Lisa Hannigan biography
Lisa Margaret Hannigan (born 12 February 1981) is an Irish singer, songwriter, and musician. For several years she was a member of Damien Rice's band before beginning her solo career in 2008. To date she has released two albums: Sea Sew (2008) and Passenger (2011).
Hannigan has been the recipient of various award nominations and critical praise both in Ireland and the USA. She has performed and been associated with Cathy Davey, Mic Christopher, Mick Flannery, David Kitt and members of Snow Patrol, The Frames and Bell X1. She has performed at the Glastonbury Festival both as a solo artist and with Damien Rice.
Early life and education
Hannigan was born in Dublin but grew up in Kilcloon, County Meath, Ireland. in Kilcloon and secondary school at The King's Hospital in Palmerstown. At the age of eighteen, she enrolled at Trinity College, Dublin, where she studied Art History.
Career
2001-2007
Hannigan began her six year collaboration with Damien Rice at a concert in the Temple Bar Music Centre in Dublin in early 2001. As a member of Rice's live performance band, she contributed vocals and on occasion electric guitar, bass and drums.
In 2007, Hannigan left the Damien Rice band to pursue a solo career.
"It was upsetting, but worse things have happened. For everybody it was coming to the end of its cycle." She was comforted by members of The Magic Numbers and has not spoken to Rice since the split.
2008-2010
Some of Hannigan's live recordings were made available through trading networks radio shows. These recordings included: "Willy" by Joni Mitchell, "Be My Husband" by Nina Simone (from the 1965 album
Pastel Blues), "Mercedes Benz" by Janis Joplin and "Love Hurts" by Roy Orbison. Hannigan also performed live with her own band, called The Daisy Okell Quartet and contributed guest vocals to the recordings of Mic Christopher, The Frames and Herbie Hancock.
Lisa Hannigan's debut solo album, titled Sea Sew, was rehearsed in a barn in Thomastown and recorded in Dublin before being released in Ireland in September 2008. The sleeve featured needle-work by Hannigan. Some music critics called the recording one of the best Irish albums of the year.
Sea Sew was played on the American radio station KCRW and received favorable reviews in the Los Angeles Times and The New York Times. The single "Lille", released in August 2008 on Irish and American radio stations. Hannigan performed at Electric Picnic 2008. Hannigan supported singer-songwriter Jason Mraz on a 42-date U.S. tour in 2008.
Also in 2008, she appeared on the charity album Even Better Than the Disco Thing and performed a duet of Mick Flannery's new song "Christmas Past" with Flannery on Tony Fenton's Christmas Special on Today FM. In December 2008, she made her UK solo debut at St Johns Church in London. Hannigan signed with ATO Records in the U.S., where her album was released in February 2009.
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