Bringing a salve for weary souls Wexford troubadour Gordon Barry returns with new single ‘Old Fashioned Morphine’, the follow up single from his latest EP All The Live Long Year, which is set for release November 27, 2020.
‘Old Fashioned Morphine’ is the lead track from the EP All The Live Long Year which was recorded between Dublin, Cork, Wexford & Coney Island, New York. Written by Jolie Holland, of The Be Good Tanyas, it entwines a hybrid of traditional American gospel standards such as ‘Wade in The Water’ & ‘Old Time Religion’ with Barry bringing the sound of a swampy New Orleans funeral anthem.
Speaking about the single Gordon Barry says: “I first heard ‘Old Fashioned Morphine’ when I went to see an act called Jolie Holland in a small club in New York. I didn’t know who she was but her songs blew me away, this song in particular stuck out like that old traditional song that we all know. I immediately knew I wanted to record it but in a much different way, I imagined it in a more up tempo grimy sounding way with organs, big drums and electric guitars. I had 2 songs in mind for a template for the sound i wanted ‘Come on up to the house’ by Tom Waits & Jakob Dylan’s ‘Lend a hand’.”
Previous releases from Gordon Barry include 2017’s debut album The Best Way To Kill a Monster mixed by legendary Seattle Producer Steve Fisk (Nirvana, Soundgarden). The album’s first single ‘Devil & St. Jesus’ went on to win The 2017 International Songwriting Competition in Nashville joining the ranks of previous ISC winners including Gotye, Passenger, Gregory Porter, Bastille and Cork Songwriters Mick Flannery and Jack O’ Rourke. Gordon also was offered a scholarship role at the annual songwriting school run by Steve Earle at Camp Copperhead.
‘Old Fashioned Morphine’ is out now.
