Damien Dempsey returned after 7 years with his new double album “Hold Your Joy” on 25th October 2024. 16 intricate tracks beautifully crafted. Honest, vulnerable and essential listening. Produced by long time collaborator John Reynolds, Hold Your Joy is undoubtedly the most complete body of work Dempsey has committed to tape in his entire career.
Hold Your Joy, is also the title track of the album and is as uplifting as it poignant and joyous. It underlines the power of song. Dempsey sings gently yet convincingly: Hold Your Joy, Look further, Look beyond, Look wider, Try and see round the corner, Look further, Crawl out of the pond, Look wider, Your mind is a wand.
As Damo explains “…Hold Your Joy is about trying to be grateful and joyful, because if you’re grateful and joyful in yourself, you’ll be able to do more good for the world and other people…when you hear a lot of Irish traditional music, these incredible tunes that were written back in a time when Ireland was like a hell on earth. I think by writing these tunes they were holding their joy, you know, and they’ve turned that pain into something joyful and joyous. They were holding their joy by writing this incredible music and showing that they were stronger than the oppressor…”
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