NORTHERN IRISH singer-songwriter Conchúr White has today doubled down on his single drop from early March, the lovely late-night tumble of “Vocation Vacation” with the just-add-water-and-stir absolute anthem, “Dreamers”, the video for which we’ve got below.
If you liked the folk-Bunnymen stylings of that last single, you’ll likely fall hard for the widescreen fire of this one;
“Dreamers” explores notions of small town dreams of another life on a song that alternately whispers and then explodes; you can have no doubt that Conchúr is singing from the heart on that grandiose chorus. “I’ve been talkin’ ’bout it since I don’t know when / I had excuses for days and they were ten out of tens / Until I finally make it I won’t scream or shout / Cause we’ve all been dreamers ’til we get found out,” he sings, rousing the heart.
The accompanying video was also directed by Conchúr; he made it at home in Armagh with his family, and it features a cameo from his dad.
Conchúr says of the track: “It’s about feeling silly for having dreams or aspirations beyond what you’ve known, so you make excuses or self-sabotage.
“I worked with a lot of young people from the local area who at such a young age felt like they wouldn’t go beyond where they were, which was quite sad.
“The main message is we all have a right to dream and aspire for something more, whether it seems silly or not.”
“Dreamers” is the fine centrepiece and title track of his EP, which is coming out in mid-June; the quartet of tracks investigating a number of different personal-political and cultural issues.
Conchúr says “I didn’t write the EP with a theme in mind but I’ve found there to be one. It’s about the importance of pushing yourself out the door but also giving yourself a break and understanding that everyone’s circumstances are different.”
The Dreamers EP was written over a year and a half and coincided with Conchúr starting a new job working with young people. Those experiences began to seep into his songwriting.
Conchúr White achieved success in Ireland with his previous band Silences before the indie-folk five-piece split in 2019. He’s released one previous EP, last year’s Bikini Crops.
Conchúr’s also hitting the road and then some from autumn into winter, with an initial run of dates just as the leaves are beginning to fall in the company of Margaret Glaspy, as follows:
Tuesday, September 7th, Birmingham, Hare & Hounds;
Wednesday, September 8th, Manchester, Deaf Institute;
Thursday, September 9th, Dublin, Whelans;
Saturday, September 11th, Glasgow, Mono;
Sunday, September 12th, Leeds, Belgrave Music Hall;
Tuesday, September 14th, Bristol, Thekla;
Wednesday, September 15th, London King’s Cross, Lafayette, and
Thursday, September 16th, Brighton, Hope & Ruin.
Then, after a fortnight’s sojourn, he’s back on the road again across the UK and Ireland, this time with Dublin’s Villagers, the dates being as follows:
Saturday, October 2nd, Glasgow, SWG3;
Tuesday, October 13th, Nottingham, Rescue Rooms;
Thursday, October 15th, Manchester, Albert Hall;
Friday, October 16th, Bristol, SWX;
Saturday, October 17th, Cambridge, Junction;
Sunday, October 18th, Birmingham, Glee Club;
Tuesday, October 20th, Brighton, Chalk;
Wednesday, October 21st, London, Camden Roundhouse;
Tuesday, November 2nd, Cork, Opera House;
Wednesday, November 3rd, Kilkenny, Set Theatre;
Thursday, November 4th, Limerick, Dolans;
Friday, November 5th, Galway, Black Box, and
Sunday, November 7th, Belfast, Empire Music Hall.
Conchúr White’s “Vocation Vacation” is out today on all digital streaming platforms; you can follow him on Spotify. Conchúr White’s new single “Dreamers” is out now. The ‘Dreamers’ EP is out June 16th
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