Aoife O'Donovan

Aoife O'Donovan (/ˈfə/ EE-fə; Irish: [ˈiːfʲə];) born November 18, 1982)[1] is a Irish-American singer and songwriter. She is best known as the lead singer for the progressive bluegrass/string band Crooked Still[2] and as a member of the Grammy Award–winning female folk group I'm with Her. Her first professional engagement was singing lead for the folk group The Wayfaring Strangers.[3] She has performed and recorded with Ollabelle, Karan Casey and Seamus Egan, Jerry Douglas, Jim Lauderdale, Darol Anger, Sarah Jarosz, Sara Watkins, Christina Courtin, Chris Thile (Nickel Creek, Punch Brothers), Noam Pikelny (Punch Brothers), Edgar Meyer, Stuart Duncan, Greensky Bluegrass and Yo-Yo Ma. O'Donovan has also performed with the Boston Pops Orchestra and the Utah Symphony Orchestra. In 2012, she sang on most of the tracks on the album Be Still by the jazz group the Dave Douglas Quintet, featuring trumpeter Dave Douglas. During the summer of 2013, she toured with Garrison Keillor and his A Prairie Home Companion Radio Romance Tour.[4][5]

Aoife O'Donovan
O'Donovan performing at MerleFest in 2011
Background information
Born (1982-11-18) November 18, 1982
Boston, Massachusetts
GenresFolk rock, Americana
Occupation(s)Musician
InstrumentsGuitar, piano
Years active2001–present
Associated actsCrooked Still, Sometymes Why, The Goat Rodeo Sessions, I'm with Her
Websiteaoifeodonovan.com

She performed at the Roskilde Festival in Denmark 2014. In 2016, she released her second solo record, In the Magic Hour, on Yep Roc Records, as well as the live record, Man In A Neon Coat: Live From Cambridge. In summer 2017, she joined Garrison Keillor's Prairie Home "Love and Comedy" Tour.

Life and career

Aoife O'Donovan playing guitar at a concert in 2009

O'Donovan grew up in Newton, Massachusetts. She spent her summers in Ireland[6] singing songs with her extended family. She became interested in American folk music through artists such as Joan Baez and Bob Dylan. Aoife went on to study contemporary improvisation at the New England Conservatory of Music,[7] where she graduated in 2003. In 2016, she wed Eric Jacobsen, giving birth to their daughter Ivy Jo in 2017.

Crooked Still

O'Donovan and Corey DiMario met at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, in the spring of 2001. Former cellist Rushad Eggleston, who was studying at Berklee College of Music, and Gregory Liszt, a graduate student at MIT, were playing music together around the same time, and when the four met that summer, they formed the band Crooked Still.[1] The group grew in popularity by playing Boston area venues. The group was invited to perform at the Newport Folk Festival and Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, the same year they released their debut album, Hop High. Crooked Still has toured in 23 states and several countries. In August 2006, the group released their second album, Shaken by a Low Sound. In November 2007, cellist Rushad Eggleston parted ways with the band to pursue his own music. In January 2008 two new members joined the band: cellist Tristan Clarridge and fiddler Brittany Haas. The band released its first album with the new lineup Still Crooked in 2008, a live album in 2009, a studio full-length Some Strange Country in 2010 and an EP Friends of Fall in October 2011.[8]

Sometymes Why

Contemporary/neo-traditional folk noir trio Sometymes Why was formed in 2005 by O'Donovan, Kristin Andreassen and Ruth Ungar Merenda. They came together from other bands, including Uncle Earl the Jolly Bankers (Andreassen), Crooked Still, the Wild Band of Snee, the Wayfaring Strangers (O'Donovan), The Mammals and Jay Ungar & Molly Mason's Family Band (Merenda). Sometymes Why released their debut cd in 2005 titled Sometimes Why, followed by Your Heart Is A Glorious Machine in 2009.[1]

Present

O'Donovan's songwriting came to the attention of Alison Krauss, who recorded Aoife's song "Lay My Burden Down" on her album Paper Airplane (2011 Rounder Records)[1][9] and is used in the film Get Low (2010 Sony Pictures). She has had songs placed on True Blood (HBO)[10] and Private Practice (ABC).

In June 2010, O'Donovan released her first solo recording, Blue Light, in the form of a limited edition 7" vinyl.

O'Donovan is the guest vocalist on the 2013 Grammy winning The Goat Rodeo Sessions (2011 Sony Masterworks), an album recorded by cellist Yo-Yo Ma, bassist Edgar Meyer, mandolinist Chris Thile and fiddler Stuart Duncan. The album includes two vocal tracks featuring O'Donovan and Chris Thile. O'Donovan co-wrote one of those tracks, "Here And Heaven", with Meyer, Thile and Duncan.[11]

In November 2012, Aoife signed a deal with Yep Roc Records. A single, "Red & White & Blue & Gold" was released April 2, 2013, and her full-length debut album, "Fossils", produced by Tucker Martine, was released on June 11, 2013.[2]

Aoife has toured with the Punch Brothers, Transatlantic Sessions, the Milk Carton Kids, Elephant Revival, The Goat Rodeo Sessions and The Lone Bellow, makes frequent appearances on Chris Thile's Live From Here as well as headlining performances both in the US and abroad.

In 2015, Aoife toured extensively with Sara Watkins (a founding member of Nickel Creek) and Sarah Jarosz under the combined tour banner of "I'm With Her".[12] This combo came about after an impromptu performance at the 2014 Telluride Bluegrass Festival.[13] The trio released their debut album See You Around on Rounder Records in 2018.

In 2016, Aoife released her sophomore solo studio album on Yep Roc Records, titled In The Magic Hour. On September 9, she also released the live album Man In A Neon Coat: Live From Cambridge, also on Yep Roc Records.

O'Donovan lives in Brooklyn, NY.[12]

Discography

Solo Recordings

YearAlbumRecord Label
2010Blue Light (EP)Media Blitz Record Co.
2012Peachstone (EP)Self Released
2013 (June 11)FossilsYep Roc Records
2016 (January 22)In The Magic HourYep Roc Records
2016 (September 9) Man In A Neon Coat: Live From Cambridge (Live Album) Yep Roc Records
2019 (November 1) In the Magic Hour: Solo Sessions (EP) Yep Roc Records

With Sometymes Why

YearAlbumRecord Label
2005Sometimes WhySelf Released
2007Sometimes Why (Silver Edition)Self Released
2009Your Heart Is A Glorious MachineSignature Sounds

With Crooked Still

YearAlbumRecord Label
2004Hop HighFootprint Records
2006Shaken by a Low SoundSignature Sounds
2008Still CrookedSignature Sounds
2009Crooked Still LiveSignature Sounds
2010Some Strange CountrySignature Sounds
2011Friends of Fall (EP)Signature Sounds
2018Live at Grey Fox July 16, 2006Signature Sounds

With I'm With Her

YearAlbumRecord Label
2015Crossing Muddy Waters (EP)Sugar Hill
2018See You AroundNew Rounder

Videos

YearTitleProducer
2010"Half of What We Know" (with Crooked Still)Grey Sky Films
2013"Red & White & Blue & Gold"Yep Roc Records
2013"Beekeeper"Yep Roc Records

As guest artist

YearArtistTitleRecord Label
2003The Wayfaring StrangersThis TrainRounder
2004The Wild Band of SneeMystical 4-Track Recordings of SneeThe Wild Band of Snee
2004The Wild Band of SneeRushad Eggleston and His Wild Band of SneeThe Wild Band of Snee
2005Richie BarshayHomeworkBarshay Music
2005The Wild Band of SneeMusic of SneeThe Wild Band of Snee
2006The Wild Band of SneePlayhouse of the UniverseThe Wild Band of Snee
2010The American Beauty ProjectPage Auditorium, Duke University, Durham, NC 10/15/10festivalink.net
2011Noam PikelnyBeat the Devil and Carry a RailCompass
2011Yo-Yo Ma, Stuart Duncan, Edgar Meyer, Chris ThileThe Goat Rodeo SessionsSony Classical
2011Alex BattlesGoodbye AlmiraAlex Battles's Records
2012Dave DouglasBe StillGreenleaf
2012Mike + RuthyThe NYC EPHumble Abode
2012Kate Rusby20Pure
2012AnnaliviaThe Same Way DownAnnalivia
2013Alastair MoockSinging Our Way Through: Songs for the World's Bravest KidsMoockshake Music
2013Transatlantic SessionsTransatlantic Sessions 6 - Volume TwoWhirlie
2015John Morris RussellAmerican OriginalsFanfare Cincinnati
2016Laurie Lewis and the Right HandsThe Hazel and Alice SessionsSpruce and Maple
2016Infamous StringdustersLadies & GentlemenCompass
2016Jesse HarperOne True ThingJesse Harper
2017Chris ThileThanks for ListeningNonesuch
2020 Yo-Yo Ma, Stuart Duncan, Edgar Meyer, Chris Thile Not Our First Goat Rodeo Sony Classical

References

  1. Kim Ruehl. "Aoife O'Donovan (of Crooked Still)". Aoife O'Donovan - Biography and Profile. About.com. Archived from the original on September 28, 2013. Retrieved June 28, 2013.
  2. Linda Fahey (June 8, 2013). "Aoife O'Donovan: The Voice Of Crooked Still Breaks Loose". NPR Music. National Public Radio. Retrieved June 28, 2013.
  3. Alarik, Scott (2003-11-14). "/ News / Boston Globe / Living / Arts / Wayfaring Strangers find common ground". Boston.com. Retrieved 2016-02-01.
  4. Hays Davis (July 18, 2013). "Garrison Keillor's 'A prairie home companion': Spirit of the Radio". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Richmond, Virginia: World Media Enterprises. Retrieved July 27, 2013.
  5. R. Scott Reedy (July 25, 2013). "Garrison Keillor brings 'Prairie' to Cohasset". The Patriot Ledger. Quincy, Massachusetts: GateHouse Media. Retrieved July 27, 2013.
  6. Carr, Eamon (July 20, 2013). "Welcome to Aoife's roots county chillout". The Evening Herald (Herald.ie). Dublin, Ireland: Independent House. Retrieved July 26, 2013.
  7. Shea Gibbs (October 10, 2013). "The many sides of Aoife O'Donovan's talent". C-Ville Weekly. Charlottesville, VA. Retrieved November 25, 2013.
  8. "Crooked Still Discography". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved November 25, 2013.
  9. Doyle, Patrick (2011-02-10). "Alison Krauss Reflects on Making First Album With Union Station Since 2004". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2016-02-01.
  10. "True Blood: S 3 EP 25 Bad Blood: Music". HBO. 2011-11-12. Retrieved 2016-02-01.
  11. "Yo-Yo Ma, Stuart Duncan, Edgar Meyer and Chris Thile Transcend Musical Boundaries..." Prnewswire.com. Retrieved 2016-02-01.
  12. Jonathan Bernstein (March 16, 2016). "The Glad Tears of Aoife O'Donovan". American Songwriter magazine. ForASong Media, LLC. Retrieved June 22, 2016.
  13. Alex Gallacher (April 26, 2015). "I'm with Her Tour: Sara Watkins, Sarah Jarosz and Aoife O'Donovan". Music News. Folk Radio UK. Retrieved October 17, 2015.
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