Cathy Davey
Encyclopedia
Cathy Davey is an Irish
singer-songwriter
. She has released one extended play
, "Come Over" (2004), and three albums, Something Ilk
(2004), Tales of Silversleeve
(2007) and The Nameless
(2010). Her second album garnered her a Choice Music Prize
nomination, Meteor Award for Best Irish Female, and spawned a number of successful singles including "Reuben", "Moving" and "Sing for Your Supper". The Nameless was the top selling album in Ireland upon the week of its release. It was also nominated for the Choice Music Prize.
Davey has performed at several international events, including representing Ireland
at the Eurosonic Festival
in Groningen, the Netherlands
, and performing at the South by Southwest
festival in Austin
, Texas
. She has also performed at other large exhibitions and festivals in Ireland, including Electric Picnic
, Indie-pendence
and The Music Show
. Davey has worked with Autamata, Elbow
and The Duckworth Lewis Method
as well as providing support for Graham Coxon
, R.E.M.
and Supergrass
.
The Irish Times
placed Davey third in a list of "The 50 Best Irish Acts Right Now" published in April 2009, saying "There's no better female songwriter in Irish music right now". Tales of Silversleeve was named sixth best Irish album of 2007 by John Meagher of the Irish Independent
and ninth best album of the decade by Jim Carroll
, Tony Clayton-Lea and Lauren Murphy of The Irish Times.
on St Stephen's Green. She initially intended to be an artist and to develop her interest in music in her leisure time but the offer of a record deal changed that. She is an animal lover, particularly parrot
s, and has a dog called Rex.
". The comparison caused the Irish Independent
s Ed Power to comment in one 2009 review: "Alas, such comparisons are probably inevitable when your favourite mode of communication is an ethereal yelp and your songs are populated with a raggle-taggle of yearners, outsiders and freaks". His colleague John Meagher opined, "you won't see Björk heft a guitar half so diligently". Hot Press
compared the music on Something Ilk to the works of PJ Harvey
and Nina Hynes
. The magazine's reviewer also compared her to Joni Mitchell
after one 2007 show in Cork
. Davey's second album, Tales of Silversleeve, based its sound on the rhythm of the drums. Notable fans of Davey's music include broadcaster Síle Ní Bhraonain
. Her records have achieved platinum sales.
Davey was initially uncomfortable with being described as a singer-songwriter but is now more accepting of the term. She describes her songwriting style:
described as "a mixture of otherworldly indie and soft space age melodica". Davey signed to EMI
/Parlophone
in 2003 in a deal which Hot Press later described as having "eclipsed even the high-profile signing of The Thrills
". Her rise had been low-profile; she did not perform live until she had signed her record deal. Her four-track debut EP, "Come Over", released in 2004, and in which she "swoops and yelps her way through proceedings with her distinctive voice", was described by the magazine as "inviting comparisons with others before deciding that she'd rather be completely unique if it’s all the same with you".
Davey's debut album, Something Ilk
, was recorded at a studio in Wales
, produced by Ben Hillier
whose previous credits included Blur
and Elbow
, and released in 2004. RTÉ
reviewer Harry Guerin said it was "high on presence and very low on filler" and gave it three out of five stars. Hot Press remarked, "Not only is her voice elfin, immediate and distinct the songs are also hugely compelling. They are digestible without being lightweight, austere in places without seeming detached". The Irish Independent
s Paul Byrne described it as "one of the best Irish albums of 2004". Davey performed a nationwide tour in September 2004. She also supported Graham Coxon
and Supergrass
during tours they undertook that year. The singer later dismissed Something Ilk, saying "I think the record company [EMI's Regal Recordings] thought I was an indie rock chick when they signed me and that album is very much other people's idea of what I should sound like. [...] I didn't have the confidence to say no to some of the things [Ben Hillier] suggested". Davey claimed not to "know my arse from my elbow when I signed for them" and did not like performing those songs in a live arena. Despite this, the Irish Independent described her as "very talented—far more so than [Gemma] Hayes
" but regretted that she had "failed to find an audience for her fine debut Something Ilk".
Davey performed a nationwide tour in late May 2007, debuting songs from her follow-up album which she initially referred to as Silversleeve. All but two of the songs were recorded in her home. The album, released under the title Tales of Silversleeve
and produced by Liam Howe
of Sneaker Pimps
, was preceded by "Reuben", its first single, on 21 September 2007. Davey explained the title choice, "I had a runny nose when I was a child and let's just say I didn't wipe it with a tissue". This proved to be a successful move as it led to a Choice Music Prize
nomination for 2007 Irish Album of the Year. RTÉ reviewer Harry Guerin said it was "even more imaginative" than her debut and gave it four out of five stars. entertainment.ie
reviewer Lauren Murphy described the record as "Without doubt, one of the best albums of the year", noting "there's a magic about Tales of Silversleeve that makes it an album you're almost afraid to listen to twice, in case it's not as good as you remember the first time". The Irish Independent's reviewer gave the album five stars, describing it as "a record that she can be proud of". Jim Carroll, The Irish Times rock critic, called it "The most charming pop album you’ll hear in Zero Seven".
After a series of residencies, Davey embarked on a pre-Christmas
tour of Ireland in 2007. She appeared on the seventh series of Other Voices in early 2008. The singer represented Ireland
at the Eurosonic Festival
in Groningen, the Netherlands
, in January 2008. She performed at Childline Rocks in February 2008, followed by a performance at the South by Southwest
festival in Austin
, Texas
in that March. Davey was dropped by her record company in mid-2008 alongside most of their client list. She headlined the Main Stage at Cork X Southwest in Skibbereen
in July 2008. In August 2009, she headlined the Eurocultured Festival in Dublin's Smithfield Plaza and also performed at that year's Indie-pendence
. Davey appeared at Electric Picnic 2008
. She featured at The Music Show
in the RDS
in October 2008. The singer performed in Dublin's Iveagh Gardens
during events to celebrate Africa Day
on May 25.
Davey's song "Moving" has been used in a prominent Vodafone
commercial in her native Ireland. Another song, "Sing for Your Supper", was described by the Irish Independent
s Ed Power as "her biggest smash to date". The same reviewer described Davey's song "Reuben", a number one single, as "a skewed romantic tirade glazed in sugar-candy vocals".
Davey's third album, The Nameless
, was released on May 7, 2010 (Ireland), with contributions from Conor J. O'brien
and Neil Hannon
. Lead single "Little Red" was released on April 21, 2010 and followed by an Irish tour in May. Davey performed on The Late Late Show
on 23 April 2010. She performed at Oxegen 2010
in July. On July 16, 2010, to promote the second single from The Nameless album, Davey released a download only EP for "Army of Tears". The EP features three tracks: the original track "Army of Tears", a previously unreleased track "The Wandering" and a demo version of "Army of Tears".
. She dueted with Gavin Glass on the track "Rag Doll". She sang a song called "Cannonballs" on a 2005 CD titled Faction One, released by record label Faction. She appears on the David Turpin track "Red Elk". She lent her vocals to the 2008 charity album Even Better Than the Disco Thing
, on which she performed a cover of Donna Summer
's "I Feel Love
". Tony Clayton-Lea recommended the song be downloaded alongside Lisa Hannigan's cover version of "Upside Down
". She performed guest vocals on the track "The Sweet Spot" from The Duckworth Lewis Method
's eponymous album and three tracks on Bang Goes The Knighthood, Neil Hannon's 2010 album as The Divine Comedy. She also supported R.E.M.
during their Live Rehearsal shows at the Olympia Theatre, Dublin
in summer 2007. Davey hosted Songs That Scare Children at the Spiegeltent
during the Dublin Fringe Festival
in September 2008. Her music is available to download from the PlayStation
SingStore. She was involved in efforts to raise funds in the aftermath of the 2010 Haiti earthquake
. Davey's song 'Rescue' has been used in the ABC TV series The Gates
. Her song 'Holy Moly' is played at the end of The Disappearance of Alice Creed
.
placed Davey third in a list of "The 50 Best Irish Acts Right Now" published in April 2009, saying "There's no better female songwriter in Irish music right now". Her closest female rivals on the list were Lisa Hannigan
and Róisín Murphy
at numbers five and seven respectively. Tales of Silversleeve was named sixth best Irish album of 2007 by John Meagher of the Irish Independent
and ninth best album of the decade by Jim Carroll
, Tony Clayton-Lea and Lauren Murphy of The Irish Times.
Davey won Best Pop Act at the 2011 Digital Socket Awards in Dublin.
in January 2008. Surprise was expressed within the Irish media when she was beaten by Super Extra Bonus Party
.
The Nameless was nominated for the Choice Music Prize in 2011.
|-
| 2008 || Tales of Silversleeve
|| Irish Album of the Year 2007 ||
|-
| 2011 || The Nameless
|| Irish Album of the Year 2010 ||
. Tales of Silversleeve was also nominated for Best Irish Album at the same event but lost to Paddy Casey
. Casey later admitted he would have preferred if Davey had won the award. Upon being embraced by and photographed alongside Sinéad O'Connor
at the launch, Davey remarked on how odd it was "to put your arms around someone you don't know".
|-
| 2008
|| Cathy Davey || Best Irish Female ||
|-
| 2008 || Tales of Silversleeve
|| Best Irish Album ||
|-
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
. She has released one extended play
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
, "Come Over" (2004), and three albums, Something Ilk
Something Ilk
Something Ilk is the debut album of Irish songstress Cathy Davey. It was released in 2004. The release date for Ireland was August 20, 2004, whilst the release date for the United Kingdom was August 23, 2004....
(2004), Tales of Silversleeve
Tales of Silversleeve
Tales of Silversleeve is the second album released by Irish-born songstress Cathy Davey. It was released on October 12, 2007 as the follow-up release to Davey's 2004 debut Something Ilk...
(2007) and The Nameless
The Nameless (album)
The Nameless is the third album released by Irish-born singer Cathy Davey. It was released on May 7, 2010 in the Republic of Ireland as the follow-up to her 2007 second album Tales of Silversleeve...
(2010). Her second album garnered her a Choice Music Prize
Choice Music Prize
-Establishment:It was established by journalist Jim Carroll and manager Dave Reid in 2005. as an alternative to the industry-dominated Meteor Music Awards. The Choice Music Prize is modelled after the Mercury Prize which is awarded each year to the best album from the United Kingdom or Ireland...
nomination, Meteor Award for Best Irish Female, and spawned a number of successful singles including "Reuben", "Moving" and "Sing for Your Supper". The Nameless was the top selling album in Ireland upon the week of its release. It was also nominated for the Choice Music Prize.
Davey has performed at several international events, including representing Ireland
Ireland in the Eurosonic Festival
Each year Ireland selects a number of bands and musicians to participate in the Eurosonic Festival in Groningen, Netherlands. In recent years, RTÉ 2fm, thanks to Ian Wilson, have sponsored two bands per festival.- Ireland's entries :...
at the Eurosonic Festival
Eurosonic Festival
Eurosonic is Europe’s largest showcase festival and takes place on a yearly basis on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday previous to Noorderslag festival in the dutch city Groningen. Eurosonic is part of The European Music Conference and Showcase Festival Eurosonic Noorderslag. During the festival 250...
in Groningen, the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, and performing at the South by Southwest
South by Southwest
South by Southwest is an Austin, Texas based company dedicated to planning conferences, trade shows, festivals and other events. Their current roster of annual events include: SXSW Music, SXSW Film, SXSW Interactive, SXSWedu, and SXSWeco and take place every spring in Austin, Texas, United States...
festival in Austin
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. She has also performed at other large exhibitions and festivals in Ireland, including Electric Picnic
Electric Picnic
The 2005 festival took place on Saturday 3 September and Sunday 4 September. It is best remembered for Arcade Fire's performance which came before their subsequent mainstream success...
, Indie-pendence
Indie-pendence
Indiependence is an annual Irish indie-rock music festival, that usually takes place at or near Mitchelstown in County Cork. Indiependence is one of the "little two" music festivals in Ireland, sharing many of its acts with Castlepalooza which is held on the same weekend in Tullamore, County Offaly...
and The Music Show
The Music Show (Ireland)
The Music Show is an annual event which takes place in the RDS, Dublin on the first weekend of October each year. The event combines live performances, music workshops and talks given by professionals within the music industry. It has several high-profile sponsors, including Hot Press, RTÉ 2fm, the...
. Davey has worked with Autamata, Elbow
Elbow (band)
Elbow are an English rock band. They have played together since 1990 and recorded five studio albums, the most recent of which is Build a Rocket Boys!, released in March 2011...
and The Duckworth Lewis Method
The Duckworth Lewis Method
The Duckworth Lewis Method are an Irish pop group formed by Neil Hannon of The Divine Comedy and Thomas Walsh of Pugwash. The Duckworth Lewis Method is also the title of the group's only album, which was released on 3 July 2009, a few days before the start of the 2009 Ashes series. A concept album...
as well as providing support for Graham Coxon
Graham Coxon
Graham Leslie Coxon is an English singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and painter. He came to prominence as the lead guitarist, backing vocalist and occasional lead vocalist of rock band Blur, and is also a critically acclaimed solo artist, having recorded seven solo albums...
, R.E.M.
R.E.M.
R.E.M. was an American rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by singer Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills and drummer Bill Berry. One of the first popular alternative rock bands, R.E.M. gained early attention due to Buck's ringing, arpeggiated guitar style and Stipe's...
and Supergrass
Supergrass
Supergrass was an English alternative rock band from Oxford. The band consisted of brothers Gaz and Rob Coombes , Mick Quinn and Danny Goffey ....
.
The Irish Times
The Irish Times
The Irish Times is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Kevin O'Sullivan who succeeded Geraldine Kennedy in 2011; the deputy editor is Paul O'Neill. The Irish Times is considered to be Ireland's newspaper of record, and is published every day except Sundays...
placed Davey third in a list of "The 50 Best Irish Acts Right Now" published in April 2009, saying "There's no better female songwriter in Irish music right now". Tales of Silversleeve was named sixth best Irish album of 2007 by John Meagher of the Irish Independent
Irish Independent
The Irish Independent is Ireland's largest-selling daily newspaper that is published in both compact and broadsheet formats. It is the flagship publication of Independent News & Media.-History:...
and ninth best album of the decade by Jim Carroll
Jim Carroll (journalist)
Jim Carroll is an Irish music journalist, blogger and editor who is currently employed by The Irish Times. He runs a blog titled "On the Record" for the newspaper....
, Tony Clayton-Lea and Lauren Murphy of The Irish Times.
Background
Davey was born in Dublin, daughter of composer Shaun Davey and sculptor Agnes Conway. At the age of ten she moved with her mother, grandmother and sister Ali to Wiltshire, where they lived for several years. On their return to Dublin they settled in Monkstown. where Davey spent the rest of her teenage years. The first live performance Davey attended was An Emotional Fish with The StunningThe Stunning
The Stunning were an Irish rock band. They formed in 1987, and first split up in 1994. They have reformed twice in the 21st century.-Members:* Steve Wall* Joe Wall* Derek Murray...
on St Stephen's Green. She initially intended to be an artist and to develop her interest in music in her leisure time but the offer of a record deal changed that. She is an animal lover, particularly parrot
Parrot
Parrots, also known as psittacines , are birds of the roughly 372 species in 86 genera that make up the order Psittaciformes, found in most tropical and subtropical regions. The order is subdivided into three families: the Psittacidae , the Cacatuidae and the Strigopidae...
s, and has a dog called Rex.
Style
Davey has been referred to as "Ireland's BjörkBjörk
Björk Guðmundsdóttir , known as Björk , is an Icelandic singer-songwriter. Her eclectic musical style has achieved popular acknowledgement and popularity within many musical genres, such as rock, jazz, electronic dance music, classical and folk...
". The comparison caused the Irish Independent
Irish Independent
The Irish Independent is Ireland's largest-selling daily newspaper that is published in both compact and broadsheet formats. It is the flagship publication of Independent News & Media.-History:...
s Ed Power to comment in one 2009 review: "Alas, such comparisons are probably inevitable when your favourite mode of communication is an ethereal yelp and your songs are populated with a raggle-taggle of yearners, outsiders and freaks". His colleague John Meagher opined, "you won't see Björk heft a guitar half so diligently". Hot Press
Hot Press
Hot Press is a fortnightly music and political magazine based in Dublin, Ireland founded in 1977. The magazine has been edited since its inception by Niall Stokes. According to the Audit Bureau of Circulations, it had a circulation of 19,215 during 2007...
compared the music on Something Ilk to the works of PJ Harvey
PJ Harvey
Polly Jean Harvey is an English musician, singer-songwriter, composer and occasional artist. Primarily known as a vocalist and guitarist, she is also proficient with a wide range of instruments including piano, organ, bass, saxophone, and most recently, the autoharp.Harvey began her career in...
and Nina Hynes
Nina Hynes
Nina Hynes is an Irish independent singer-songwriter/musician.In 2011, she has successfully raised €10,419 with online crowd-funding to record her new album Goldmine ....
. The magazine's reviewer also compared her to Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell, CC is a Canadian musician, singer songwriter, and painter. Mitchell began singing in small nightclubs in her native Saskatchewan and Western Canada and then busking in the streets and dives of Toronto...
after one 2007 show in Cork
Cork (city)
Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...
. Davey's second album, Tales of Silversleeve, based its sound on the rhythm of the drums. Notable fans of Davey's music include broadcaster Síle Ní Bhraonain
Síle Ní Bhraonain
Síle Ní Bhraonain, Irish television presenter, born Connemara, 1983.Ní Bhraonain is a native of An Spidéal, Connemara and presenter of TG4's "Sile Show" since 2005. career at TG4 began about a year out of school with a phone call she received while she was doing a local FÁS computer course. She has...
. Her records have achieved platinum sales.
Davey was initially uncomfortable with being described as a singer-songwriter but is now more accepting of the term. She describes her songwriting style:
I write in short quick spurts of manic creativity, which are followed by spells of borderline writer's block where the writing comes really painfully and laboriously. I’m sure it's a universal experience for anyone who writes, but it's difficult to get out of, you can't just wish it away—it just disappears when it's had enough. It’s completely independent of whether I’m happy or blue, up or down. It tends to lift as soon as I stop fixating on it—I remember thinking my house was the problem, and I'd need to go to France in order to write, and I would have been scared without Rex [her dog]. I got through it. You can't chase the muse, or you'll scare it away.
Career
Cathy Davey first came to be known as a backing vocalist alongside Carol Keogh for Ken McHugh's project Autamata. McHugh and Davey subsequently collaborated on what Hot PressHot Press
Hot Press is a fortnightly music and political magazine based in Dublin, Ireland founded in 1977. The magazine has been edited since its inception by Niall Stokes. According to the Audit Bureau of Circulations, it had a circulation of 19,215 during 2007...
described as "a mixture of otherworldly indie and soft space age melodica". Davey signed to EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
/Parlophone
Parlophone
Parlophone is a record label that was founded in Germany in 1896 by the Carl Lindström Company as Parlophon. The British branch was formed in 1923 as "Parlophone" which developed a reputation in the 1920s as a leading jazz label. It was acquired in 1927 by the Columbia Graphophone Company which...
in 2003 in a deal which Hot Press later described as having "eclipsed even the high-profile signing of The Thrills
The Thrills
The Thrills are an Irish rock band, formed in 2001 in Dublin, Ireland. The band was founded by lead vocalist Conor Deasy and guitarist Daniel Ryan, guitarist and bass player Padraic McMahon, pianist Kevin Horan and drummer Ben Carrigan. Their big break came with their debut album, So Much for the...
". Her rise had been low-profile; she did not perform live until she had signed her record deal. Her four-track debut EP, "Come Over", released in 2004, and in which she "swoops and yelps her way through proceedings with her distinctive voice", was described by the magazine as "inviting comparisons with others before deciding that she'd rather be completely unique if it’s all the same with you".
Davey's debut album, Something Ilk
Something Ilk
Something Ilk is the debut album of Irish songstress Cathy Davey. It was released in 2004. The release date for Ireland was August 20, 2004, whilst the release date for the United Kingdom was August 23, 2004....
, was recorded at a studio in Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, produced by Ben Hillier
Ben Hillier
Ben Hillier is a British songwriter and pop-rock music producer who is part of the creative team 140dB. He has produced such popular and critically acclaimed albums as Playing the Angel and Sounds of the Universe by Depeche Mode, Think Tank by Blur, Some Cities by Doves and Cast of Thousands by...
whose previous credits included Blur
Blur (band)
Blur is an English alternative rock band. Formed in London in 1989 as Seymour, the group consists of singer Damon Albarn, guitarist Graham Coxon, bassist Alex James and drummer Dave Rowntree. Blur's debut album Leisure incorporated the sounds of Madchester and shoegazing...
and Elbow
Elbow (band)
Elbow are an English rock band. They have played together since 1990 and recorded five studio albums, the most recent of which is Build a Rocket Boys!, released in March 2011...
, and released in 2004. RTÉ
Raidió Teilifís Éireann
Raidió Teilifís Éireann is a semi-state company and the public service broadcaster of Ireland. It both produces programmes and broadcasts them on television, radio and the Internet. The radio service began on January 1, 1926, while regular television broadcasts began on December 31, 1961, making...
reviewer Harry Guerin said it was "high on presence and very low on filler" and gave it three out of five stars. Hot Press remarked, "Not only is her voice elfin, immediate and distinct the songs are also hugely compelling. They are digestible without being lightweight, austere in places without seeming detached". The Irish Independent
Irish Independent
The Irish Independent is Ireland's largest-selling daily newspaper that is published in both compact and broadsheet formats. It is the flagship publication of Independent News & Media.-History:...
s Paul Byrne described it as "one of the best Irish albums of 2004". Davey performed a nationwide tour in September 2004. She also supported Graham Coxon
Graham Coxon
Graham Leslie Coxon is an English singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and painter. He came to prominence as the lead guitarist, backing vocalist and occasional lead vocalist of rock band Blur, and is also a critically acclaimed solo artist, having recorded seven solo albums...
and Supergrass
Supergrass
Supergrass was an English alternative rock band from Oxford. The band consisted of brothers Gaz and Rob Coombes , Mick Quinn and Danny Goffey ....
during tours they undertook that year. The singer later dismissed Something Ilk, saying "I think the record company [EMI's Regal Recordings] thought I was an indie rock chick when they signed me and that album is very much other people's idea of what I should sound like. [...] I didn't have the confidence to say no to some of the things [Ben Hillier] suggested". Davey claimed not to "know my arse from my elbow when I signed for them" and did not like performing those songs in a live arena. Despite this, the Irish Independent described her as "very talented—far more so than [Gemma] Hayes
Gemma Hayes
Gemma Claire Hayes is an Irish singer-songwriter and member of The Cake Sale.-Early life:...
" but regretted that she had "failed to find an audience for her fine debut Something Ilk".
Davey performed a nationwide tour in late May 2007, debuting songs from her follow-up album which she initially referred to as Silversleeve. All but two of the songs were recorded in her home. The album, released under the title Tales of Silversleeve
Tales of Silversleeve
Tales of Silversleeve is the second album released by Irish-born songstress Cathy Davey. It was released on October 12, 2007 as the follow-up release to Davey's 2004 debut Something Ilk...
and produced by Liam Howe
Liam Howe
Liam Coverdale Howe is a London based record producer, musician and songwriter.- Musical beginnings :...
of Sneaker Pimps
Sneaker Pimps
Sneaker Pimps were a British trip-hop band formed in Hartlepool, England in 1994. They are best known for their first album Becoming X and particularly the singles "6 Underground", "Spin Spin Sugar", and "Tesko Suicide" from the same album...
, was preceded by "Reuben", its first single, on 21 September 2007. Davey explained the title choice, "I had a runny nose when I was a child and let's just say I didn't wipe it with a tissue". This proved to be a successful move as it led to a Choice Music Prize
Choice Music Prize
-Establishment:It was established by journalist Jim Carroll and manager Dave Reid in 2005. as an alternative to the industry-dominated Meteor Music Awards. The Choice Music Prize is modelled after the Mercury Prize which is awarded each year to the best album from the United Kingdom or Ireland...
nomination for 2007 Irish Album of the Year. RTÉ reviewer Harry Guerin said it was "even more imaginative" than her debut and gave it four out of five stars. entertainment.ie
Entertainment.ie
entertainment.ie is a Dublin-based Irish website which provides extensive cinema, TV, live music, theatre, comedy, exhibition and festival listings for free, as well as celebrity gossip, music and movie news, movie and DVD reviews, CD reviews and up-to-date lottery results.The site was developed in...
reviewer Lauren Murphy described the record as "Without doubt, one of the best albums of the year", noting "there's a magic about Tales of Silversleeve that makes it an album you're almost afraid to listen to twice, in case it's not as good as you remember the first time". The Irish Independent's reviewer gave the album five stars, describing it as "a record that she can be proud of". Jim Carroll, The Irish Times rock critic, called it "The most charming pop album you’ll hear in Zero Seven".
After a series of residencies, Davey embarked on a pre-Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
tour of Ireland in 2007. She appeared on the seventh series of Other Voices in early 2008. The singer represented Ireland
Ireland in the Eurosonic Festival
Each year Ireland selects a number of bands and musicians to participate in the Eurosonic Festival in Groningen, Netherlands. In recent years, RTÉ 2fm, thanks to Ian Wilson, have sponsored two bands per festival.- Ireland's entries :...
at the Eurosonic Festival
Eurosonic Festival
Eurosonic is Europe’s largest showcase festival and takes place on a yearly basis on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday previous to Noorderslag festival in the dutch city Groningen. Eurosonic is part of The European Music Conference and Showcase Festival Eurosonic Noorderslag. During the festival 250...
in Groningen, the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, in January 2008. She performed at Childline Rocks in February 2008, followed by a performance at the South by Southwest
South by Southwest
South by Southwest is an Austin, Texas based company dedicated to planning conferences, trade shows, festivals and other events. Their current roster of annual events include: SXSW Music, SXSW Film, SXSW Interactive, SXSWedu, and SXSWeco and take place every spring in Austin, Texas, United States...
festival in Austin
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
in that March. Davey was dropped by her record company in mid-2008 alongside most of their client list. She headlined the Main Stage at Cork X Southwest in Skibbereen
Skibbereen
Skibbereen , is a town in County Cork, Ireland. It is the most southerly town in Ireland. It is located on the N71 national secondary road.The name "Skibbereen" means "little boat harbour." The River Ilen which runs through the town reaches the sea at Baltimore.-History:Prior to 1600 most of the...
in July 2008. In August 2009, she headlined the Eurocultured Festival in Dublin's Smithfield Plaza and also performed at that year's Indie-pendence
Indie-pendence
Indiependence is an annual Irish indie-rock music festival, that usually takes place at or near Mitchelstown in County Cork. Indiependence is one of the "little two" music festivals in Ireland, sharing many of its acts with Castlepalooza which is held on the same weekend in Tullamore, County Offaly...
. Davey appeared at Electric Picnic 2008
Electric Picnic 2008
Electric Picnic 2008 was the fifth Electric Picnic festival to take place. The three-day event took place on the weekend of Friday–Sunday, 29–31 August at Stradbally in County Laois, Ireland...
. She featured at The Music Show
The Music Show (Ireland)
The Music Show is an annual event which takes place in the RDS, Dublin on the first weekend of October each year. The event combines live performances, music workshops and talks given by professionals within the music industry. It has several high-profile sponsors, including Hot Press, RTÉ 2fm, the...
in the RDS
Royal Dublin Society
The Royal Dublin Society was founded on 25 June 1731 to "to promote and develop agriculture, arts, industry, and science in Ireland". The RDS is synonymous with its main premises in Ballsbridge in Dublin, Ireland...
in October 2008. The singer performed in Dublin's Iveagh Gardens
Iveagh Gardens
The Iveagh Gardens is a public park located just behind the National Concert Hall in Dublin, Ireland.The gardens in their present form were laid out in 1863 by Benjamin Guinness after he had built what is now Iveagh House on St. Stephen's Green...
during events to celebrate Africa Day
Africa Day
Africa Day is the annual commemoration on May 25 of the 1963 founding of the Organisation of African Unity . On this day, leaders of 30 of the 32 independent African states signed a founding charter in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. In 1991, the OAU established the African Economic Community, and in 2002...
on May 25.
Davey's song "Moving" has been used in a prominent Vodafone
Vodafone
Vodafone Group Plc is a global telecommunications company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world's largest mobile telecommunications company measured by revenues and the world's second-largest measured by subscribers , with around 341 million proportionate subscribers as of...
commercial in her native Ireland. Another song, "Sing for Your Supper", was described by the Irish Independent
Irish Independent
The Irish Independent is Ireland's largest-selling daily newspaper that is published in both compact and broadsheet formats. It is the flagship publication of Independent News & Media.-History:...
s Ed Power as "her biggest smash to date". The same reviewer described Davey's song "Reuben", a number one single, as "a skewed romantic tirade glazed in sugar-candy vocals".
Davey's third album, The Nameless
The Nameless (album)
The Nameless is the third album released by Irish-born singer Cathy Davey. It was released on May 7, 2010 in the Republic of Ireland as the follow-up to her 2007 second album Tales of Silversleeve...
, was released on May 7, 2010 (Ireland), with contributions from Conor J. O'brien
Villagers (band)
Villagers are an Irish band fronted by Conor J. O'Brien.They have performed at several music festivals and toured with Tracy Chapman, Bell X1, Tindersticks and Elbow. They have one EP, titled Hollow Kind...
and Neil Hannon
Neil Hannon
Neil Hannon is a Northern Irish singer and songwriter, best known as the creator and frontman of the chamber pop group The Divine Comedy. The band's official website even goes so far as to say, "The Divine Comedy is Neil Hannon," and Hannon is quoted in an interview as saying, "The Divine Comedy...
. Lead single "Little Red" was released on April 21, 2010 and followed by an Irish tour in May. Davey performed on The Late Late Show
The Late Late Show
The Late Late Show, sometimes referred to as The Late Late, or in some cases by the acronym LLS, is the world's longest-running chat show by the same broadcaster and the official flagship television programme of Irish broadcasting company RTÉ...
on 23 April 2010. She performed at Oxegen 2010
Oxegen 2010
Oxegen 2010 was the seventh Oxegen festival to take place since 2004. It took place on the weekend of Friday 9 July, Saturday, 10 July and Sunday, 11 July at Punchestown Racecourse near Naas in County Kildare, Ireland. Eminem, Muse and Arcade Fire headlined...
in July. On July 16, 2010, to promote the second single from The Nameless album, Davey released a download only EP for "Army of Tears". The EP features three tracks: the original track "Army of Tears", a previously unreleased track "The Wandering" and a demo version of "Army of Tears".
Other appearances
Davey has appeared on the Autamata track "Cloud Seekers", taken from the album My Sanctuary. She has worked with ElbowElbow (band)
Elbow are an English rock band. They have played together since 1990 and recorded five studio albums, the most recent of which is Build a Rocket Boys!, released in March 2011...
. She dueted with Gavin Glass on the track "Rag Doll". She sang a song called "Cannonballs" on a 2005 CD titled Faction One, released by record label Faction. She appears on the David Turpin track "Red Elk". She lent her vocals to the 2008 charity album Even Better Than the Disco Thing
Even Better Than the Disco Thing
Even Better Than the Disco Thing is an Irish charity album released by the commercial FM radio station, Today FM, for the Christmas market on 21 November 2008. The album features covers of well-known disco songs by a selection of Irish musicians. Disc one features sixteen tracks, whilst disc two is...
, on which she performed a cover of Donna Summer
Donna Summer
LaDonna Adrian Gaines , known by her stage name, Donna Summer, is an American singer/songwriter who gained prominence during the disco era of the 1970s. She has a mezzo-soprano vocal range. Summer is a five-time Grammy winner and was the first artist to have three consecutive double albums reach...
's "I Feel Love
I Feel Love
"I Feel Love" is a song by Donna Summer, taken from her 1977 concept album I Remember Yesterday.The song constituted the "future" segment of the album, which represented a stylistic progress through time...
". Tony Clayton-Lea recommended the song be downloaded alongside Lisa Hannigan's cover version of "Upside Down
Upside Down
"Upside Down" is a hit song by Diana Ross released on the Motown label. It was the first single taken from her 1980 album diana and hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on September 6, 1980. It also hit number one on the Billboard Disco/Dance and R&B charts...
". She performed guest vocals on the track "The Sweet Spot" from The Duckworth Lewis Method
The Duckworth Lewis Method
The Duckworth Lewis Method are an Irish pop group formed by Neil Hannon of The Divine Comedy and Thomas Walsh of Pugwash. The Duckworth Lewis Method is also the title of the group's only album, which was released on 3 July 2009, a few days before the start of the 2009 Ashes series. A concept album...
's eponymous album and three tracks on Bang Goes The Knighthood, Neil Hannon's 2010 album as The Divine Comedy. She also supported R.E.M.
R.E.M.
R.E.M. was an American rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by singer Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills and drummer Bill Berry. One of the first popular alternative rock bands, R.E.M. gained early attention due to Buck's ringing, arpeggiated guitar style and Stipe's...
during their Live Rehearsal shows at the Olympia Theatre, Dublin
Olympia Theatre, Dublin
The Olympia Theatre is a concert hall/theatre venue in Dublin, Ireland, located in Dame Street.-History:Built in 1879, it was originally called the "Star of Erin Music Hall". Two years later in 1881, it was renamed "Dan Lowrey's Music Hall" and was renamed again in 1889 to "Dan Lowrey's Palace of...
in summer 2007. Davey hosted Songs That Scare Children at the Spiegeltent
Spiegeltent
A Spiegeltent is a large travelling tent, constructed in wood and canvas and decorated with mirrors and stained glass, intended as an entertainment venue...
during the Dublin Fringe Festival
Dublin Fringe Festival
The Dublin Fringe Festival allows artists to develop and present their work by submitting their application which is subsequently reviewed by the programme manager. The festival is open to both Irish and international participants....
in September 2008. Her music is available to download from the PlayStation
PlayStation
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000...
SingStore. She was involved in efforts to raise funds in the aftermath of the 2010 Haiti earthquake
2010 Haiti earthquake
The 2010 Haiti earthquake was a catastrophic magnitude 7.0 Mw earthquake, with an epicentre near the town of Léogâne, approximately west of Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital. The earthquake occurred at 16:53 local time on Tuesday, 12 January 2010.By 24 January, at least 52 aftershocks...
. Davey's song 'Rescue' has been used in the ABC TV series The Gates
The Gates (TV series)
The Gates is an American supernatural crime drama television series that aired on the ABC network from June 20, 2010 to September 19, 2010. The show was canceled after its first season due to its poor ratings.-Plot:...
. Her song 'Holy Moly' is played at the end of The Disappearance of Alice Creed
The Disappearance of Alice Creed
The Disappearance of Alice Creed is a 2009 British thriller film about the kidnapping of a young woman by two ex-convicts. The film is written and directed by J Blakeson and stars Gemma Arterton as the captured Alice Creed, with Martin Compston and Eddie Marsan as Danny and Vic, the...
.
Albums
- Something IlkSomething IlkSomething Ilk is the debut album of Irish songstress Cathy Davey. It was released in 2004. The release date for Ireland was August 20, 2004, whilst the release date for the United Kingdom was August 23, 2004....
(2004) - Tales of SilversleeveTales of SilversleeveTales of Silversleeve is the second album released by Irish-born songstress Cathy Davey. It was released on October 12, 2007 as the follow-up release to Davey's 2004 debut Something Ilk...
(2007) - The NamelessThe Nameless (album)The Nameless is the third album released by Irish-born singer Cathy Davey. It was released on May 7, 2010 in the Republic of Ireland as the follow-up to her 2007 second album Tales of Silversleeve...
(2010)
Awards
The Irish TimesThe Irish Times
The Irish Times is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Kevin O'Sullivan who succeeded Geraldine Kennedy in 2011; the deputy editor is Paul O'Neill. The Irish Times is considered to be Ireland's newspaper of record, and is published every day except Sundays...
placed Davey third in a list of "The 50 Best Irish Acts Right Now" published in April 2009, saying "There's no better female songwriter in Irish music right now". Her closest female rivals on the list were Lisa Hannigan
Lisa Hannigan
Lisa Margaret Hannigan is an Irish singer, songwriter, and musician. For several years she was a member of Damien Rice's band before beginning her solo career in 2008. She has been the recipient of various award nominations and critical praise both in Ireland and the USA...
and Róisín Murphy
Róisín Murphy
Róisín Marie Murphy is an Irish singer-songwriter and record producer, known for her electronic style.Murphy first came to note as part of the electronic music duo Moloko. Her partner in the band was then-boyfriend Mark Brydon. After the two ended their romantic relationship, Murphy released her...
at numbers five and seven respectively. Tales of Silversleeve was named sixth best Irish album of 2007 by John Meagher of the Irish Independent
Irish Independent
The Irish Independent is Ireland's largest-selling daily newspaper that is published in both compact and broadsheet formats. It is the flagship publication of Independent News & Media.-History:...
and ninth best album of the decade by Jim Carroll
Jim Carroll (journalist)
Jim Carroll is an Irish music journalist, blogger and editor who is currently employed by The Irish Times. He runs a blog titled "On the Record" for the newspaper....
, Tony Clayton-Lea and Lauren Murphy of The Irish Times.
Davey won Best Pop Act at the 2011 Digital Socket Awards in Dublin.
Choice Music Prize
Davey's second album Tales of Silversleeve was nominated for the Choice Music PrizeChoice Music Prize
-Establishment:It was established by journalist Jim Carroll and manager Dave Reid in 2005. as an alternative to the industry-dominated Meteor Music Awards. The Choice Music Prize is modelled after the Mercury Prize which is awarded each year to the best album from the United Kingdom or Ireland...
in January 2008. Surprise was expressed within the Irish media when she was beaten by Super Extra Bonus Party
Super Extra Bonus Party
Super Extra Bonus Party were a Choice Music Prize winning indie-electronica band, formed in November 2005 and based in Kildare, Ireland. Their music spanned various genres such as electronica, indie and hip hop...
.
The Nameless was nominated for the Choice Music Prize in 2011.
|-
| 2008 || Tales of Silversleeve
Tales of Silversleeve
Tales of Silversleeve is the second album released by Irish-born songstress Cathy Davey. It was released on October 12, 2007 as the follow-up release to Davey's 2004 debut Something Ilk...
|| Irish Album of the Year 2007 ||
|-
| 2011 || The Nameless
The Nameless (album)
The Nameless is the third album released by Irish-born singer Cathy Davey. It was released on May 7, 2010 in the Republic of Ireland as the follow-up to her 2007 second album Tales of Silversleeve...
|| Irish Album of the Year 2010 ||
Meteor Music Awards
Davey won Best Irish Female at the 2008 Meteor Awards2008 Meteor Awards
The 2008 Meteor Music Awards ceremony was held in the RDS, Dublin on Friday, 15 February 2008. Nineteen awards were presented. It was the eighth edition of Ireland's national music awards. The event was later broadcast on RTÉ Two on Saturday, 16 February at 21:00...
. Tales of Silversleeve was also nominated for Best Irish Album at the same event but lost to Paddy Casey
Paddy Casey
Patrick "Paddy" Casey is an Irish singer-songwriter from Dublin. Paddy was discovered by Sony A&R Scout Hugh Murray at the International Bar in Dublin, while performing at the singer/songwriter night hosted by Dave Murphy...
. Casey later admitted he would have preferred if Davey had won the award. Upon being embraced by and photographed alongside Sinéad O'Connor
Sinéad O'Connor
Sinéad Marie Bernadette O'Connor is an Irish singer-songwriter. She rose to fame in the late 1980s with her debut album The Lion and the Cobra and achieved worldwide success in 1990 with a cover of the song "Nothing Compares 2 U"....
at the launch, Davey remarked on how odd it was "to put your arms around someone you don't know".
|-
| 2008
2008 Meteor Awards
The 2008 Meteor Music Awards ceremony was held in the RDS, Dublin on Friday, 15 February 2008. Nineteen awards were presented. It was the eighth edition of Ireland's national music awards. The event was later broadcast on RTÉ Two on Saturday, 16 February at 21:00...
|| Cathy Davey || Best Irish Female ||
|-
| 2008 || Tales of Silversleeve
Tales of Silversleeve
Tales of Silversleeve is the second album released by Irish-born songstress Cathy Davey. It was released on October 12, 2007 as the follow-up release to Davey's 2004 debut Something Ilk...
|| Best Irish Album ||
|-
External links
- Official site
- Cathy Davey PR in Ireland
- Cathy Davey profile at Irish Music Central
- Cathy Davey on Other Voices
- Performance of "Reuben" on Tubridy TonightTubridy TonightTubridy Tonight is an Irish chat show hosted by Ryan Tubridy that aired for five series on RTÉ One between 2004 and 2009. The programme featured guest interviews , audience participation and live music from both a guest music group and the house band...
(20 October 2007) - "Choice Cuts"—Interview with the Irish Independent after Choice Prize nomination