A hugely talented emerging singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer and voiceover artist with a passion for lyricism, song-crafting and storytelling, Kildare native Ross A.’s singles to date, ‘Some Other Time, Maybe’, ‘Flowing To You, Flowing Through’ ‘Be OK’ and ‘Heartland Girl’ personify his evolution into an act who creates a world in which its listener can become submerged. His upcoming LP, Vestige, showcases a newfound cohesion of sound and iteration.
Formerly Ross Breen, the Irish musician continues to cultivate his reputation as a respected songwriter through extensive radio coverage of his work (RTE Radio 1, Today FM, Radio Nova, Newstalk FM Songwriter of the Year), TV appearances (RTÉ 1’s The Saturday Night Show) and consistent presence on the live scene and festival circuit (Electric Picnic, Body and Soul, Indiependence).
VESTIGE (ALBUM)
Vestigeis the debut album from Ross A. A heady brew of narrative-laden alternative folk, each of its eight tracks is a journey unto itself, while recurring themes interweave throughout its 44-minute runtime to create a captivating dreamscape. His influences are manifold and wide-ranging, yet a cohesion of sound was brought to the fore at Orphan Studios, allowing the ambition and maturity within the new work to be realised.
Recorded with Gavin Glass in Co. Wexford, Ross reflects on the inception of Vestige and its meaning to him as an artist:
“This is very much a formative record for me. When the songs started to take shape, I felt liberated to create and write further within the new persona of ‘Ross A.’. It all felt like a natural progression. I let go of hang-ups and ego, going with focus in the direction of my instinct for each song. The band and Gavin were a great help in guiding and bringing the pieces to life along with me. There was good energy in the recording room, a sense of flow to the sessions that brought the finish line easily within sight and made completing this new album achievable.
Hearing it myself now, it sounds good playing anywhere but really is designed to be the kind of album you can put on in your headphones, lie down, close your eyes and become immersed in for a while.”
The CD issue of Vestige is double-disc edition, with the second CD featuring instrumental versions of the album’s eight songs, plus a bonus track, ‘Vestiges Strings Outro Reprise’.
“When I listened to the mixes without vocals. I found it to be a relaxing, pleasant experience. Almost meditative. I thought it would be cool to offer that to the listener too. The record is lyrically dense, with the words and vocals tending to draw some focus. The instrumental versions really allow the subtleties and nuances of the music to be appreciated fully, showcasing how it serves as a great, intuitive platform on which my stories could flourish.”