A Year in Music – 2023 – Adrian Crowley
by Killian Laher

Do you think it’s been a good year for music? What were your highlights?

A powerful year for music, I think. And so much to be excited about from our own island alone. With astonishing albums from Brigid Mae Power, Maija Sofia, John Francis Flynn, OXN, Lisa O’Neill, Lankum, Rachael Lavelle, Natalia Beylis, and Hilary Woods. There was just so much depth and richness.  And that’s just touching on some of what was released here.

And then from beyond our weather-beaten shores came albums by Timber Timber, Rozi Plain, Anna B Savage, Sufjan Stevens, DM Stith, This Is The Kit, and Hackedpicciotto.  I discovered Hackedpicciotto last year in Bristol when I was working with John Parish on a new album.

A duo (Danielle Picciotto and Alexander Hacke) they’re friends of John. We went to see them play in the crypt of a church. Very very gothic indeed. In fact, I remember looking around in the low light of the flaking vaults and feeling very much at home.  I absolutely loved them, really powerful, dark, rich and exhilarating. They’re based in Berlin and I plan to be there soon, so maybe I’ll get to see them in their home city.  They released an album in the summer called ‘Keepsakes’.  So, so good. And then following on from Hackedpicciotto I discovered the solo work of Danielle and have been delving into her records.

Another highlight and new discovery for me was the Hamburg-based band called Sometimes With Others lead by Mika Bajinski.  They released an album a couple of years ago called Nous. Really beautiful, songs and arrangements.  I discovered them when I went to see a show by Mick Harvey who was touring with an ensemble that was an amalgamation of different bands and Sometimes With Others was a part of it.

As an audience member, my live highlight was PJ Harvey at the Olympia.  It was the first night of, not only the Dublin shows, but also the world tour. And an extra special part of it was that I surprised my sister with an invitation to the concert. She was visiting from London and nearly fainted with delight.

Music seems to be on an endless cycle of comebacks – with goth making something of a resurgence this year.  What do you think about that? 

I think I might have a gothic bone or bones in me. In my teens and early twenties, quite often by osmosis, I absorbed music by Bauhaus, Dead Can Dance, The Birthday Party, and This Mortal Coil.

Anyone you’d like to see reform/return?

I was going to say it would be interesting to see Crime and The City Solution make a return.  Was wondering if that would ever be a possibility and then, lo and behold, I discovered they just came back with an album.

And similarly, I was hoping for a new album by Blixa Bargeld & Teho Teardo and I see they’re releasing a new record in 2024.

How is your own writing going, you have an album coming out with Marry Waterson next year, is that right?

That’s right. It’s called ‘Cuckoo Storm’ and it will be coming out in early March on One Little Independent Records. March 8th, to be precise. My own writing is going well. I’m working on a lot of new music. I even have another solo album finished and awaiting the light of day. I’m very excited about it.

Anything else in the works?

Working on other kinds of writing but I think I’d better keep that under my hat for now. I’m superstitious.