O Sleep

Album: Passenger (2011)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Irish singer and multi-instrumentalist Lisa Hannigan linked up with the producer/singer-songwriter Joe Henry (Solomon Burke, Ani DiFranco) for her second album, Passengers. The pair met at a 2010 tribute concert in London in honour of Kate McGarrigle where she was performing "Tell My Sister."
  • Hannigan began writing for the album in late 2009 and only completed it in March 2011. However, she and Henry spent a mere week laying down the tracks in Wales. Passengers was released in the US and Canada on September 20, 2011 and in the Republic of Ireland on October 7, 2011.
  • This song is a duet with Ray LaMontagne - the collaboration came out about after Hannigan emailed the American singer-songwriter's management. "I really wanted to have a proper duet on the record," she told Jam! Music. "He was at the top of my list. I absolutely adore his voice, such an incredible singer, and I thought it was worth an ask and OK, he said yes. But he's so wonderful, he's such a wonderful musician, and it was such a treat to get to sing with him."
  • Hannigan recorded the music and her vocals in Wales then went down to the London studio to be with LaMontagne when he recorded his part.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Colbie Caillat

Colbie CaillatSongwriter Interviews

Since emerging from MySpace with her hit "Bubbly," Colbie has become a top songwriter, even crafting a hit with Taylor Swift.

Emilio Castillo from Tower of Power

Emilio Castillo from Tower of PowerSongwriter Interviews

Emilio talks about what it's like to write and perform with the Tower of Power horns, and why every struggling band should have a friend like Huey Lewis.

Rock Revenge Songs

Rock Revenge SongsMusic Quiz

John Lennon, Paul Simon and Lynyrd Skynyrd are some of the artists who have written revenge songs. Do you know who they wrote them about?

Director Paul Rachman on "Hunger Strike," "Man in the Box," Kiss

Director Paul Rachman on "Hunger Strike," "Man in the Box," KissSong Writing

After cutting his teeth on hardcore punk videos, Paul defined the grunge look with his work on "Hunger Strike" and "Man in the Box."

Jim Adkins of Jimmy Eat World

Jim Adkins of Jimmy Eat WorldSongwriter Interviews

Jim talks about the impact of "The Middle" and uses a tree metaphor to describe his songwriting philosophy.

David Gray

David GraySongwriter Interviews

David Gray explains the significance of the word "Babylon," and talks about how songs are a form of active imagination, with lyrics that reveal what's inside us.