Poor Creature is comprised of Ruth Clinton, Cormac MacDiarmada and John
Dermody, all three are members of other bands (Landless and Lankum
respectively) who have built a large following on re-interpreting songs from
the past
Songs that have existed for centuries can seem immutable and anchored to time. A
new generation of Irish musicians are keen to acknowledge that musical legacy, while
reimagining the songs within a contemporary context.
Poor Creature’s sound – particularly in the context of contemporary Irish folk – offers
something unique. There’s the gauzy, underwater, almost psychedelic seams of ‘Bury
Me Not’ and ‘Adieu Lovely Erin’. ‘All Smiles Tonight’ and ‘Hicks’ Farewell’ nod to the
influence of American folk/bluegrass acts like Doc Watson and the Louvin Brothers.
These shifting sounds are made possible by producer John ‘Spud’ Murphy, who has
produced all of Lankum’s albums, and worked with Junior Brother, OXN, Pretty Happy,
Ye Vagabonds as as well as the final two albums by The Jimmy Cake, with whom
John has played for over 20 years.
“There’s something about the everyday and the fantastical, being entangled, which I
think Irish music does so well.” This also sums up All Smiles Tonight, moving through
stories and loss and history to create an otherworldly and timeless album for the
ages.
