About Alice Jago
Alice Jago’s name is reverberating around The National Stadium at Badly Drawn Boy’s 2023 Dublin show in the National Stadium. Celebrating his 25th Year as an artist the Mercury Prize winner is proclaiming her to be his favourite support act ever after her mesmerizing set.
Working in record shops after she left school gave Alice an opportunity to dig ever deeper into music and she immersed herself in World Music, Blues, Roots, Jazz, Folk, Indie, Pop, Punk and Classical. “I also went to two gigs a night most nights,” she enthuses. “And started to spend time in recording studios, attending night sessions just to see how it worked.”
".. Neat rhyming couplets and louche-limbed melodies peeping out from under a look that’s gazing decidedly askance at the world. Folk-fuelled arrangements, including banjo and bouzouki...but the wistful guitar lines whisper of a kinship with the more left-field musings of Joanna Newsom." **** Irish TImes.
At the same time she was hanging out in The International Bar meeting players and songwriters. “This was my real training ground. It became a community, a source of support and friendships that I still have to this day. From there my own songwriting grew and playing a lot of live gigs helped me to conquer my onstage nerves – I wasn’t going to let stage fright stop me! The live shows have continued to flow and over recent years she has shared stages with everyone from Damien Dempsey, Declan O’Rourke to Eric Bogle, Roger McGuinn, not forgetting Paul Heaton, Calexico and Elvis Costello.
"Beautifully produced.. exquisite debut…a breezier Gillian Welch, a folkier Rickie Lee Jones, a touch of Dusty on the vocal." **** Hotpress
Jago released her debut album, “Born Stubborn” on her own label in 2011, showcasing her distinctive voice, sweet turn of phrase and tunes layered with rich harmonies telling tales of the intricacies, trials and tribulations of everyday life. Alice Jago was the winner of The RTÉ Radio 1 Folk, Roots, Country Bursary award with her song ‘Cotton On Girl’. Alice is also a recipient of The Arts Council Agility Award (Ireland) which enabled her to part fund her new Album.
Born Stubborn, "one of the best songs written by an Irish person." Singer Songwriter Paddy Casey
The first single, “High Time”, taken from Alice Jago’s self produced second album titled ‘Look To The Sky’. “It is about how the tide always turns,” she explains. “No matter what day it is or what year things are always moving and always changing.”
The Album features a host of incredible Irish musicians with Robbie Malone on Double Bass ( David Gray , Lir), Dave Hingerty on Drums ( Josh Ritter, Kila) and David Hopkins (Mark Stoermer from The Killers, LiR.) providing string arrangements & synths.
"..Alice Jago returns with arguably her best single yet.It’s set to a beautiful lilting groove of acoustic guitar, bass, drums and strings ‘that soothe the soul immensely." ***** The Goo Magazine
The follow up was ‘Laugh it off ‘ that shows her alt country Americana style in all its glory.
"..Another delicious slice of laid back pop…a country lilt informs this song that encapsulates Jago’s genteel outlook on life and the gorgeous production mirrors it wonderfully…" ****The Goo Magazine
‘Life of Pi’ her fourth single was released in early this year gathering much Radio airtime featuring on RTE Radio 1 Late Date, Folk On One BBC Radio Ulster to name but a few.
"A swooning mix of guitar, bass and soft, swishing drums cradle Jago’s soft but persistent harmonies beautifully…feels like floating adrift in the ocean, yielding to the obstacles life may throw at you along the way. There is struggle and upheaval embedded in this song, though they are balanced by Jago’s outspoken determination to continue moving…" The Goo Magazine
