Up and coming Irish singer/songwriter Susan O’Neill shared today her new single “Rewire” along with an official video. The latest to release off her upcoming solo album Now in a Minute (due out September 20th via Star House Collective), “Rewire” moves between an industrial pulse and an indie pop roar as it weaves in a message of recovery after loss, an ode to grief and beginning again. Susan writes about a journey that is unavoidable for all, leaving the listener with the lingering affirmation “Maybe I’ll try and hold embrace it, Maybe I’ll try and stand and face it.” These affirmations are sung out in the accompanying music video shot by Susan while visiting Germany on tour this summer.
f the song, Susan stated, “‘Rewire’ is a song that begins at nothing. It was a sad place. A time of loss and grief. It toys with the contradictions of recovery. Lost but fumbling around to locate a new starting point, a notion to rebuild again. There is some chaos in the dichotomy of emotions here, there is power in despair and strength in the anguish of renewal.”
“Rewire” follows the release of “Sign of the Times,” a mellow indie pulse taking us out of time and into the everyday confrontation of how the world spins us around, exemplified in the accompanying video shot by Susan while visiting New York City. Lead single “Drive” is also out now, which Hot Press Magazine called “rife with poetic flow and rich, juxtaposing lyricism,” as well as “Bright Eyes” featuring a stunning music video filmed in the wilds of County Clare on the west coast of Ireland and directed by Susan herself.
Susan has spent the summer touring at home and abroad, showcasing songs from her forthcoming album. Playing various festivals, opening on major summer stages in Europe for Calexico and Jamie Cullum, performing a tribute to Sinead O’Connor and Shane McGowen with the RTE Concert Orchestra on the main stage of the All Together Now Festival, and most recently taking to the main stage at The Haldern Pop Festival in Germany accompanied by The Stargaze Orchestra and the 28-person Cantus Domus Choir, who accompanied her on many of her new album songs including “Rewire.” The performance which had a huge audience reaction was described by Louder Than War as “A lush and heartfelt show, a real emotional hinterland.” Susan will do a full headline tour in support of her new album this autumn across Europe and the UK.
Produced by Christian Best and mastered by Australian engineer Issac Barter, Now in a Minute was recorded over the past 18 months between Clare and Cork, with Wexford brothers Cillian and Lorcan Byrne and Killian Browne. The solo effort follows Susan’s 2021 collaboration album with Mick Flannery titled In The Game, which became the biggest independent selling album in Ireland that year. It also earned Susan nominations for the Choice Music Prize and the RTE Radio 1 Awards for “Best Folk Album of the Year,” “Best Female Folk Artist of the Year,” and winning “Best Original Song” two years in a row for “Baby Talk” followed by “Chain Reaction.” Susan’s debut solo EP Now You See It also won “Best Original Song” for the title track in 2023 at the Radio 1 Awards. As well as collaborating on many songs with all of the musicians on this new album, Now in a Minute also see’s Susan reunite with Mick Flannery on a selection of co-writes for this record.
Susan has spent the last few years honing her craft as a solo performer. A songwriter of many depths, with a timeless voice that is equal parts balm and blowtorch, The Irish Times hailed her as “audacity personified, a free spirit; a real performer” while The Sunday Times simply called her “Exquisite.” In the past two years, she has performed on stages across North America and Europe, opening shows for Valerie June, The Teskey Brothers, and Phoebe Bridgers who also took to her social media after hearing In The Game and raved “I Love this F***ing record” and went on to have the pair join her both in North America and the UK during her Punisher tour. Susan has also had numerous sold out headline tours across her native Ireland.
Tour Dates:
Oct 10 – Dolans, Limerick, IE
Oct 11 – Glor, Ennis, IE
Oct 12 – Live at St. Lukes, IE
Oct 17 – Whelans, Dublin, IE
Oct 18 – Sandinos, Derry, IE
Oct 19 – Oh Yeah, Belfast, IE
Oct 20 – Spirit Store, Dundalk, IE
Oct 24 – The Sky and Ground, Wexford, IE
Oct 25 – The Mermaid Arts Centre, Bray, IE
Oct 26 – Connollys – Leap, IE
Oct 27 – INEC – Killarney, IE
Oct 31 – Hawkswell Theatre, Sligo Live Festival, IE
Nov 01 – Roisin Dubh, Galway, IE
Nov 02 – Theatre Royal, Waterford, IE
Nov 03 – Set Theatre, Kilkenny, IE
Nov 15 – The Lower Third, London, UK
Nov 23 – Prachtwerk, Berlin, DE
Nov 24 – Hebebühne, Hamburg, DE
Nov 25 – KGB, Langenberg, DE
Nov 26 – Blue Shell, Cologne, DE
Nov 28 – Live/Exil, Munich, DE