Pieces

Album: Becoming a Jackal (2010)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Villagers are an Irish band fronted by Conor J. O'Brien. Their debut album Becoming a Jackal was released in Ireland on 14 May 2010, topping the charts there. The following week it came out in the rest of Europe and the United Kingdom and then in North America a fortnight later.
  • On the doo-wop-tinged climax to the album, Conor O'Brien, breaks into howling. The frontman told Mojo magazine that he penned the song immediately after his first band, The Immediate, disintegrated in 2006 leaving him, "in pieces, in the corner of the room. In an endless afternoon." But wanting to rein in the morose mood, he conceived the idea that, "a touch of theatre can really connect with people. And howling was such an incredible feeling! But it was really weird too. I recorded Pieces at 3am in a loft outhouse, and the very next morning, a pack of dogs appeared, and for the next few nights I was kinda terrified because they were all walking around the house, and I've never seen them again since."
  • O'Brien told The Sun August 6, 2010. "Howling is an intensely primal thing. It is something, which is generally frowned upon in most areas of everyday life. I see it as somewhat of a coup that I've managed to put myself in the position whereby I do it almost every day in an intensely public space."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Queen

QueenFact or Fiction

Scaramouch, a hoople and a superhero soundtrack - see if you can spot the real Queen stories.

Martyn Ware of Heaven 17

Martyn Ware of Heaven 17Songwriter Interviews

Martyn talks about producing Tina Turner, some Heaven 17 hits, and his work with the British Electric Foundation.

Amy Grant

Amy GrantSongwriter Interviews

The top Contemporary Christian artist of all time on song inspirations and what she learned from Johnny Carson.

Leslie West of Mountain

Leslie West of MountainSongwriter Interviews

From the cowbell on "Mississippi Queen" to recording with The Who when they got the wrong Felix, stories from one of rock's master craftsmen.

Pete Anderson

Pete AndersonSongwriter Interviews

Pete produced Dwight Yoakam, Michelle Shocked, Meat Puppets, and a very memorable track for Roy Orbison.

Female Singers Of The 90s

Female Singers Of The 90sMusic Quiz

The ladies who ruled the '90s in this quiz.