Phizzfest: Aoife Nessa Frances & Nuria Graham – Live Review
by Killian Laher

All Saints Church, Phibsborough, Dublin – May 12th 2024

Phizzfest, the annual arts and culture festival in Phibsborough took place in a number of venues over the weekend.  Closing off the festival was a performance by Irish singer Aoife Nessa Frances joined by Catalan singer-songwriter Nuria Graham (ably backed by Brendan Doherty on percussion).  Their voices worked well together as they alternated between their own songs, and new songs they are writing together, one of which was just written this week!  Swapping instruments between electric guitar, acoustic guitar and bass, all their songs had a lovely, lazy drift to them.  Aoife Nessa Frances took lead vocals and played acoustic guitar on Blow Up with Graham providing backing vocals.  She switched to an insistent, electric guitar for Only Child, with Graham providing an interesting acoustic guitar part underneath it.

Nuria Graham’s own flamenco-style material worked equally well here with the relaxed, summer vibes of The Beginnings Of Things and Oceans, both featuring her highly intricate acoustic guitar patterns.  A new song, as yet untitled, evoked Tim Buckley with a chorus of “I’m dancing with my baby but my baby’s dancing with me”.  Way To Say Goodbye featured dazzling guitar interplay from both as did their final song, the dreamy Star Of the Morning.  It was an enjoyable performance and it will be fascinating to hear the finished version of these songs.