Michelle Daly - January Skies (Album)
Today Michelle Daly releases her new album 'January Skies'. And prepares for her upcoming live show @ Troubadour, London on 20th March 2024, get tickets here.
Berlin based, Irish songstress Michelle Daly has her roots firmly planted in soul, RnB and jazz, along with the genres and styles she’s adopted, Daly has a knack for evocative storytelling, passion and narrative, evident in her vintage sounding track 'What You're Making Me Do to Me', released today alongside her brand new album ‘January Skies’. Michelle says: "This song has undergone a significant transformation since its initial conception. Its original incarnation boasted a fast-paced rock 'n' roll vibe, but over time, it morphed into a slower-paced, bluesy track with a jabbing rhythmic guitar and bass line. Drawing inspiration from Etta James' iconic Rhythm & Blues/Rock sound of the '60s, my producer immediately grasped my vision. Backed by a talented band, we got it down in just 2 live takes—a setup I felt was crucial to achieving the desired vibe. The song is quite simple in terms of musical ideas and structure, and the universal experience of feeling consumed by passion for someone to the point of driving yourself crazy."
Michelle Daly’s versatility ranges from soul, jazz, rhythm & blues to opera and her style is inspired by artists of a time past. Upon its soft release on Bandcamp and Vinyl, 'January Skies', Daly's debut album was featured in 'The Irish Times' Best Albums of 2022' shortlist. It is a result of a successful grass-roots crowdfunding campaign and was recorded at Jazzanova Recording Studio, Berlin. It is a collaboration with Australian composer, Michael Edwards - whose credits include Morcheeba and the Game of Thrones Soundtrack. Singles released to date include the album title track 'January Skies', 'In My Dreams' Missed Chances' ,'Raven' and 'My Mama Told Me', which have been featured on the RTE RADIO ONE Recommended playlist, BBC RADIO Ulster and Jazz Radio Berlin.
The Dublin-born artist's writing style is inspired by the songwriting stalwarts of the 60s and 70s with a nod to 90s trip-hop and neo-soul influences. The album shows the artist drawing on experiences with finding purpose, patriarchy, rites of passage, lost faith, fate, missed opportunities and fantasy versus reality. Before Berlin, Daly was London-based, where she penned her debut EP Melodramas which was released in 2014. She is also a regular performer on the opera stage having sung as a soloist at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden and Deutsche Oper Berlin. Other notable work include guest vocals on the critically acclaimed ‘These New Puritans’ album ‘Inside the Rose’.