Villagers release new single You Lucky One

Today, Villagers share “You Lucky One”, the second single from the forthcoming sixth album That Golden Time – due May 10th. The exquisite new record unfurls award-winning Dublin singer-songwriter-instrumentalist-dramatist Conor O’Brien’s trademark melodic flair, his gift for simultaneously vivid and subtle arrangements and lyrics that couch his hopes, fears and dreams in richly absorbing poetry.

“You Lucky One” follows on from the release of title track “That Golden Time”, and features Irish legend Dónal Lunny [Planxty, The Bothy Band] on bouzouki. The song ties into the album artwork’s secondary image, an Irish twenty pence piece. “The types of physical currency change throughout time, but the essential power relationships and bartering principles persevere throughout the cosmetic changes,” explains O’Brien. The cautionary tale documents two protagonists, one who promises riches to the other but is revealed to be more of a parasite. “Who is using who?” asks O’Brien. “I think it explores the often-simplified notion of privilege.”

With O’Brien making his music video-directorial debut, the video is a menacing straight-to-camera-shot which showcases the twisted narrative and people’s hidden faces. O’Brien says: “The video, much like the song, is a complicated, messy affair full of hellish landscapes and internal demons. It exists in a world conquered by irrational beings and emotional, selfish creatures. Corruption of the soul and disingenuous motivation are the order of the day, so I thought it best to serve with a side plate of the macabre and sinister.”

After the band-centred sessions of its predecessor Fever Dreams, That Golden Time’s solo-centric core was not forced on O’Brien by lockdown. “For me, That Golden Time has an internalised voice, so much so that I almost found it impossible to let anyone else in,” he says. “It’s probably the most vulnerable album I’ve made. I played and recorded everything in my apartment, and finally, towards the end, invited people in.” Aside from Dónal Lunny, the album features American songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Peter Broderick on violin, David Tapley of Dublin band Tandem Felix on pedal steel guitar, and a group of players that O’Brien had first seen performing in a tribute to one of his great loves, Italian composer Ennio Morricone, who added soprano vocal, viola and cello.

The understated poetry within That Golden Time is effortlessly carried by gorgeous melodies and sublime instrumentation. Inspired by philosophers, poets, playwrights and singer-songwriters that had seeped into O’Brien’s consciousness: namechecks this time go to Friedrich Nietzsche (his Beyond Good and Evil: Prelude to a Philosophy of the Future is quoted in the album’s accompanying booklet), Dory Previn, Marcus Aurelius, Fintan O’Toole, Lorraine Hansberry, Chet Baker, Joan Didion, PJ Harvey and post-classical beauties Rachel’s.

Ahead of the full band tour in the summer (including London’s Royal Festival Hall), Villagers have announced a string of stripped-back instore shows.

That Golden Time is available to pre-order on DomMart/Indies-exclusive gold vinyl, standard vinyl, CD and digitally. Pre-order: DomMart Digital

Upcoming live dates

• 25th May – Tomavistas Festival, Madrid
• Monday 27th May - Ancienne Belgique, Belgium
• Tuesday 28th May – Paradiso, Amsterdam
• Wednesday 29th May - LantarenVenster, Rotterdam – sold out
• Thursday 30th May – Pop Seasons – Christianskirche, Hamburg
• Saturday 1st June – Passionskirche, Berlin
• Sunday 2nd June – Luxor, Cologne
• Monday 3rd June - La Maroquinerie, Paris
• Wednesday 5th June – Wylam Brewery, Newcastle
• Thursday 6th June – Irish Centre, Leeds
• Saturday 8th June – Royal Festival Hall, London
• Saturday 29th June – Trinity College, Dublin
• 7th July – Down the Rabbit Hole Festival, Netherlands
• Friday 26th July – Ludlow Castle, Shropshire w/ Elbow
• Friday 2nd August – Dranouter Festival, Belgium

Tickets