Ahead of the release of Villagers’ sixth album That Golden Time on Friday (May 10th), award-winning singer-songwriter-instrumentalist Conor O’Brien shares the new song “I Want What I Don’t Need”.
Speaking about the song, Conor says: “It’s a little tragicomedy about the concept of free will, intellectual humility and the commodification of sacred things. As with all the songs from the album, a yearning for transcendence at the dawn of the internet age is at its core. We’re constantly being bombarded by ideas, images and products telling us that our internal directives are insufficient; that we need external support or validation in order to become whole beings. The song pokes fun at this: And I’ll wed myself to my beliefs / And they’ll harden like my arteries / And I’ll take myself so seriously / And I’ll want what I don’t need.”
Watch the visualiser for “I Want What I Don’t Need” BELOW:
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.” The album features Dónal Lunny (Planxty, The Bothy Band) on bouzouki, 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.
Friday also sees the start of Villagers’ instore tour in Dublin before their full tour commences in June with a show at London’s Royal Festival Hall.
Instore tour
Friday 10th May – Tower Records, Dublin
Saturday 11th May – Rough Trade East, London – sold out
Sunday 12th May – Rough Trade, Bristol – sold out
Monday 13th May – Resident, Brighton – sold out
Tuesday 14th May – Banquet Records, Kingston (early & late performances) – sold out
Wednesday 15th May – Action Records, Preston
Thursday 16th May – Rough Trade, Liverpool
Friday 17th May – Cool Discs, Derry
Saturday 18th May – Bending Sound, Bangor
Pre-order the album for access
Upcoming live dates
Saturday 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 – sold out
Sunday 2nd June – Luxor, Cologne
Monday 3rd June – La Maroquinerie, Paris – sold out
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
Sunday 7th July – Down the Rabbit Hole Festival, Netherlandsmanchs
Sunday 21st July – Englefield House, Reading w/ Elbow
Friday 26th July – Ludlow Castle, Shropshire w/ Elbow
Friday 2nd August – Dranouter Festival, Belgium
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