Cathy Davey

Cathy Davey biography

Cathy Davey (born 1979) is an Irish singer-songwriter. She has released one extended play, "Come Over" (2004), and three albums, Something Ilk (2004), Tales of Silversleeve (2007) and The Nameless (2010). Her second album garnered her a Choice Music Prize nomination, Meteor Award for Best Irish Female, and spawned a number of successful singles including "Reuben", "Moving" and "Sing for Your Supper". The Nameless was the top selling album in Ireland upon the week of its release. It was also nominated for the Choice Music Prize.

Davey has performed at several international events, including representing Ireland at the Eurosonic Festival in Groningen, the Netherlands, and performing at the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas. She has also performed at other large exhibitions and festivals in Ireland, including Electric Picnic, Indie-pendence and The Music Show. Davey has worked with Autamata, Elbow and The Duckworth Lewis Method as well as providing support for Graham Coxon, R.E.M. and Supergrass.

The Irish Times placed Davey third in a list of "The 50 Best Irish Acts Right Now" published in April 2009, saying "There's no better female songwriter in Irish music right now". Tales of Silversleeve was named sixth best Irish album of 2007 by John Meagher of the Irish Independent and ninth best album of the decade by Jim Carroll, Tony Clayton-Lea and Lauren Murphy of The Irish Times.

Background

Davey was born in Dublin, daughter of composer Shaun Davey and sculptor Agnes Conway. At the age of ten she moved with her mother, grandmother and sister Ali to Wiltshire, where they lived for several years. On their return to Dublin they settled in Monkstown. where Davey spent the rest of her teenage years. The first live performance Davey attended was An Emotional Fish with The Stunning on St Stephen's Green. She initially intended to be an artist and to develop her interest in music in her leisure time but the offer of a record deal changed that. She is an animal lover, particularly parrots, and has a dog called Rex.

Style

Davey has been referred to as "Ireland's Björk". The comparison caused the Irish Independents Ed Power to comment in one 2009 review: "Alas, such comparisons are probably inevitable when your favourite mode of communication is an ethereal yelp and your songs are populated with a raggle-taggle of yearners, outsiders and freaks". Hot Press compared the music on Something Ilk to the works of PJ Harvey and Nina Hynes. Davey's second album, Tales of Silversleeve, based its sound on the rhythm of the drums. Her records have achieved platinum sales.

Davey was initially uncomfortable with being described as a singer-songwriter but is now more accepting of the term.

Career

Cathy Davey first came to be known as a backing vocalist alongside Carol Keogh for Ken McHugh's project Autamata. Her rise had been low-profile; she did not perform live until she had signed her record deal. Her four-track debut EP, "Come Over", released in 2004, and in which she "swoops and yelps her way through proceedings with her distinctive voice", was described by the magazine as "inviting comparisons with others before deciding that she'd rather be completely unique if it's all the same with you".

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