Lisa Hannigan - Knots (Video)

Remember the iconic Kevin Cummins photo for the NME of The Stone Roses covered in paint? (This one.) Well now Irish singer songwriter and previously Mercury nominated singer songwriter Lisa Hannigan has picked up the baton with her video for the song Knots, which comes from Lisa’s second album which is released in the UK on October 10. A tour follows in November in England and Scotland.

“The idea for this video was that the instruments would be played by paint (the drums are metallic spray cans, the strings are blue and green from above, the horns are orange) and would be flung at me in accordance with their part in the song. Up until the end, when everybody threw paint at me by the pint. We shot our one and only take in a front garden in Dublin, and we used three spray cans, four squeezy bottles, five water pistols and four buckets of poster paint — which, incidentally, tastes like wet chalk,” explains Lisa. It certainly looks like a lot of messy childlike fun and we can’t imagine that the voice at the end who jokes “OK take 2,” was particularly popular with Lisa.

Lisa Hannigan @ Portsmouth Wedgewood Rooms

Irish singer Lisa Hannigan is probably best known in England, Scotland and Wales for her past work with Damien Rice, supplying the smooth soft feminine side of the song Nine Crimes. However in her home country her status as a solo artist has a higher profile, with a Choice Prize nomination for her debut album Sea Sew. With the album now released in the UK, it gives Lisa a chance to tour and promote the work and fully establish herself here as well.

With an audience seated at tables the atmosphere is one of relaxed hushed reverence, not something that Portsmouth Wedgewood Rooms is ordinarily used to, being more traditionally a standing only venue. With such a layout and Hannigan elevated on stage, her performance very much feels as if she is on show; this is emphasised at the end when all of the band applaud the crowd and take bows in a manner more commonly seen at the theatre.

Backed by a group of first class musicians, there is a warm and varied mix of instrumentation including trumpet, melodica, harmonium, double bass, drums, acoustic guitar, xylophone, keyboards, banjo, tambourine stick and even stylophone on display. Hannigan sings with an almost constant smile on her face and a voice that massages the ears. Often appearing completely immersed in the songs, her slightly awkward gangly frame often gives way to expressive dancing, her movements not dissimilar to Ian Curtis of Joy Division in slow motion. Her band are highly competent, every note and sound etched from their instruments with care and precision, from the soft Regina Spektorisms of the pop folk of I Don’t Know to a sultry seductive new number where Hannigan sings “I’m a high school lover, and you’re my favourite flavour.” Lille is probably the highlight of the set, a sparse understated song where Hannigans voice caresses the air with feathered beauty. There are moments where the spot on musicianship and Lisa’s effortlessly pure voice cover up the fact that the gentle professionalism of some of the songs makes them lack that special emotional resonance with the listener, but this is picking holes when Hannigan is obviously blessed with such real ability.

There is certainly much more to Lisa Hannigan than just Damien Rice’s ex backing singer. She is a talent that can easily stand alone.