Before There Was Air is only the band’s
third album in two decades, but that mirrors the stately pace of their music.
Set for release this September, Before There Was Air sees Boa
Morte infuse their brand of slow-burning, alternative folk with elements of
electronic, ambient and new-classical music. The album was recorded last year
at Herbert Place Studios, with James Darkin at the desk. To fully capture the
subtleties of the band’s quiet dynamic, Darkin installed them in the same room
with the mics opened wide. The basic tracks were then layered with analogue
synths, drones, piano, wind, strings and effects. This distinctive
compositional and textural mix prompted both London’s Gare Du Nord Records and
Tremolo Publishing to sign the band this year.
Boa Morte formed in Cork, Ireland in 1998, rising from the dust of a couple of
ragged but respected indie bands. By the end of that year, the band released
their Passenger, Measure Your Time debut EP, produced by Mark
Carolan. That record sparked significant record label interest, culminating in
the band signing to US label Moodfood Records, home of Ryan Adams and
Whiskeytown.
The debut album was produced by Daniel Presley, well respected for his work
with Spain and The Breeders. But just before the scheduled release date,
Moodfood went bankrupt. It took the band (and their lawyers) until 2002 to
recover the tapes.
In stepped Shoeshine Records, the Glasgow imprint run by Teenage Fanclub drummer
Francis MacDonald. In July 2002, Soon It Will Come Time To Face The
World Outside, Boa Morte’s debut album, was released to widespread critical
acclaim. Those impressed by the record included Uncut, Mojo, Q Magazine and
John Peel. The band toured throughout Ireland and the UK with the likes of
Teenage Fanclub and Calexico.
Boa Morte’s second album, The Dial Waltz (2009) followed a
similar aesthetic and was equally well-received, Q magazine hailing the record
as a “supremely elegant sound-track for staring into your half-empty
pint.”
But now the glass is full again. You can hear a decade of listening on Before
There Was Air, a record that distils broad musical influences to enhance
their singular, tuneful avant-folk, while remaining distinctly Boa Morte.
Live Dates:
Saturday October 19 – The Roundy, Cork
Thursday October 24 – Barbello, Dublin