yourself sitting next to at a pub, a wedding, or even a funeral. On The Patience of Trees, Connolly's 9th album, his songs are slow-simmered, rich with family histories, and woven with a golden thread of dark Irish humor. “I’ve got a willingness to see the fun alongside the suffering,” he says. “But I’ve always got one eye on the party.”
Connolly, who splits his time between New York City and the Catskills, writes lyrical folk in the tradition of his fellow Irishman and occasional collaborator Glen Hansard, Leonard Cohen, and Wilco.
In the big, breathtaking build of his new album’s opening track, “It’s a Beautiful Life,” Connolly uses a simple refrain to convey the magnificence and misery of being alive. “When I sing, ‘It’s a beautiful life, most of the time,’ I mean it,” he says. “I mean both parts.”
Though he’s known as one of the busiest live musicians around—“I used to play 150 to 200 gigs per year for years and years,” he says—Connolly was forced to pause when the world shut down in 2020. As he gradually gathered songs for The Patience of Trees, he skipped stones with his young daughter and tried to summon serenity and forbearance from the forest that surrounded his Catskill Mountain home: “I was reading about how trees can communicate with each other and send out distress signals to warn and support each other within the forest. That felt like a metaphor for what everyone had to do during the pandemic.”
Connolly has been a fixture of the NYC songwriting scene since he put down roots in the city in 2007. For 16 years, he has been presiding over Big City Folk, a songwriter’s collective that pops up in pubs and cultural centers several times per month. Performers have included Lucius, Anais Mitchell, and Lana Del Ray (before she was Lana Del Ray, on a Leonard Cohen night in the song club’s early days). As Connolly explains it, he’s just importing a tradition from Ireland: “It was very common at the end of a party at home to have a singsong, share the guitar, and share some songs. I missed that when I moved here.”
The Patience of Trees is Niall Connolly's 9th album and is set for release on June 2, 2023. Guests include Javier Más (of Leonard Cohen’s band), Anna Tivel, and Mick Flannery. The album was produced in New York by Len Monachello, with some notable assists from Brandon Wide, E.W. Harris, and M.J. McCarthy. Mastered by Ruairi O' Flaherty (Lana Del Rey, Taylor Swift). Connolly will be touring internationally throughout 2023.
Reviews for 'Dream Your Way Out Of This One'
-Arena, RTÉ Radio 1's Arts Show
"A superb band of NYC musicians.... potent.... Punchy pop/rock with a beating heart."
-The Irish Times
""Excellent ..a well-crafted collection of thought-provoking indie-folk from an artist who deserves a much wider audience."
"Album of the Week."
- Shannonside FM/ Northern Sounds
"It is absolutely superb." - The Sunday World
"...beautiful instrumentation... and gorgeous complex sounds throughout... he is at the core a folk artist, a poet with a beautiful way with words and the true gift of writing a catchy tune."
Sound is also the new album from Niall Connolly – an album of songs written from the perspective of a life less ordinary. The Cork songwriter has spent the last seven years in New York City, breathing deeply and soaking up the myriad influences of one of the world’s greatest and most vibrant cities.
The album was recorded with Connolly’s regular live band, featuring performances by Manchester-born songwriter, Warren Malone, Brandon Wilde (Black Bunny, This Way), Len Monachello (All Night Chemists, This Way) and Dennis Cronin ( Lambchop, Josh Rouse, Vic Chestnutt, Vitamin-D, the Quavers).
Similar to many great Irish songwriters, Connolly has always managed to convey the personal in a manner that allowed his listeners to feel included; to take something from his songs that we could call our own, while also feeling that we were sharing an insight into a life worth considering.
Sound takes us in new directions, however. Years of touring the US and Europe, meeting new people, confronting different cultures, has brought both the songwriter and listener to a point where we are now sharing these songs with a far larger number of people.
In the words of the songwriter: “Some of the songs are imagined biographies, or rather chapters of biographies of people I’ve never known. The album is full of curiousity – about the lives, personalities and circumstances of the fleeting encounters with countless people. The people who, in a way, make all the things I do worth doing.”
Whether it is his observations on the financial wasteland of the West (‘Lily of the Mohawks’) or the erosion of common decency around our world (‘Come Back to the Table’), Connolly, writes intelligently and with extraordinary clarity about some of the issues of our day.
Far from lecturing, however, Connolly’s songs contain hope and no shortage of a dry Irish wit. Take ‘Brooklyn Sky’, where ‘Mohammed and Jacob and Jesus are all kicking in the basement playing Bluegrass tunes’. In an imagined world where this can happen, surely anything is possible?
The lead track ‘Samurai’ opened the doors of Sound a little to let us look inside. What we find in there is an album carved from the giant rock that is life. Lovingly etched in places, by a songwriter who has truly learned his craft. Sound brings Connolly’s music to a new plateau, and it is a place where the views are worth sharing
In 2001, Niall Connolly recorded his debut album using money raised from donating his body for medical research.
In 2010, Niall Connolly funded his fourth album using money from pre-sales to fans across the globe.
Already hailed as a startling new work, Brother, The Fight Is Fixed is Niall Connolly’s fourth studio album. Recorded and mixed in Brooklyn, New York, the album is a remarkable collection of Connolly’s most mature, complex, and powerful work to date. Steeped in the richness of his experience, the deftness of his pen, and the strength of his imagination, Connolly’s lyrics evidence the well-honed craft of an honest and watchful storyteller. Often blending the personal with the political, Connolly creates imagery that sears its mark onto the consciousness of listeners, set against the backdrop of an urban folk sound.
Hailing from Athens, GA, co-producer E.W. Harris lends his powers of sonic virtuosity and invention to the work. Weaving elements of electronica, americana, alternative percussion and found sounds into the composition, Harris helps bring Connolly’s work to new territories.
From New Mexico to Budapest, Niall Connolly has played over 250 concerts in 10 countries in the last year. Performing at festivals, embassies, theaters, cinemas, bookshops, hot springs, rooftops and basement bars, Connolly has built a fanbase as loyal as it is diverse. In fact, this album was funded entirely through an online campaign supported by fans worldwide. He is, at heart, an astonishingly talented storyteller and Brother, The Fight Is Fixed spirals through time from the marshy landscapes of Cork, Ireland to the overspill of the modern metropolis.
Lauded by New York’s Death and Taxes as “being at the head of a new breed of politically engaged eloquent singer-songwriters emerging from New York’s most populous borough” , Cork-born Connolly has crafted a highly regarded niche for himself as one of the leading lights in the New York music scene, curating a variety of music nights each week in the city that never sleeps.
Since the release of ‘The Future Tense’ , Niall Connolly has been on tour. He’s clocked up over 200 gigs from New York to Romania, including a Friday night slot at Leftfield stage at Glastonbury, a headline appearance at the Glasgow West End Festival and five sold out nights at the Prague Fringe Festival. He’s been on T.V. and the radio on both sides of the Atlantic.. He continues to organise and host ‘ The Wednesday Night Song Club’ a weekly showcase in the basement at Mr.Dennehy’s in the heart New York’s Greenwich village. He’s also had his wallet stolen, seen a poet head butt a thief, hitchhiked a train in Poland, gotten food poisoning more times than he can remember, had his wallet returned anonymously in the post.
A year later, Connolly is back with a new album ‘Be There if I have to Swim’. Recorded live at the Crane bar, in Galway, in one night with his long time collaborator and friend, Karl Nesbitt, the album features intimate live versions of seven songs from his three studio albums. Impressively, in light of his hectic year of touring, it also features six previously unreleased songs. In this live setting, Connolly’s talent as a writer and performer is confirmed. Furthermore these recordings highlight Karl Nesbitt’s seemingly innate ability for accompaniment both as a lead and rhythm player. Together with just acoustic guitar, bouzouki, two voices and sublime flute on one track, they’ve captured something ‘. This is the sound of two musicians and friends enjoying each other’s company and music in a legendary music bar, before an impeccably behaved audience on a typical Irish summer’s night. Exquisitely packaged,in an eco friendly gate fold wallet, complete with typically honest, humourous sleeve notes by Connolly himself and gorgeous cover art by Dara Desmond this is a must have for all fans of modern folk music.
Niall is on tour in Europe for the Winter with David Rynhart and for selected dates Karl Nesbitt.
Niall Connolly is Ireland’s hardest working and most exciting independent songwriter. In the last year he has relentlessly toured Europe and North America where his combination of sincerity, energy, humour and superb songwriting have helped him defy language barriers, geography and quite often, common sense. He has recently relocated to New York where he has been recognised by no less of a musical authority than U.S. Department of Immigration as ‘an alien of extraordinary ability’.
Niall returns to Ireland in October to begin a two-month European tour, which will coincide with the release of his new album, ‘The Future Tense’. On this, his third album, Connolly takes us from the late night streets of Cork City to North Africa, the Middle East, New York City and back again. However, it is his mapping of everyday human experience that gives his very individual storytelling its universal appeal. ‘The Future Tense’, is a collection of thirteen new recordings ranging from indie rock anthems to urban folk songs and is Connolly’s finest album yet. Subject matter includes the usual suspects; love, loss, war, work, addiction, depression, navigation, dancing and television. However, Connolly’s mixture of gritty realism, strong imagery, infectious melodies and ultimately, lust for life, make this an intriguingly fresh listening experience. When its author sings “I am trying hard to keep out of reach, the part of me that still believes, there is good in everyone,” we are left holding on to that hope too.
Produced by longtime collaborator and friend Karl Nesbitt the album is lovingly arranged and performed. The remarkable attention to detail and the subtlety of the performances are credit to all involved. The album features his long term Irish band as well as a host of international guests including Dennis Cronin (Lambchop, Josh Rouse, Vic Chestnutt, Camera Obscura and many more) and Rachel Loshak (Norah Jones). An album that looks tentatively forward, ‘The Future Tense’, charmingly and fittingly closes with a children’s choir singing “I can’t dance, but I will gladly dance with you.”
‘The Future Tense’ is an exceptional album that will touch broken, mending, and racing hearts alike.
The Future Tense is due for release in Ireland on October 20th.
“Irish Album of the Year 2007” -96fm
“Ireland’s best kept secret”- Andy Lowe, The 12 Bar Club, London
“As with all the great songwriters, for Niall Connolly, the writing of lyrics is an art form. Though, immediately engaging and refreshing, his music is the opposite to easy and quick, cheap entertainment.”- Folkroddels- Belgium
“Irish songwriter Niall Connolly is set to be become a roaring success in France”-Ouest-France
“It was in the raw vocal strength of Niall Connolly’s songs that I found the most poignant moments of the evening”-Prague TV
“Gorgeous.”-The Irish Times
“Revelling in melodic glory”-Irish Music Magazine
“A mini masterpiece”-The Evening Echo “An album to warm and soothe the heart. 8.5/10”-Hot Press
“Like many great writers, his writing is very much an art as opposed to simple, short-lived entertainment www.musician.ie
“Like another great Irish songsmith, Van Morrison, Niall doesnt waste words. He has that rare ability to throw just a handful of words at you and you get the picture. A really interesting and beautiful record” http://fasterlouder.com.au ) Australia
“As Tomorrow Creeps From The East is a great album from a talented singer-songwriter. If you’re a fan of modern acoustic music, you’re strongly advised to not let this one pass you by.- Being There Mag- Cananda
“Niall Connolly writes intelligent literate songs rich in graphic detail. Better still, he writes convincingly from his own experience and his heart. We don’t have enough like him.”-Jackie Hayden -Hot Press
“Niall Connolly writes intelligent literate songs rich in graphic detail. Better still, he writes from his own experience and his heart. We don’t have enough like him.”-Jackie Hayden -Hot Press (the man who signed ‘U2’)
Niall Connolly is widely regarded among his peers as one of Ireland’s most promising young songwriters. His debut album ‘Songs from a Corner’ (2001) went to No.1 in the Hot Press indie charts and helped Connolly build a loyal fan base in Ireland as well as affording him the opportunity to tour Britain and mainland Europe.His follow up ‘as tomorrow creeps from the east’ (2003) opened further doors for him.
Released on the independent Cork based c.u. records label, Niall’s music has already received airplay in Ireland, Toronto and Sydney. ‘As tomorrow creeps from the east’ has also bizarrely recorded internet sales in as yet untoured territories including Japan and New Zealand.
Niall Connolly is currently back in the studio with his band completing his third album.
‘Songs from a Corner’ is Niall Connolly’s debut album. It is a mixture of beautifully crafted acoustic songs and tastefully arranged full band numbers. His songs of love and fighting, dreaming and thieving, friendship and hope have a universal appeal a fact proven by the wide spectrum of peolpe in attendance at his performances.
Together with his regular band of musicians, Connolly has achieved something of a cult statusin his native city, filling the lobby bar for his last six shows as well as attracting bus loads of fans to gigs in coastal towns throghout the county. Niall has also ventured outside the rebel county playing in venues throughout the country including Whelan’s and the Cobblestone, in Dublin, O’ Connor’s in Killarney , the Old Oak, Tralee and Fitzgreald’s in Castlegregory.He also performed at le festival interceltique in Lorient, France, where he introduced his songs to a large and appreciative audience. The album, which is in it’s second pressing, has received substantial critical acclaim and a considerable amount of airplay on Red F.M., 96 F.M., and Radio 1. Niall has alo performed live on TG4’s Pop T.V. and French radio staion Radio Bleu. ‘Songs from a Corner’ sold enough copies in Cork alone to reach No.1 in the Hot Press indie charts and it is now set for a nationwide release.
Niall is accompanied by the Token Mellow Band which comprises Ailsing Fitzpatrick (cello), Emmett Christie (bass), Justin O’ Mahony (drums) and Karl Nesbitt (flute, bodhran, bouzouki, didgeridoo and backing vocals).
What the Press have said:
“Niall Connolly writes intelligent literate songs rich in graphic detail. Better still, he writes convincingly from his own experience and his heart. We don’t have enough like him.”-Jackie Hayden -Hot Press
“Trying to describe their music is like trying to describe a new colour” -Mark McClelland, The Eveing Echo
“Ireland’s latest hot property” – Sam Boland, The Irish Examiner
“‘Songs from a Corner’ captures the Token Mellow Band’s already proven live ability to kick up a storm.” Marc O ‘ Sullivan- Hot Press
“The most talked about songwriter in town”- thelist.ie