Irish indie legend and musical ringmaster Jerry Fish is releasing his latest single ‘Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Your Grievances’ (download Wav) a joyous cover of a Daniel Johnston song in collaboration with singer MayKay (Fight Like Apes) on November 1st. It’s followed by an album of Johnston covers, Dreaming of Daniel, on 15th November.
A long-time fan of Daniel, Jerry has been performing ‘The Story Of An Artist’ for years. When Daniel died in 2019, Fish released ‘True Love Will Find You In The End’. His version caught the attention of Daniel’s manager Tom Gimbel, who asked if Jerry could run ‘Hi, How Are You Day’ in Dublin on January 22nd 2020 (Daniel’s birthday). Jan 22nd is ‘Hi, How Are You Day’ all over the world, a day to celebrate Daniel’s life and legacy and to have open conversations about mental health and wellbeing. Since 2020, Jerry has co-hosted ‘Hi, How Are You Day’ in Dublin with MayKay and pianist/arranger Cian Boylan.
Jerry says, ‘This is my first vinyl record in thirty-four years and my first LP in fifteen years. A labour of love, five years in the making. I am very proud of it. It’s a record full of amazingly talented musicians, a fourteen-piece orchestra, a three-piece brass section, backing vocals from some of the best vocal talent in Ireland, praising one of the greatest songwriters of all time. Not alone is his lyrical wit and honesty an inspiration to me and a multitude of artists the world over, we also have so much fun performing his songs live. The album Dreaming of Daniel captures the joy we experience on stage performing Daniel’s songs.’
‘Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Your Grievances’ certainly conveys that sense of joy. With poignant lyrics instructing the listener to ‘do yourself a favour, become your own saviour’, Jerry and Maykay share the vocals backed by a full band and a bright brass accompaniment. The song was originally contained on the fifth self-released music cassette album by Daniel Johnston, recorded over the summer 1983.
Fans of Jerry Fish and Daniel Johnston alike will be delighted to beat the January blues by going to the ‘Hi, How Are You Day’ celebrations on 26th January 2025 in The Grand Social in Dublin where Jerry will be showcasing more of the music from Dreaming of Daniel.
Tracklisting;
The Story Of An Artist
Peek A Boo
Living Life
The Sun Goes Down On Me
Some Things Last A Long Time
Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Your Grievances
Devil Town
Ain’t No Woman Gonna Make A George Jones Outta Me
It’s Impossible
Man Obsessed
Sorry Entertainer
True Love Will Find You In The End
See Jerry Fish live;
Thurs. 28 Nov Button Factory, Dublin Show 8pm / Tickets €28
Sat. 14 Dec Purty Kitchen, Dun Laoghaire Show 8pm / Tickets €25
Sat. 21 Dec Whale Theatre, Greystones Show 8pm / Tickets €32
Fri. 10 Jan Dunmaise Arts Centre, Portlaoise Show 8pm / Tickets €30/28
Sat. 11 Jan Balina Arts Centre, Ballina Show 8pm / Tickets €30
Sat. 25 Jan Crescent Concert Hall, Drogheda Show 8pm / Tickets €25
Sun 26 Jan Grand Social, Dublin ‘Hi, How Are you Day’ Daniel Johnson
Fri. 31 Jan Dolans, Limerick Show 8pm /Tickets €25
Fri. 7 Feb Riverbank Arts Centre, Newbridge
Fri 14 Feb The Dock Arts Centre, Carrick On Shannon Show 8pm / Tickets €25
Sat. 22 Feb St. Lukes, Cork
Fri. 7 March Roisin Dubh, Galway Show 8.30pm / Tickets €23