Info: On Thursday night at The Cobblestone Pub in Dublin, Maynooth alternative folk duo Lemoncello (Laura Quirke - vocals / guitar, Claire Kinsella - cello / vocals) launched their debut EP, Stuck Upon the Staircase, in front of a sold out audience. The setting was intimate, rows of chairs leading up to the front of the stage and (for the most part!) an attentive audience. After opening their set together they were soon joined on stage by Claire's brother Kevin on double bass and harpist Alannah Thornburgh. More strings make for more joy as far as this punter is concerned, and as the evening progressed the music gently inched itself further and further into the realms of soul-soothing. Lemoncello's blend of mystical and contemporary folk sounds conjure up images of moving Harry Clarke characters from ancient Irish folklore, it is colourful and thought-provoking and vivid.
To open Lemoncello had Killarney-native Junior Brother, aka Ronan Kealy, who has been tireless in his gigging over the last 12 months, you could probably go and see him once a week over the course of a year at this stage. It's fair and merely observational to say that he had the audience captivated by the time he had reached the third song of his set. The unique twisting of his vocal, perfectly executed elongated moments of solely guitar-picking, and tragi-comic lyrical wit make it more than just a singer-songwriter coursing through their repertoire, it's an act, and a engrossing one at that.
