Villagers announce a Belfast show at the Empire Music Hall ahead of the release of their fourth studio album ‘The Art Of Pretending To Swim’. The new record will be released by Domino on Friday 21st September 2018.
Following the exquisitely sparse, intimate aura of 2015’s ‘Darling Arithmetic’, Conor O’Brien’s new record reconnects with the multi-faceted approach of Villagers’ 2010 debut ‘Becoming A Jackal’ and 2013’s ‘Awayland’ while adding a new-found soulfulness, rhythmic nous and dazzling panoply of sonic detail, both analogue and digital, creating feverish moods while writing effortlessly accessible tunes. Balanced with subtle aspects and lyrical themes that embrace existential fears and hopes in this desperate, technologically-centred dystopian age, ‘The Art Of Pretending To Swim’ is the most brilliantly realised Villagers album to date.
O’Brien has a string of accolades under his belt including two Ivor Novello Awards (the most recent being 2016’s Album Award for ‘Darling Arithmetic’), two Mercury Music Prize nominations and is also a previous winner of Ireland’s Choice Music Prize.
Additionally, Villagers’ music recently featured in the high profile HBO drama ‘Big Little Lies’. Conor has collaborated with the composer Nico Muhly (that track featuring in the forthcoming Paulo Sorrentino Berlusconi biopic ‘Loro 2’) and Villagers’ Spotify session of ‘Nothing Arrived’ has hit over 100 million streams.
‘The Art Of Pretending To Swim’ is available to pre-order on Domino Mart-exclusive deluxe LP (includes 10” of a 12-minute version of ‘Ada’ and B-side ‘This Is The Art Of Pretending To Swim’ plus signed lyric booklet), Deluxe LP (includes ‘Ada’/ ‘This Is The Art Of Pretending To Swim’ 10”), Standard LP, CD and Digitally. Pre-order via Domino Mart.
Tickets available now for The Empire Music Hall, Belfast.
In person: From behind the bar (no booking fees)
In person: From 100 Ticketmaster Outlets Nationwide
By Telephone: Northern Ireland (24 Hour) – 0844 277 44 55
Online: via Ticketmaster.