40. Alison O’Donnell
Illustration by T.W. Rushing
Michael Sean Coleman will be your guest host for this two-part episode as we take a closer look and a listen to the amazing life and incredible music of Alison O’ Donnell. You may know that Alison, along with Clodagh Simmonds, were the vocal powerhouse that drove the Irish prog/psych/folk rock band Mellow Candle - the two teenage girls lending their soaring harmonies and timeless songwriting to the group’s 1972 masterpiece, Swaddling Songs.
Alison’s nearly fifty years of songwriting and singing have, and continue to be deeply rooted in Celtic tradition - yet her creative Spirit and work ethic have driven her toward more experimental projects in recent years. Her career has taken her around the world, and she is now based in Dublin.
Though Mellow Candle’s legacy looms large, one look at her discography clearly indicates she continues to have a rich artistic life. Numerous solo recordings, contributions to such disparate collectives as The Owl Service, Head South by Weaving, United Bible Studies, Firefay and Eistlinn, and posting nearly one singing zoom a day since the pandemic restrictions began in March of last year - have kept her at the center of collaboration and in fine singing form.
This year finds her working with arranger Anthony Bools (who happens to be her cousin) on an album of her own compositions set to ancient and traditional motifs.
Michael and Alison discuss all this and more on Low Profile’s first two-part episode: