The 'Cuckoo Storm' might never have been, were it not for a social media post Crowley wrote on a wintery late-night walk in a quiet neighbourhood of Dublin during lockdown. Struck by Waterson's previous album ‘Death Had Quicker Wings Than Love’ (co-written with David A Jaycock), he wanted to mark the moment and pressed 'send' into the ether with no way of knowing what would follow. Drawn to his voice and seeing a kindred spirit in his poetic lyrics, Waterson was touched by his message and responded by asking if he would be interested in working together. His answer was a resounding ‘yes.’
Initially, they began by building a collection of songs and from that it became clear an album was in the offing and the seeds of ‘Cuckoo Storm’ were sewn. Waterson and Crowley found their voices melded easily to form something rich and intimate. Their creative roles exchanged fluidly, whether lyric and or melody-writer, enjoying the excitement of another colouring in their work: a delightful, dopamine rush, which pushed each artist on to create something that couldn’t exist outside that particular partnership.
Listen to 'Cockoo Storm' here
‘Cuckoo Storm’ opens with ‘Undear Sphere’ a song written by Waterson but which evolved in the studio when she, Crowley and Jim Barr (on double bass) played it for the first time. It was composed using the ‘blackout’ technique, as was ‘Distant Music’, written by Waterson when skimming the pages of a church jumble sale book (divine inspiration indeed!). Marry blacked out parts of the original text until only certain words or phrases remained, connecting motivational words to create an entirely new work. Crowley had been working independently on a melody that just happened to fit her creation: a happy accident.
Tracklist
1. Undear Sphere
2. The Leviathan
3. Watching The Starlings
4. Kicking Up The Dust
5. Lovers In The Waves
6. Heavy Wings
7. Lucky Duck For Grown Ups
8. One Foot Of Silver, One Foot Of Gold
9. Distant Music
10. Cuckoo Storm
11. The Trembling Cup
Mary Waterson Online
Website - Facebook - Instagram - Twitter - Spotify
Adrian Crowley Online
Website - Facebook - Instagram - Twitter - Spotify
