GREETINGS FROM THE OCEAN BED - MAY 4TH 2021

FIRE ON THE ROOF OF EDEN

GREETINGS FROM THE OCEAN BED OCT 2020

Hello Beauts,

How is everyone getting through?
I have no idea really of what to say that can encompass the scope of what is happening in the world right now, but I can tell you a little bit about how we are navigating The new days.
Music is the ONLY thing that is making any sense to us and we are lucky enough to have recording equipment here at home that means we can capture the things that are floating around our heads ( and when I say *we* ,I mostly mean Kieran ).
I have found it much more difficult to corral myself into creation mode ......but that state of affairs is not entirely new....I often find it hard to concentrate on writing or recording at home......I find my gaze constantly circling the children , the laundry, the many things that need doing in a day .......having everyone at home all the time during the last 7 months only intensified the notion that there were lots and lots of jobs that just HAD TO BE DONE...NOW......
in the past we have been able to chuck the gear into the car and head to the countryside ,somewhere removed from our normal domestic......and that would force me to focus and try to achieve something during the time away...
That hasn’t been possible recently but Thankfully I am wedded to a MUSICAL MACHINE ❤️.
All the recording paraphernalia is set up in the kitchen at one end of the room, Kieran sets up camp there ,puts his headphones on and is lost in tunes for several hours every day. He sticks his head out to make or eat dinner with the rest of us , but really he is happiest there .....where he doesn’t worry about what the future looks like, or when we will ever get to do a live gig again. Every so often he coaxes me to the microphone (there may or may not also be Vodka involved).......and somehow we have managed to record almost a full album.
At the beginning of lockdown we started the Instagram live concerts on Friday nights, we had no idea that we would be doing them for so long (we did 15 weeks ) but they became a staple of our week.....a reason to play together every weds or Thursday in preparation; a trawl through a lot of our old and new songs and an exploration of some of the songs of others that we love, as we wanted to make each week different ; the gigs became a way of knowing what day of the week it was ( for at least Friday) as all the days blended together ; a reason to get dressed (up).........and most of all , a form of enormous encouragement and connection with the thousands of you who watched and sent us messages. It has been an absolute well-spring.......and renewed our confidence and belief in the tunes we are making.
We usually get that bolt of faith from touring, from the human connection that happens at a live show, and we were just gutted when all our year’s concert plans fell into the COVID-Sea. I don’t know when we will be able to play to real-life-right-in-front-of-us-humans again , but we will embrace it when it arrives.
the musical Plan for the moment is to keep recording, to release one new song at the end of every month (CYANE was the first one released at the end of July, KEEPS ON SPINNING was August’s offering, AND THE WIND JUST CRIES September’s song..........Not sure yet which song will land on October 30th....... all Are available wherever you get your music )
And the new album will arrive in your ears Early next year......with much hope for a gig-filled 2021.

Some things are especially difficult about this time we are living through ....being unable to gather to celebrate and mourn those who have left us is particularly brutal....and there are days when all the communal loss and loneliness seems to ball into a vapour you can taste ...............
I am getting through with music...by walking as much as I can....I just started to meditate ( yep, I’m officially one of those people, (we are lovely,don’t mind them))....and by looking for the kindnesses.....there are great kindnesses out there too...the human spirit is really astonishing and people are ,and can be , Magic.

We will send tunes.
Hold fast.

Grá mór,
Maria


GREETINGS FROM THE OCEAN BED JAN 1ST 2020

Hello from the brink of a new decade........

I just wanted to wave at you all and wish you well for 2020 and beyond, I feel hopeful about the 20’s.....there has been so much political upheaval this year and it has felt sometimes like we are going backwards rather than progressing...... but I have also seen many acts of enormous kindness and personal courage that keeps the hope aflame and makes me think we will turn the repressive crap around.

We have had a bit of a mad year with a lot of new travelling ......( the song festival in Estonia where we stood amongst a choir of 30,000 voices floats immediately to mind as one of the stand-out journeys....we are making a radio documentary about the experience so you’ll hear it for yourselves in a few months).....
We met lots of new folks at the shows and one of the most joyful things of 2019 has been to see the new community of *Merfolks* who are traveling from all over the world for the gigs and to meet each other .
Special shoutout to Maggie & Dunia who made it (from Mexico & Florida) to Canada and turned our dressing room into a subterranean paradise . 🧜‍♀️
.....we have discovered that many of you are crafty AF and we also feel that if you want to buy merCh that you deserve some special options , so they are coming ...... MDK & KK mermaids & mermen USB sticks which we are calling *Treasure* as they will contain all of our albums and their artwork , photos from our archives and maybe some other notions 😊😊😊
There will be hand crocheted MDK & KK key chains soon too and I’m sure we will discover more artists out there amongst you.

We have not had enough time for the studio ( one of the plans for next year is to remedy that ) but we did record 5 things that we think are beautiful and are releasing them on an EP today ..... starting the year as we mean to continue , with singing and playing and sharing the tunes.

We ‘ll be in Switzerland for a few shows in January and there’s a special one in Dublin on Jan 26th as part of tradfest.

Have a lovely start to the year, I hope that it is kind to you.

Patti Smith wrote yesterday that “Life is good, even when it’s not”....I’m with her.

Thank you for all,
Maria x


GREETINGS FROM THE OCEAN BED JAN 9 2019

what we’ve been up to, what we have cooking

Well Hello yiz Beauts, Happy New Year,
It has been (more than) a while.
I had sort of drifted from sending out the (sporadic enough as they were ) *Greetings* , as I began to communicate more through Twitter , but I met someone at a show recently and they impressed upon me that they had enjoyed the *Greetings* as a sincere exchange and were now missing them ......seeing as I’m always banging on about human contact and the need for communication , I took it as a sign to write .....et voila ☺️
One of the biggest changes since I wrote last has been our move home to Dublin from Toronto. It’s an unusual thing in our experience to have work that connects you so strongly to a city for such a long period of time (half a year for 5 years running) and living there had a profound effect on our family . We bonded together as we faced living in a new city where we knew virtually no one , and then there’s that thing that happens .....without even being conscious of it you sort of redefine your self as you search for your tribe.
All of us formed friendships that I think we will have for life and we also share a deep affection for Toronto and Canada in general. I know we will remain connected as we have returned 5 times in less than 2 years..
In the last couple of years of living there Kieran and I had started touring and we’ve been back twice to play some shows, and will head over for more this summer ........... I made a video in Toronto with the truly awesome Feist for her song *Century* ( what a massive amount of fun......she and I were sort-of post-apocalyptic gang leaders) ........and we brought our short film *A Different Kind Of Day* to the Reelabilities film festival last June.
Yes Toronto, you are deep rooted and we miss you.
There are great feelings in Dublin too though, and it is truely home. We are filling up on the amazing theatre and music that’s been happening ( Saint Sister, BARQ, Emma Langford, Bessie Mae Power, Lankum, Kojaque’s *Eviction notice* ,Pillow Queens...........the Subset’s *Grey Area Project* exhibition .....The Breadline Collective’s *Say nothin to no-one*)
..........I could go on and on, that,s just a fraction of the home grown beauty.....there has been extraordinary visiting inspiration too...my favourite band IN THE WORLD EVER ....LOW.....were here in Nov and completely blew our minds.
And there’s a feeling , especially amongst the young, that people do have some power, that voting has consequences and actually matters.
And We are keeping busy with the making of New things....
A live album recorded in Switzerland was released in November *Live at El Lokal*
A new short film *Colour Code* written in honour of Sandra Bland, Will be released at the end of January
We are planning to make a radio documentary in Tallinn , Estonia in July
We are designing an experiential Light/Sound installation which will (hopefully) be up by the end of the year
I’m due to go back to film season 5 of Outlander in April
And There are a few other things at the seedling-stage but
NEXT UP
WHAT WE LIKE TO DO BEST.......some GIGS!
There won’t be a huge amount of them this year as I’ve New songs to write ,keep an eye on the website if you have your crave on for a live experience
JANUARY
10th - ATLANTIS, BASEL, SWITZERLAND
12t - EL LOKAL, ZURICH, SWITZERLAND
24th - COUGHLANS, CORK, IRELAND
25th - De Barras, CLONAKILTY, IRELAND
See ye at one of them and in the meantime, Keep making things, Live with Honour and above all ....Be Kind.
Xm


Greetings from the Ocean Bed Feb 20th 2016.

Waves hello from ice and snow

Actually , it's just a small bit snowy and icy and has not been anywhere near as cold as last winter was here.....which has been good...
We have been living in Toronto again but we'll only be here for a short while more....and going to make the very most of the last few weeks.
We travel to WAKEFIELD,QUEBEC next weekend (27th feb) to play at The Blacksheep Inn. I have heard only amazing things about this venue and the folks who have played there so I am really looking forward to it........my expectations are high but vague....(no pressure Wakefield)....
The following weekend we are playing in the stunningly beautiful ALBRIGHT KNOX GALLERY, BUFFALO (mar 4th). The art alone would put you in a swoon....I have even more vague and just as high expectations of playing there.....all those paintings will transport us somewhere....anyone who is coming to that show, try to make it an hour earlier so that you have loads of time to see the art there too.....it's really worth it.

I hope you are all holding on ok, this has been a shocking year for loss.

Most recently our friend and compadre Fergus O Farrell left the earth.
We were so saddened by it , but are trying to look at things a different way and not be sad. Trying to be glad for the life and not sad for the loss.
Lots of you will know Ferg and his music and maybe have seen him perform........if you haven't heard him sing I would make it your business to. His voice was a divine instrument and nobody played piano like him. He released an album with his band Interference which you can find, we recorded songs with him on Charm and on Mutter and more recently his song Gold was in the movie and musical Once. He will be hugely missed but we have the songs and the sound of him forever.

I love that we are gypsies and make the world our home but when something fundamental happens you want to be near your people.......you want to be around people who understand things without you having to use a lot of words.

We were lonely and wanted to roam ......so we decided on a little roadtrip to see some friends in Nashville. We had never been there before so it was fun to see it....and our friends have lived there a long time so they could show us some great things. The Tenessee countryside is really worth a look , charming and sortof dignified.
From Franklin to Fry such a different living.

The city is hard to find in a quick visit. The centre is very small, pretty , touristy...........you would have to delve for more time to winkle out the beautiful things......
It was really lovely to be around friends and they brought us to the best band you will find there......oh wow, if you go visiting Nashville make sure you build in a Monday night so that you can see the Timejumpers in 3rd &Lindsley. An incredible band made up of extraodinary musicians....the lineup changes a bit depending on who is out on the road but they are magic. 3 fiddle players ripping it up and such immense quiet confidence and pride. I don't think I am explaining it very well but it was a beautiful experience. 10 great musicians onstage the night we were there....each as good as the other...taking turns in being brilliant without any grandstanding or bluster....tuneful magic.

We will take a couple of weeks to settle in at home then we are off to Europe in April. Keep an eye on the website but it looks like Switzerland and Spain at the moment.

We will see you there or here or somewhere on the way.

(For those who are in mourning I commiserate, I empathise......I don't really have any good words, I'm not great around death..........all I know is that we have to do something worthwhile with our hours of living)

Take care of yourselves and each other
Xm


GREETINGS FROM THE OCEAN BED JUNE 15 2015

Hi Summerlings

(IS IT REAL? IS IT REALLY HERE) *looks happily out window at warmth*

My twitter exploded over the weekend after Orphan Black episode 309 aired so I thought I'd share a bit of the journey and some new songs with you .

The OB creators Graeme Manson and John Fawcett came to see one of our shows in Toronto and the idea of me singing as Mrs. S was born. They knew I was a singer but had no idea what that meant really, until they saw a show.
I was a little trepidatious (that's possibly not a real word ) , singing and acting are separate things to me and the context needed to be right, and to make sense for both my character and my music. It was one of our own songs that they wanted to feature.
I have to give all credit to Graeme and John , they are generous in their process, they know how important music is to me and that I wouldn't be up for it if I felt it wasn't right. They wanted Kieran & I to be a part of the decision (and even persuaded him to do a cameo!)
We all met up together and a big listening session ensued. STUCK was the song that we kept coming back to, but knowing more about the background to the scene we decided to go in and record a shorter new version ,just for those moments.

I can't thank you all enough for watching, listening and spreading the word about that and more of our music.
Hmmmmmmm, maybe I'll become an overnight sensation at 50!

To celebrate, we have released 3 new versions of STUCK -1 Stuck (Orphan Black 309 Version), -2 Stuck (Extended Indie Version) and -3 Stuck (Epic Version) .
They're all available on Amazon right now and will be up in iTunes (probably tomorrow!)

Going through a lot of material together for that first listening session , Kieran and I were both amazed at how much we LOVED some songs that no-one else has ever heard. It seemed a shame to keep them in the dark, they are so worthy of listening.
Mutter was a really complicated album to make.....I love it , what we did, but I was searching for something that I couldn't quite grasp for a long time. We made that album probably 4 different ways before I was able to let it go.......some of the versions we recorded are incredible in their own right (Queenie is probably my current favourite) ..........they didn't for some reason fit with the Mutter that came together as a final entity......
BUT FOR THOSE WHO ARE INTERESTED........TA DAH.......

We hereby give you------- MUTTER's DAUGHTER
A collection of beautiful outakes from Mutter

To thank you all for being here on the mailing list and coming to the shows and (truthfully) keeping us going, we would like to offer the album FREE to any of you who'ld like to hear it.
Just click reply and Mermaid will email by wetransfer to your inbox.
Simps.

For anyone who wants a live experience ,We are gigging througout Ireland in the special summer shows we like to do and have one in Toronto in October.

Loads more news by September!

Take care and thanks for all
Xm


GREETINGS FROM THE OCEAN BED MARCH 20TH 2015

Mi Guapos

What gives (or takes)?
So much has been happening in our world I'm not quite sure where to start.

I think I'll have to begin at the end, with the loss of a very dear member of our family.
Rory Kennedy , my father-in-law , left us very suddenly last week. He was 90 years old and had had a fantastically love-filled life, you can't ask for more I guess.....except maybe some time.........it was great for him that he left quickly, without pain or suffering.......the timing a shock to the rest of us.........Death is of course the only inevitable, but somehow you just can't prepare for or understand it until it happens near you.... Then you feel it.
A wonderful thing was all the family coming together to celebrate his life.......especially beautiful to see our children (Rory's grandchildren , whom he absolutely adored) hanging out and getting to know each other a little bit more.
We've promised to gather again soon.
We were preparing to travel home from Canada where we have been based for the last few months when we got that call. He was such a gracious man, it was just like him to time things so that it was as easy as possible for everyone to be in the one place.

JAMES RORY KENNEDY
We won't see his like again.

He didn't get to visit us in Canada which was a pity, he sometimes came to see where we were living or gigging as we move about. Toronto was just a bit too far (and a touch too cold) this time.

It was a good home for us the last while. We played some shows there and in NY , did a lot of work on the new album and some filming.
We made new friends, had a go at ice-skating (more successful for the smallies than for me), and had a whole new winter time.
I didn't get any cravings for Poutine (cheesy/gravy-y/starchy concoction) but did grow very fond of Toronto . For a family who were just parachuting in for a short while , it was so welcoming. There seems to be a notion of social justice, of being aware of more than just yourself that is still alive and thriving there. I know a lot of that comes from economic stability, still, it was amazing to feel it. Great public transport, lots of free arts programming, affordable Y stuff for families to jump around in non-freezing temperatures.......... And we met tons and tons of musicians....Toronto is coming down with art & artists of all kinds......... We even saw our first opera (Die Walküre) .....amazing singing.......erhm...........an Italian-aria-filled composition might have been an easier beginning......I had to contain myself from standing up and shouting *GIVE HIM THE SWORD* after the first 1 1/2 hours .....................


We have a few short overseas and under-skies trips coming up but the next real bout of work will find us on tour in Switzerland mid April (details below) .........we are just starting to break out infant versions of some of the new songs...... One of which is called PRIDE ........we are having a marriage equality referendum in Ireland in May.......I think it's pretty clear where I stand (I WILL BE VOTING YES) I cannot understand why anyone would have a problem with people who want to marry being able to do that...........

We are celebrating being home with a gig in Ballina tonight so I will have to run away and warm-up warble in the woods.....

See you all somewhere, here or there
Be well
Be happy
Be good to each other

Xm


GREETINGS FROM THE OCEAN BED MARCH 22ND 2014

Helloooooooooo!
Welcome to Spring...... It is beautifully sunny but still sort-of freezing-cold--in-the-wind here (Dublin) ....feels like Spring as Sprung though....lovely.......it was a long winter.
How are you all? I am really sorry but there have been too many emails in to us over the past while, to be able to respond to them all personally , if I tried to do that, I would NEVER see my children, but KK and I both really do appreciate them
One thing that kept coming up in your requests was the possibility of a live album....... Something that was an ACTUAL replica of the gigs............SING was fairly stripped down as our albums go , but of course there are contributions from other singers and players and I couldn't resist the odd harmony ........more and more, the gig-going among you asked for a version of exactly what they had just heard

Well.......

TA-DAH........ MARIA LIVE IS BORN TODAY!

We worked on something for our Swiss tour in January then came home did some more work (I use the word *work* very lightly with regard to my own efforts on this project.....in fairness, KK did it all and I swanned in every so often for a listen)
It is beautiful though, and COMPLETELY LIVE! MISTAKES AND ALL.....

I know I don't have quite as many followers as Beyonce ........but in the spirit of *no advance warning whatsoever* feel free to go ahead and BREAK TWITTER (or FB if that's your thing) in telling the world about it!

We would love it to travel as far as possible.
We will do a show in Dublin I think (looks like May) and a couple in the US in early May so u can hear it all again , and we'll be trying out a couple of new songs then too. We have just started work on new stuff......as you know it takes me a while.......excited though, VERY.

SOMETHING SAD......

One of the most amazing people in the world, ever, passed away last month. He was a friend , a mentor of sorts for me , the inspiration for the song SWOON and so much more. His name is Patrick Scott and if you are not aware of his beautiful work you can see it on the homepage of my website. If you're in Ireland there is a retrospective of his work currently showing in IMMA in Dublin and VISUAL in Carlow.
I miss him

OTHER STUFF.........

We have a spoken word album that is almost ready....a new thing for us......Lorca's poetry accompanied by an instrumental soundtrack composed by KK. I'll give you a sneak preview when it's readier.....

I'll be talking in one of the Banters during the Cúirt festival in Galway and doing a reading in Dublin for the UNESCO night of Literature in May.
For anyone interested in more live stuff we will be on the radio next week to promote MARIA LIVE .... Pat Kenny on Thurs. and Miriam O Callaghan on Sun , and we were on IMEALL last night on TG4 (you can get it on the player)

Other things too in-the-making but too raw yet to be writing about, More info when a bit-further on.

I will love you and leave you for now.
Take care

Maria


GREETINGS FROM THE OCEAN BED DEC 18th 2013

Amigos

I CANNOT BELIEVE that we are the other end of this year. It has been a big one for us with even more travelling than we are used to.
We had the great fortune of bringing SING to a lot of you, it is still what we love most (playing live) I hope it will always be so.
We played a lot of shows at home, travelled to see some of you in Switzerland, Czech ,the US and Canada again ........
and made our very first trips to Serbia and Paraguay.
Literally every single night is different , THANK YOU for coming to see us and bringing what you bring to the shows.

There was lots of other inspiring stuff around too, most recently we saw a fantastic Joseph Arthur show
and i went to a production of DESH that literally blew me away, (if you ever have the chance to see it you really should) ......
DruidMurphy was so powerful and I'm still seeing images from Alice Maher's retrospective in my mind.

There was some filming too in between gigs.....I had the chance to play (and learn about)
a fairly outrageous Irish woman called Eliza Lynch...the documentary about her life is coming to the Dublin Film Festival in Feb 2014 ......
and I had a bit in the Wachowskis new film-Jupiter Ascending..... An amazing experience for the opportunity to get to know them....
If you have never seen Lana Wachowski's coming out speech (it's about 25 mins long, SO worth it) google it right now.
I love them and their way of working.
Orphan Black is back for season 2 ,
Toronto becoming a great welcome for us since we played another show there and met some of the local musicians.......

There have been some difficult things too this year.......
someone very close to us became ill and life changed in the blink of an eye for them and all around them........
I think we were appreciative of our lives and energy already but we have become even more so....
there is no time to waste....you can sleep when you're dead.....
It spurred us to try to do even more of the things we think about late at night ( our heads are ALWAYS full of dreams and schemes).....
We did some touring with Heathers who we love and put a special show together with writer Peter Murphy for Electric Picnic.
There are some other projects in the pipeline but they will take a bit longer to come to fruition
so I won't jinx them by talking about them too soon........
And mOST IMPoRTANtLY ......we have made some space , through stopping gigging for a while ,
to let the songs for the next album in. ( we are obsessed with 50cent at the moment so I'm not sure where that'll go....!)

We will break out a few shows this year to road test the new songs
( beginning as always in SWITZERLAND IN JANUARY) and then a show in NEW YORK in FEBRUARY..
All deets for shows will always be up on the website
I think I always end up saying that I'm sorry I don't write to you more.....and I am!.........
it is not , for a second, that I take your support for granted........it is just that I'm busy growing boys and songs.......
And have just about enough hours in the day......

Have a lovely Christmas and we will see you somewhere on the road next year.

Amores
Xmaria


GREETINGS FROM THE OCEAN BED OCT 4th 2013...In a life-imitating-art (or at least songs) kind of way.

In a life-imitating-art (or at least songs) kind of way. "we are backed up so far" I cannot make enough time to write you a proper greetings…….but I thought at the very least I could give you an overall view…….a proper missal will follow before Christmas I promise

Amores
Xm

PS If anyone can name the song that line comes from there's a free badge/button to be sent your way!


GREETINGS FROM THE OCEAN BED OCT 10 2012.....Greetings from an Apple-filled Land

Hello to All

We've been having a time of it
THANK YOU so much to everybody who came to Vicar St
It was one of the best shows and nights we've ever had and we will carry it with us for a long time
Panti opening up was just hilarious, thanks to the efforts of Duchess the stage looked beautiful and thanks to all of you the love in the room was palpaple
Hot Press gave us a glowing review (KK has posted it on the website) ..... they called me a National Treasure...... That puts me on a par with stuff like......turf!

We were in a total haze on Monday as we headed off to Czech for 7 gigs in a row..... We had been offered even more shows but just couldn't face more time away from the smallies right now and in an effort to maximise our time away we chose to go straight through without a day off.......I was a bit nervous I have to say as I've never done that many shows back-to-back and was worried about my voice holding out.............but all was well.......we met lovely folks along the journey too

Wi-fi was kindof hit &miss but we DID have:

Roads lined with apple trees that were laden with fruit
Beautiful weather except for one storm and one rainy day
Very very grumpy petrol station attendents.......can't blame them, it's not the most stimulating job in the world and I didn't get the feeling they were exactly raking it in....
Kieran developed a major fondness for the dumpling things (Kvetnlici??) and I for poppy-seed cakes........the honour system in the bars where you don't pay for drinks as you get them (they make a tick on a little slip of paper at each round and you settle up at the end) provided it's own challenges too......enough said!
And we were given so many lovely things to remember people by.....flowers and books and memories

We love you Czech

There are a few more shows here I'd like yo see ye at(see below) ,then London & Spain.
New York and Switzerland will be in Jan and I don't know what's going to happen after that
We just got a US touring agent so there are plans to spend more time there next year

I thank you all again for spreading the SING love
We're planning to take it as far as we can

Amores amigos
Xm


GREETINGS FROM THE OCEAN BED SEPT 25 2012.....SINGing our heads off.... This weekend in particular!

Hello you shower of beauts

Oooh, hark at me getting another message out within a month....I am full of joy and enthusiasm(we both are actually) and have been so fueled by the positive response to SING that it is no hardship to knuckle down to a tiny bit more news spreading and ...... For several reasons.....next Sat Sept 29th is going to be our last Dublin show for some time.......and I really want to make sure that We get to celebrate SING with as many of you as possible in the fantastic venue that is Vicar ST.
SING came out at the end of August in Ireland and early Sept in the UK. We have had absolutely amazing reviews (I think KK has put them all on the news page of the website) , a truckload of positive vibrations from you, new folks seem to be finding the music daily and I even ended up on a magazine cover.....(The only reason I look half way decent in those photos is due to the remarkable talents of Leonard Daly and Luke Queen and I'm very grateful to them.) I still find it uncomfortable to have my photo taken (a small bit ridiculous given my profession and length of time in it ......true however.........) but they made me laugh and relax and feel like I was Gloria Swanson in Sunset Blvd..........

We have continued our run of playing in special venues with the Sirius in Cobh and Passion Theatre Athlone and Sarah Walker gallery CastletownBere most recently ........I think we will try to do that more and more.....it is definitely extra magic to look out over the Sea or hear the Storm outside, or take a boat over to the gig......

We don't have to change the venue in Vicar St as it's already a beautiful place to see & hear but we did want to have to MOST glamorous evening possible so our special guest on the night is the delicious, delectable and most desirable of women PANTI.
I am beyond thrilled ( and beside myself with glee at the wardrobe-off possibilities .......just watch my inner drag Queen come to the surface ) to share a stage with such wit and beauty.

I continue to thank you for your fantastic support, we never would have made it this far without you and I'm so glad we have, we're getting better as we get older (thankfully) and in the words of my mentor Patrick Scott......"you just have to keep making the work."

SING is here
We are very proud of it
Come and SING with us

Xxmaria


GREETINGS FROM THE OCEAN BED AUGUST 24 2012.....Hello from the Ocean Bed to the Land of Chickens (& to everywhere inbetween)

How are ye?
Perched perilously on the edge of the world, many of you, it seems.
We ( despite the fact that I can sense the approach of the school-run , sort-of like a truck full of half-eaten lunches and PE gear ) are very,very JOYFUL!
SING is finally here, made physical and ready to be heard. I'm very very proud of it and still think it's the best thing we've made (by a country mile).
I had another one of THOSE phone calls with John Prine which has lifted me up again..... I had given him a copy of the album about a month ago and heard nothing ......I was nervous.....did he like it?.......then he rang.....he LOVES it and thinks Kieran is a genius for creating YES WE WILL out of our simple recording in his front room.
He's right of course
SING the single has just been released and SING the album comes out tomorrow August 24th (Sept 10th in the UK)
10 tracks in all and a beauty.

1. Am I Choosing Right
2. Sing (featuring Damien Rice)
3. TheSilence
4. HolaLuna (featuring Paul Brady)
5. The Most Beautiful People Are Broken
6. Twelve White Horses
7. Sing From The Sea
8. Yes We Will ( featuring John Prine )
9. Sparky Personality
10. Promises

We have been playing a lot and thank you for the amazing support at the gigs, quite a few were sold out in the last run which is new for us and usually makes me cry (in a good way).
We've particularly enjoyed playing in the places that are not normally venues.....Sherkin and Bere Islands, Hook Lighthouse and Grove House in Schull......adds to the magic doesn't it?
We have a few more shows coming up
Aug 31st Sirius Arts Centre,Cobh
Sept 8th Passion Theatre, Athlone
Sept 21st Sarah Walker Gallery, CastletownBere (CultureNight)
And our main album launch gig
SEPT 29TH VICAR ST, DUBLIN (with very special guest PANTI - some woman for one woman)
Then we head off around Europe (as always all shows on the website mariadk.com)

I look forward to seeing ye at a show somewhere
THANK YOU FOR THE CONTINUED SUPPORT
And most of all ......spread the Love about SING

Amores

Xm


GREETINGS FROM THE OCEAN BED MAY 21 2012.........Pledgemusic & Gigs ...All Summer!

Mi Amigos

How feeling ye all?
We had this amazing blast (possibly the only one for this year) of sunshine yesterday...
We were in deepest Waterford and celebrated with a quick dance, lunch outside(yep, that warm) ...... And a sprinkling of sunburned necks by day's end
Delicious

It's all moving forward with the plans to release SING and we are cantering alongside it to keep up, it's got legs this one......

We released the first single Am I Choosing Right on May 11th in Ireland and performed on the Saturday Night Show to let folks know...... I was channeling my inner Diva ( the performance is up on the website if you missed it, thanks for the brilliant messages if you sent me one....... We had such a big reaction to it we won't be able to answer them all individually...., but we are delighted to receive them and thrilled with the reaction)

Some folks have come on board to steer the Mermaid ship through the waters of the British Isles so the single comes out over there on June 23rd

We will travel over to London just before that to do some promo ( particularly chuffed to be doing a session on the Dermot O Leary show on BBC Radio 2 on June 16th..... He has squillions of listeners and his sessions are highly prized........it's kind of amazing, and to his credit, that he is taking a chance on an independent and fairly unknown ( over there anyways) artist)

UK peeps...... I won't mind if you Phone/text/email in to BBC Radio 2 to say how much you are loving the session !

Irish peeps..... Ditto re the phone/text/email yourfavourite radio stations to ask them to play Am I Choosing Right

You guys are the best Promo we could possibly have

We've had loads of enquiries about the PLEDGE campaign also-
I think maybe I didn't explain it properly the last time.....if you know all about it already, you'll excuse me while I lay it out....I think it's the updates part of it that folks were most confused about
So------It's a crowdfunding way to raise funds for a particular project...our project is the release of SING
You can pre-order SING by Pledging 10€ , you can buy other stuff like private concerts etc by pledging other amounts if you are interested.....once you have pledged ANY amount you get access to the special updates.... We load previously unheard tracks and rare video footage every couple of days to our pledge page and they are in tne updates section and are just for Pledgers to see........

Phew.... I think that's clear enough, si? The link is here if you want to check it out

We will be playing all over Ireland and a couple of gigs in Czech,Austria and London over the next while(list below) and SING will be out middle of August!

Come and see us along the road somewhere

Take care in the meantime

Amores
Maria


GREETINGS FROM THE OCEAN BED APRIL 27 2012.........Hello Dear Chicken-Lickens

I know you will be gob-smacked to get a mail within a reasonable amout of time from the last one but things have moved to an absolute gallop here and I'm running with it.

We have just launched a Pledgemusic campaign to release SING joyfully into the world.
You can Pledge anything from 10€ to 10,000€ (I will jump out .of a plane for the 10k,,,,,yes,really......that's how much I believe in this album!) if you would like to be part of it all.
Have a look at the project here www.pledgemusic.com/mariadk and if you'ld like to pass it on to other folks,I'd be delighted......no pressure.

We are releasing the first single "Am I choosing right" in Ireland on May 11th and just working out how to get the album to you but planning for August.........yaayyyyy!

I say hello properly below.....

I thank you all for your great vibrations

Xm


GREETINGS FROM THE OCEAN BED MARCH 23 2012.......Good morning my lieblings ( not quite sure if that's a word, think I may just have gotten it from a Mel Brooks movie)

It is ALL kicking off in our world
The most important thing is that we have finished our album SING and ( even though I do say so myself) It is the best thing we have done in a country mile
10 songs
Duets with John Prine, Damien Rice, Paul Brady and , of course KK

Very beautiful altogether..........I am just bursting with pride and delight

It is called SING....there is a song called SING ( that one features Damien Rice ) but also so many references to singing throughout the album.......Sing from the Sea , a song that wonders how human connection can be made to be felt , after a person has died
The Silence......which is about finding your Voice...or maybe your identity in a bigger sense
Hola Luna ( which features Paul Brady )begins with the line " She walked across the mountain singing"..... It was the first song written , and inspired by being in Espana
Yes we Will (featuring John Prine) is a call to arms.......a survival yell for those attempting to stay in love........and on it goes....deliciously
And of course singing itself, the act of, how much I love to do it and hear it

(Current MDK audience winners are Dingle Deluxe Fri 16th March!) just by the way.......

We are as busy as loons with the gigs and the planning of how & when to get the album to you

I did a few other bits recently...... a miniseries called Titanic which starts airing this week ( I don't want to blow it for you but the ship sinks).....I was scuppered by soucriants in Neil Jordan's Byzantium and shot at in Anthony O Brien's The Timber.....

But it's going to be SING ,SING and more SINGing comng at ya for the foreseeable

Our first LONDON SHOWS are coming next week:
April 1st The Green Note,Camden (this one is a headline show and almost sold out)
April 3rd 8.30pm The Slaughtered Lamb,Clerkenwell (this is a short show and will be on time)
April 4th early (8 or 8.30pm) 12bar Club,Soho( again a short show )

I'm excited to be playing there and lookin forward to meeting ye Londoners
Thank you to the folks on twitter who have been making me laugh my head off for the last while( I apologise for the bad language today but the Mahon tribunal stuff made my head swim )

Other gigs coming up below

I promise a SINGle soon ( do you see what I did there....) and the album also soon(ish)

Keep in by the ditch
Random acts of kindness are a good thing to land on in a day......just sayin....

Xm


GREETINGS FROM THE OCEAN BED JAN 3 2012.......

My Dear Ones

Happy Happy New Year , I'm so glad it's here
I started this one off with a completely mental hair-do, a dress that moved like the sea and singing my head off in Vicar st with a big gang of friends, some old and some new ones…. ( particularly impressed with the voice of John Smith who I hadn't heard before….beautiful)
It was a great way to kick-off , I don't like that night of the year usually and try to hide somewhere….there's a weight of expectation about it that is sometimes hard to shake…….a feeling that you should be having a bigger/louder/higher time for yourself and that if you don't, your entire year is screwed……………..a load of old cobblers of course…..but like I said I usually hide………………
No such shenanigans this time ………and the year that will be in it, with SING almost complete( today is our LAST day of recording ) and due for release as soon as we can manage……..it was really good to set out our stall and face the new year in full throat…….
Lovely too to be part of the big gang that was Turning Pirate for the night…….all respect to them (Una Molloy is some woman for one woman to pull it all together)-more singers and players than you could shake a……….

In other news this week WE ARE ON OUR WAY back to SWITZERLAND…..the Land of Cheese + Chocolate behold,we cometh….
(Following my Christmas crisp-marathon however, I will be forsaking both the cheese and the chocolate)……but I am SO looking forward to the gigs

there is ONE CHANGE to what we had planned…..I have to dash back home for one day (Jan 7th) to complete some filming on Neil Jordan's project…Byzantium….i tried everything to change the date because I love Sommeri …..but I couldn't……..for anyone planning to go there you will still have an amazing night because Kieran is going to do a solo show ( all normal rules will be even more broken than usual as he's definitely going to talk……!) I will miss you but you will not miss me one bit….

I will see you HerE or TheRE I will see you AnyWHeRe
Mucho Amores

Xm


GREETINGS FROM THE OCEAN BED OCT 13 2011........Greetings and gigs

Hello Dear Ones

I have taken to Twitter recently so I know I have been communicating with some of you but neglecting others........mea culpa...
How are you all keeping ? We are in Dublin for a while now....( apart from a quick visit to Sligo this weekend).........its a stimulating place to be ....Dublin Contemporary( the barbed wire my favourite)......a great Fringe Festival ( were ye lucky enough to see Man of Valour?) and more Theatre than you can shake a .....going on still in the Festival proper.........

In real life the 6.45 am school rising time is a killer but the small people are coping admirably......

KK is determined to get work completed on the SING album....which means it WILL be done.....and in the meantime we have finished another recording project, an album of Lorca poetry.......Lorca was everywhere in our world when we returned from Spain......he was even appearing as bedtime reading for smallies till one of the boys rolled his eyes to heaven and groaned " not that bloody book again!"
We can but try...........

Thanks to everyone who has come out to the Irish shows over the last couple of months.....travelling around the coast was.a great way to spend August indeed.....

We have just a couple of gigs left while we try to finish recording.....

Model Arts Gallery, Sligo Sat 15th Oct ( this Sat!). and.....
Seamus Ennis Centre , Naul, Co. Dublin Fri 11th Nov

I look forward to seeing ye there or somewhere
Hang on......

Xmaria

Ps ..........for what it's worth, Michael D has my vote


GREETINGS FROM THE OCEAN BED JUNE 22 2011

Some gigs here ,Some gigs there, Singing happening everywhere.

My Little Chickens of the World Unite!
How are you all ?
We have been travelling hither and thither for a while now, singing our hearts out and heads off and learning new stuff.....
I can count to 5 in Hungarian( no mean feat I can tell you.....it's a secret code of a language )

I have to say thanks to the folks who came to the recent European shows...Vienna,Hartberg and Olomouc.....
and especially those who travelled so far........what an amazing time we had, more singing (mostly from you folks )
and playing than you could shake a stick at......a Lunar eclipse in Vienna,
a 15 th century tower to run to for the second encore in Hartberg (pied pipers indeed) .....
and Sunflowers and Chocolate cake in Olomouc........
We had such a good time and found something so special in what was happening it was really hard to adjust to real life...........
thankfully..there is great joy in coming home to the smallies ......
But we were sort- of bungling around the kitchen wondering where the stage was for a couple of nights
The connection was so strong, with the newest songs in particular that we are thinking of recording some of them
for the new album, in exactly that way, an acoustic show ( but for recording purposes the audience will have to be tiny...........
or maybe we can do a couple of nights......haven't really nailed it down, it's still more of a notion).....
it will probably be in West Cork in Sept...but I'll give you plenty of notice so you can apply if you want to be in the audience
The best way we share the songs is through live performance I think......the expression of them is different
and affected by the people who are in the room......but I think you folks know that already....

We had a couple of days in Venice at the beginning of June where our friend Corban Walker represented Ireland at the Biennale.......
there was so much beauty colliding it was hard to breathe......Corban's piece of work is stellar, intricate and delicate and formidably strong
at the same time....inspiring.......add to that the Art from all over the world......the beauty of Venice itself.....
The fact that 50 or so of us had travelled to be there to celebrate Corban so we were surrounded by people we loved.....
that Pat Scott had made the journey on the 50 th anniversary of his own appearance representing Ireland at the Biennale....
the connection between these two artists and seeing them there together......it was overwhelming.
16 of us celebrated Pat being there with a 16 hour lunch on Giudecca!
Not too feckin shabby!!

We will be gigging our heads off at home during August and Sept...........( one of the shows is in a lighthouse ... We are doing it there because KK thinks it will be especially magical....it is tiny though so book in advance for that one if you're feelin it )

Then a festival in Spain ( see below....dates always up on the website
anyway if you need to check).... and we've been invited to Nashville
in October so will try to co- ordinate some other U.S. Gigs with that
trip.......

So all in all busy
Happy
Singing

See you on the pitch

XMaria


GREETINGS FROM THE OCEAN BED....Happy Christmas...New Album...Gigs! JAN 2ND 2011

Greetings Earthlings,Swimmers and Others

Snow, snow , buckets , wheelbarrows, skies full of snow. Ireland is
soooooo over it ( Bah humbug to me) and I feel bad for those who've
been trying to travel through it........but doesn't it look
beautiful....a winter Wonderland
By next year we'll have our shit together in terms of snowploughs and
road-gritting and the like.......we had better, a taxi-man told me
today that it is going to come back every year for the next 10
years......and they always know everything.
We have working like LUNATICS in the studio ever since we came home
from LA. I was very homesick after 4 months there though it was a
great time. I could not wait for some rain, some old friends and a
tuna sandwich from Simon's place.
Back we returned to Pickering Forest where KK ( a slave to the studio,
he has to be surgically removed from it at week's end) had already
completed recording the music for THE STORMS ARE ON THE OCEAN album.
We've since finished all the singing and what-not and it will be
available on I-TUNES on JAN 27th so knock yereselves out!
My favourite song is the title track but they are all beauts I have to
say........old,old songs from the turn of the century . It's different
from Mutter, very old-school and simple but really beautiful.
Let me know what you think and pass the word if you're diggin it.

We went to Maureen O Hara's 90th birthday recently.....yep that
Maureen O Hara, yep she's 90. It was kind of amazing to meet
her.....she has a mad look that goes through you, like she is mining
your soul with her eyes.......hang on, I feel a song coming
on...........

We have almost finished SING too, our album of original songs,90%
there.......end of Jan I would say , a CRACKER! I could not be more
delighted with myself.

I've taken a short break from the studio to film a movie with Glenn
Close(a dote) among other luminaries.it's called Albert Nobbs and is
set in the late 1800's. Back into corsets(instant tiny waist-love
that ) and in very good company......it's a spit and a polish kind of
part for me i.e. tiny, but always good to be surrounded by quality and
I'm enjoying the opportunity of observing great actors do their
thing........

We are making our annual Swiss pilgrimage! Hurray, great gigs
coming....... Jan 6th-9th
And an acoustic show in Odessa club, Dublin Jan 27th to celebrate the
launch of THE STORMS ARE ON THE OCEAN.

KK and I would especially like to thank Annette,Anto, Billie, Erin ,Joe
Strudel and Madeleine for their constant support ........

And Thanks to you folks for all the great messages , I love your crazy
asses .

It's going to be a GREAT year.

Xmdk


GREETINGS FROM THE OCEAN BED......1st EVER acoustic show in Los Angeles......Sept 8th 2010

My dear amigos
I have been shamed into getting my house in order and writing to you after an encounter with a lovely man in Trader Joes ( a supermarket and not a bar believe it or not )............he was kind enough to stop me (mid-shop, children squawking, the usual..........!) and say how much he liked the music, and how much he enjoyed reading the "greetings from..." when they came out....all this accompnied by a slight roll of the eyes towards heaven i.e. there hasn't been a "greetings...' to read for a while........mea culpa..................

I do try.......but there's just so much living to do in a day...............

we are having a summer in Los Angeles..........sounds kind-of swanky doesn't it?................like when F.Scott Fitzgerald used to summer in france or Italy or such like...

The chance to be here came out of the blue, an offer of a part in a TV series called Dexter.....the kind of show where it will all end in tears (and possibly blood ).I actually cant tell you anything about the new series or I would have to kill you....though many of you who Twitter seem quite happy with that deal, that some small bits of info would be your dying learning.!..........ha ha ha, you loons...............
We all felt that a change, and some sunshine, would be good and so here we are...........

it has been a very positive experience so far, Los Angeles is a surprisingly friendly place and we've been lucky with a place to live......................we have been cramming in museums,gigs,beaches theatre- going (there IS good theatre if you look for it ).....................the boys are in love with an old-LA burger joint called The Apple Pan, it's on Pico............and.it is special, like stepping back in time.....................

i'm enjoying the driving now that i've gotten used to it ................we don't usually have to be anywhere at rush hour.....................it is a huge and sprawling city but that also means as you're driving ,a sense of space......possibility even........................the skyline is gorgeously blue and orange and lined with palm trees....

There are days too when you can feel ,almost touch, the sadness in the air..............like a big cloud of all the disappointment felt here....................and there's no doubt it would be a tough town to survive in.............we are having a chance to be here in the security of some work and an income..I almost felt guilty at first, you get used to living in a precarious manner........................now I'm enjoying it and am thankful of catching a break, think we deserve it..........................

VERY EXCITED about 1st ever MDK acoustic gig in LA...........very little time to promote so PLEASE tell everyone you know who would dig it (and can come!)........

Weds 8th Sept at 9pm at THE MINT, 6010 west pico..............................

See you there or somewhere.

xmdk


GREETINGS FROM THE OCEAN BED USA/CANADA TOUR NEWS APRIL 20TH 2010

I,m so,so disappointed not to be getting over there to play but there,s nothing to be done about it I,m afraid..........Damm and tarnation.........of all the things that could have kept us away -a Volcano? Who,ld have thought................we will reschedule the shows as soon as possible..................thanks for all the messages of support.... KK and I look forward to meeting the senders of them when we finally make it over to you.
Look out for each other

xxxmdk


GREETINGS FROM THE OCEAN BED APRIL 13TH 2010

Coming to the U.S. and Canada NEXT WEEK!....plus some tales from Vienna.....and Naul...record going to be beautiful

Amigos
Really and truely it has been sunny here for 3 days in a row now, I think I,m a little delirious, in a good way.................most of the folk you pass on the street are smiling,humming to themselves and ( in uniquely Irish fashion) not really wearing enough clothes....it,s not that warm! Still it certainly feels like something has lightened and that,s welcome......................as our banks and Insurance companies go down the swanny, our freckles arrive.......fair swop.
I,m really excited to be playing my first ever MDK shows in CANADA (Waterloo,The Starlight,Sun 18th April......Toronto,Hugh,s Room,Tues April 20th) and the U.S. ( New York,The Bowery Electric,Fri April 23rd). I,ve Been wanting to come and play there for a while and it,s finally come together.....................as they are my first shows there, not a lot of people know what to expect, and our little record label MERMAID has not quite managed to conquer the airwaves ( I should probably not call the next single something like FUCKABILITY!).........SO......if you like the music that KK and I are making PLEASE tell everyone you know in the vicinity to come to hear us........we,re travelling a long way and it would be really great if there were some people to play to...........................
We were back in VIENNA in March......................it just gets more glorious.......what a beautiful place and we met more interesting folk........................the Irish Ambassador and his lovely Missus came to our gig and afterwards to the Cafe Lange for a massive session where they both sang.................fair feckin play....................perfect cultural representatives for Ireland................still EGON SCHIELEing my head off everyime I,m there ...what a masterful painter........................and I know I was tweeting about this BUT it is absolutely shocking that there are advertising billboards on the front of the Seccession building ........................ the motto over the door reads" For every age it,s art: for art it,s freedom"..............how would you call that artistic freedom.................huge advert,s for loo paper on one of the most significant galleries in Vienna, KLIMT must be turning in his grave..........................grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
On a really positive note, if you find yourself near the village of NAUL do yourself a favour and check out what,s going on in The Seamus Ennis Centre....................a jewel of a gig, small but perfectly formed .....................we had an amazing night,thank you all those who came ( WONDERFUL SINGING!) and we will definitely come back.

Long may the Sun shine on us all
Le meas
x Maria


GREETINGS FROM THE OCEAN BED JAN 19TH 2010

hello my folk friends ,foes,flakes,lunatics....all welcome (well....meanness in a person I can,t abide)... honestly though, who knew Switzerland was such great craic.....we kinda did, but this time blew it all out tof the water................let,s face it ,as a nation it doesn,t have the best reputation in the world for crazy fun-loving........................but that,s what I,m going to tell you.....the people we met on our tour were VERY FUN, a little bit MENTAL even, warm and generous and LOVING THEIR MUSIC...........................Oh we had ourselves a veritable chocolate/cheese love affair with the place................SINGING AUDIENCE WINNERS= BASEL (by a mile!)........SPECIAL AWARD TO SOMMERI - inventive clapping....................... anyone going through THUN must stay in SCHWERT- gasthaus/hotel, just beautiful....... Special thanks to DUCHESS who travelled with us and threatened to beat anyone who didn,t buy a cd.......................................and MARY GOUGH( sure she,ld say Mass!) for doing all the minding at home for us......................all combined we returned full of energy and passion for the new songs and with some money in our mitts......we went straight into the studio and spent the last three days recording.........................I,m way beyond happy about the new stuff, I can,t wait to share it and most certainly won,t take years to get it to you this time...................... Acoustic show in Odessa Club ,Dublin for anyone who is around this Thurs 21st Jan......if you email us your name before noon thurs we will put you on the guest list! A New Year,s present from us.........................a comfy place to see us but come early for swanky sofa position ( doors 9, we singing 9.30 I think)..............................more shows end of the month away(Vienna,Olomouc ) - check site for dates/times.................................... will go in recording again beginning of Feb and I,ll keep you posted but this seems to be as perfect a road as I,ve been on in a while .............................play the songs live-feel them become themselves-then hotfoot to studio with help form passing friends and vagabonds................................hmmmmmmmm.........................excuse me I feel a verse coming on All Hail the Tunes See ye thurs or somewhere xmdk


GREETINGS FROM THE OCEAN BED DEC 24TH 2009

Thanks for all the replies.....you voted overwhelmingly in favour of me writing whenever I get around to it ( although a few of you did saythat it wouldn,t hurt if the messages were a tad more frequent) and ,touchingly, all said that you always read my mails as you know they,re from me............................................and here I am pleasing everyone( a most unusual occurance) with a quick follow up...............I totally forgot to tell you that we,ve recorded a Christmas song...HAVE YOURSELF A MERRY LITTLE CHRISTMAS.....if it,s good enough for Judy...! It,s a very simple version of one of my favourite songs and if you want it it,s available on itunes.........................if you happen to be listening to Irish radio on Christmas morning ,I recorded the song with the RTe Orchestra and it will be part of the Christmas miscellany show on rte radio 1 ..........................also KK and I performed a new song on Tommy and Hector,s new tv show which will be broadcast on Dec 27th...............I will keep in touch in a more frequent way via twitter (mariadkennedy) and I wish you all A VERY HAPPY CHRISTMAS AND HOPE FOR 2010.

See some of you in Switzerland ,Czech and Austria in Jan
Tabhair aire

xx mdk


GREETINGS FROM THE OCEAN BED DEC 3RD 2009

hello my chickens
I have been missing for a while I know..........................could you vote on that actually............many of you berate me for not being in touch more often, but many more say they like the infrequent but well intentioned catch up...............which is it to be? In reality , the internet is not my medium and I find it hard to fit in it to my day/week/life. I have set up a facebook ( with the wonderful assistance of lovely Erin Laffin ) and I am managing to tweet once a week(!) .............do you really need to know more about me? Is it not better if I just check in when Iv,e somethingto tell y,all?

I got an unbelievable A in my Irish exam by the way......ha ha ,delighted with meself.......visions of Des Bishop and I modh coinniollach-ing away in a seisiun somewhere out west..............I loved learning again and particularly a poem by Eithne Strong...da m,bfheidir aris dar gcumann..........

I,m off to sing with SNOW PATROL this weekend if anyone around Killarney fri 4th and Castlebar sun 6th dec.............should be a bit of craic....they have 11 extra musicians on the road...................strings ,harps more pianos than you can shake a stick at..................it,s an amazing sound

we are in the middle of recording which is blissful...........there are quite a few guests popping in and I really feel it,s going to be a beauty...............

we went to see the recent BARABBAS show about the Irish clown Johnny Patterson..........it is going to tour next year ..make sure you get to see it if you can, it gives you that feeling ( I think it is the feeling I get from all artistic endeavour that really cuts it), a feeling of being connected,plugged in,inspired .........it gives me hope for the highest possibilities ........for all of us. It,s a very welcome feeling...a lot of the time the world can seem like an horrific mess where the bad guys constantly get away with murder and most people have a very miserable time of it.

There is a wonderful line in the show (written, by the way, by LITTLE JOHN NEE )..............lives are destroyed by the accumulation of tiny disappointments gathering momentum.........I,ve already told him I,m going to steal it for a song....but I was just thinking that the corollary is also true........................lives are made so much better by the accumulation of tiny kindnesses that snowball into a kind-of karmic roll

be good to each other when possible....................I,m not advocating sainthood and we all have shit days BUT many of us are at the coal-face in a very basic way right now..........despair is the enemy..........there,s a great BACON exhibition in the Hugh Lane
at the moment if you,re in Dublin (for the feeding of the head -excuse the pun).................and - call me easily placated if you must- a small act of kindness makes the world less terrifying

AND FINALLY............ON THE REPRIMAND FRONT...............................WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE WHO TALK TO YOU WITH A MOUTH FULL OF FOOD......................................................HEAVEN SPARE ME .......THERE IS NO MORE HORRIBLE SIGHT.......................................!!

Have a magical week

best

xmdk


GREETINGS FROM THE OCEAN BED APRIL 6TH 2009

Hola Mer-folk

What of life in 2009?I better start off with the Joy because there,s so much doom/gloom/misery-guts about the place while here at Mermaidsville we are ecstatic.The reason being we are going to do some recording with the legendary and magical John Prine.Hurray say we.It has never happened to me before but as soon as we had written "yes we will" one of the new songs, I heard his voice on it. I managed to get the song to him and he wants to sing it with me! We met up for an afternoon in Ireland to work it out and are trying to figure out our schedules ( a quality problem as Bronagh would say) so that we can record proper. He is based in Nashville and KK and I have never been there so that seems like an exciting possibility,I can,t wait.

Otherwise we are working away sticking our life together with bits of string in an attempt to fit everything in. My Oral Irish exam is on Weds.............aaaaaaaaaaaaaagh.........deanfaidh me iarracht maith (mhaith?) ar aon nos............other bits of Joy flying around the place ...the tulips are up, Ben Lee,s gig in the Sugarclub last night was great and I laughed my head off watching Bill Bailey live at Hammersmith.

thanks to those who came to the Bantry gig

some more gigs coming up :

I,m looking forward to the shows and to seeing ye all again

Onwards ,onwards towards the SUN

xmdk


GREETINGS FROM THE OCEAN BED DEC 10TH 2008

Hello my dearest Pearl- gatherers

many helpings of yuletide joy to you all
we had a wonderful time on our little jaunt through Europe recently ,thanks to Joe and Hannibal for minding us in Vienna and the hard pressed upon staff of the Cafe Lange for putting up with us all till the wee hours(lovely to meet Wallis Bird and her crew over there,and we were conscious of the fact that we had a national reputation to maintain- my band of Maria,s doing the country proud!), to Vladamir and the Land of the Olomouc-ians for singing and snow filled gothic landscapes which made us feel like children/and as if we were in a Gorky park kind-of movie; the crazy Brno-iacs......you definitely get the party prize, and Bratislava where our lady Ambassador( I kid you not) and her second in command ,the lovely Hilda joined us in harmony ( once again, not kidding) and Ivy took beautiful photos............................................it was a lot of fun,the band of Maria children helmed by the fabulously turned out Jens and Cristal ( I think you can see everyone in KK,s video )..................a lot of new dance moves sprang into existence........my personal favourite has to be The Nest,followed closely by Liverdance................................................good to play the new tunes...........still percolating the new Album but finding it hard to make recording time........................just have a lot of children to attend to!!................................Next year looming and looking lucky to me.

So sorry but the gig in Ballycotton is cancelled this coming weekend....................nothing to do with us and can,t be helped but really apologise to anyone inconvenienced...................if you have made arrangements to travel please let us know and we will try to make it up to you sometime later..........................................

We would like to give all ye faithful a little Christmas present.................a free album of your choice..............hurray! The offer is open till Dec. 19th and we will do our best to have them sent out quickly. If you want one just go to the shop page on the website,click the button that says special offer -mailing list only.......choose your album and we will need your credit card details just to charge 1 euro for postage and packing........................HAPPY CHRISTMAS to all. I hope it,s magical in some tiny way ( not being mean about the magic,just if it,s a huge type you have to shout about it,if it,s tiny you can just notice it and smile and hold on to a laugh inside)
I thank you for your good wishes and encouragement

In the countdown to turkeydom I am going to try to do one extra thing for someone else every day..........if anyone wants to join in I would love to hear if it leads you to any unexpectedness............the good -but boring - stories we can keep to ourselves!

Will we go,now we,re here, on to the next thing
Will we take just one more hill
Will we go now we,re here, onwards and over
Will we take it ,Oh yes we will
Oh yes we will

See you next year........

Amores

xmdk


GREETINGS FROM THE OCEAN BED NOV 14TH 2008

Cen chaoi a bhfuil sibh?

Truely settled back now- my Flamenco dress at the back of the wardrobe and much of my week consumed with the mastering of my native tongue- BACK IN SCHOOL- who.ld have thought,certainly not me. The buzzing of the Spanish words and music in my head set off a huge desire to dig deeper into my own culture and so I am beginning with the language - studying for the honours Irish leaving cert paper next June - HOLY SHIT - what have I let myself in for - and of course my standards are so bloody high I am looking for a serious result............watch this space.............it is really stimulating and I have been lucky enough to find a gifted teacher in my local VEC but it is also REALLY HARD to get my clunky brain up to speed.......ahem..............................

thank you Parterre(ers), BASEL for your singing - current leaders in the MDK harmony contest!

Looking forward to some more gorilla gigging this week and onward

Fri Nov 14th Portlaoise - Eist music,Kavanaghs ,Main St 9pm

( I,m getting an award earlier that night in the Mansion House so will be jumping into a speeding vehicle to go directly to gig-how glamorous is my life!)

thurs 20th Nov AUSTRIA- Porgy and Bess,Riemergassa 11,Vienna- 7pm
fri 21st Nov CZECH -Jazz Tibet Club,Olomouc-7pm
sat 22nd Nov CZECH-Stara Pekarna, Brno- 7pm
sun 23rd Nov SLOVAKIA - Heineken tower Stage,Pribinova 25,Bratislava - 7pm

Dec 31st and Jan 1st Bellinter House Hotel,Co Meath

A few new songs peacocking around the place at the shows

CONGRATULATIONS OBAMA.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

See ye here or there

Go Dte sibh slan

xmdk


GREETINGS FROM THE OCEAN BED SEPT 3rd 2008

And how are we finding ourselves in Sept.....?
I know it,s still raining but it,s sort of romantic rain.........................
Our going out time absolutely precious due to the minding of smallies so making sure it is crammed with mind/soul nourishment including..................No Man,s Land at the Gate Theatre..............everybody in it is great but David Bradley is astonishing........................also just heard about an Art Raid on at the end of the month.....Iv,e never been to one before but apparently the deal is that you buy a ticket and at the end of the evening a siren goes off and you get to steal the art...........sounds like a good chance to release your inner cat burgler...............it is being run by this great young dublin graffiti artist and he has gathered alot of interesting pieces ......it is on 24th and 25th sept and you can buy a ticket from the graffitti shop in temple bar......................unfortunately could not get to see My Bloody Valentine at the weekend but will make sure to see them somewhere else as they continue their tour

the new songs are coming on sprightly
a chance to hear one or two this month...Friday 5th sept Ballinamore,Co. Leitrim
Sat 20th Sept Late Lounge, Kildare (full Band)
Fri 26th Sept Bally bofey, Co. Donegal

all acoustic shows except for Kildare..................................................have a huge desire to upsticks and move again so the little jaunts around the country will keep me happy for now.....................................................thank you to the folk who came out to see us in Drogheda and to the Spook of the Thirteenth Lock who opened up and to Sandra for looking after us...................................................

soon my pretties

xmdk


GREETINGS FROM THE OCEAN BED JULY 16th 2008

Hola and goodday

We have been invited to play in the salubrious surroundings of Bantry House,West Cork this coming Saturday July 19th ( further info available from mdklive@eircom.net ) it will be an acoustic show featuring my new flamenco dress.....for those of you who are feeling classy..................! Otherwise all well. i did promise to write at the beginning of the month so I,m nearly on the timing...............settled back into Irish ways with the knowledge that as soon as we can coax all the family into a moving vehicle we will be off again................travelling suits us , and even more than just moving, settling somewhere for half a year suits us perfectly. Of course the days go by as days do,some more slowly than others, but the chunk of time is the blink of an eye.

One of the most interesting things about the move was the idea of identity..................it was inspiring ( also challenging and sometimes isolating) to be somewhere out of your (one,s ) normality. The people you meet have no preconceptions about you , there is no preassigned role to play.The Spanish people we became closest to had a particularly strong sense of place..............firstly they were from their town,secondly Andalucian,thirdly Spanish,fourthly European..............and many other subtle distinctions of course........it has been roaming around my brain and pushing me to look at Ireland through a different lens.....................also a big part of going away I suppose.....................

we,ve been asked to do a couple more shows that I fancy over the summer ( I,ll send word ) ...............

tangentially ( spelling looks dodge, too tired to look for dictionary, answers in an relpy email please..)

1. Cormac McCarthy- The Road - is huge
2.everyone needs to laugh HAVE YOU SEEN NAPOLEAN DYNAMITE YET? It,s been around for a while but even second viewing is a positive vibration
3. If you are in Ireland right now you should really try to see Bill Viola,s show in the Galway Arts Festival. I haven,t seen it yet but can,t wait

Amores Amigos

xmdk


GREETINGS FROM THE OCEAN BED 17TH APRIL 2008

Hola Compadres
I am sitting looking across at the (my) mountain as I write and consider myself one of the luckiest of people. We have moved to Andalucia, Spain for a while seeking a simpler life and inspiration from a culture
we adore.
We have found much to hold on to.
Life is never simple for long but we have less of the distractions of home and are surrounded by beautiful countryside and enough sunshine to enjoy the beauty.
Arriving somewhere and not knowing anyone has meant we have been each others company.Time it,s hard to make or find at home and a great way to get to know the newest member of our family.

Hard to describe really how beautiful it is here or how friendly the people, but it,s not a lyrical or whimsical beauty, it,s a practical industrious place, but one where the people still have time for themselves and for each other. Long may it last.

The new album is cooking nicely in the Andalucian frying pan - a joyful one.

Much more to tell ,of the majestic flamenco music we are seeing and hearing; KK,s newest obsession
(Picasso ,of course) ;that we can sit on a balcony and see the Earth revolving (not feel it, Gregory,s Girl anyone?) but see it because the stars move across the mountain in front of us; the overwhelming beauty of the Alhambra……………………

Nothing is surer than that everything will change , and what are we saving ourselves for anyway….

Amores Amigos
May the Duende be with you
xmdk