Intimate Gemma Hayes show promises something special

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Written by Alan Jacques

Wednesday, 20 January 2010

2010 is certain to be a very busy year for Tipperary-born chanteuse Gemma Hayes what with plans afoot to record not one but two albums in the coming months. Following the success of 2008’s self-released album ‘The Hollow of Morning’, Gemma is now in talks with a couple of labels about signing a new record deal and is feeling very positive about the future. ‘‘To be honest I really don’t want to put the next album out on my own as it was totally headwrecking last time,’’ she confesses to Alan Jacques this week. ‘‘The new album is at the very early stages. I have five songs written and there’s another four which I’m roadtesting at the minute that still need some tweaking. With the last album I was my own record label and it’s not a road I want to go down again as there ’s just too many headaches, it was desperate. I’m in talks with a couple of labels so it would be great to have the new album out by the summer,’’ she says. Hayes moved back to Ireland last August after four years in Los Angeles to concentrate on making the follow-up to her critically acclaimed third album. With a hectic work schedule since her return, Gemma says she’s just happy to get on with things and concentrate on her music. ‘‘It’s funny but I occasionally find myself checking what the weather is like in L.A. so it’s hard to shake it out of my system. I think when you spend time in a place that it becomes part of who you are anyway. It’s really great being home and I loved the snow when it first started to fall but now I'm sick to the teeth of the cold weather. But to be honest, with touring and working on a new album I still find that I’m always on the move.’’ Recording for Gemma’s fourth album began last autumn in France with longtime collaborator David Odlum. The 32-year-old singer reveals that she is actually working on two separate projects for release this year. ‘‘The new album is going to be more uptempo with a full band sound. I also want to record its acoustic opposite, which should be really easy to get down, and would love to get that out this year as well.’’ Gemma is currently playing intimate acoustic shows around the country to promote her recently released EP, ‘Oliver’, and to preview material from her forthcoming albums. Her new show also includes cover versions of Kate Bush’s classic ‘Cloudbusting’ and Jackson Browne’s ‘These Days’. ‘‘I really love doing acoustic shows because they are much scarier. You have nowhere to hide which can be really terrifying or lots of fun depending on how it’s going. The show is a mishmash of old songs and new with a couple of covers thrown in to stop people from nodding off,’’ she laughs. With strong Limerick connections (Hayes’s dad is from Kilmallock and Gemma herself went to school in Kilfinane), playing Dolan’s she claims, is always a tour highlight. ‘‘I’ve actually been texting people in the last few days to make sure they are coming to the gig in Dolan’s. I usually have lots of friends and cousins at the Limerick show so it’s always a special one for me. I get to catch up with old friends I haven't seen in a while and we usually make a night of it afterwards,’’ she confesses. Gemma Hayes plays Upstairs in Dolan’s this Saturday, January 23 with special guest Ann Scott. Doors open at 7.30pm and tickets are now on sale.

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