Dundalk Indie folk band Norabelle have released their new single, How Long Does It Take?, from their second album, The Mountain Blinks, which is out om 11 April. We asked them the BIG questions . . .
Now based in Dublin, Norabelle are Ken Clarke (guitar and vocals), Shane O'Hanrahan (guitar, vocals, and piano), Stefano Rossi (bass), and Stephen Ludlow (drums).
The Mountain Blinks, which will be launched upstairs in Whelan’s of Dublin on 16 April, follows their debut album Wren and was recorded at Black Mountain Recording Studios in the Cooley Mountains.
Speaking about the album, Ken Clarke says, "The Mountain Blinks explores the themes of memory, grief, and the fragility of life. It’s deeply personal, touching on my own experiences of loss and how those memories shape us, even when they’re fleeting or unreliable.
"How Long Does It Take? is a song born from questions that haunted me as a child," he adds, "Like, 'How long does it take until you’re not you?' It’s both literal and metaphorical - about physical change and the emotional transformation of a family after loss."
Tell us three things about yourself . . .
Norabelle was originally just Ken and Shane so it was only guitar, piano and vocals which led to a sparser sound as heard on our EP Come the Bluest Dawn.
Steve had gone to school with Ken and Shane and he started playing with Norabelle in 2010. We recruited our bass player, Stefano, only in the last two years as he lives next door to Ken who heard him play bass through the walls.
The first gig that we ever played was supporting Mark Geary in the Spirit Store in Dundalk. The place was packed and Ken got so nervous that he skipped an entire verse of a song.
How would you describe your music?
Steve: Lyric-driven indie folk with elements of alt rock, alt country and minimalism.
Who are your musical inspirations?
Shane: So many. Bill Callahan. Nirvana. Joanna Newsom. Sufjan Stevens. Simon and Garfunkel. Philip Glass. Bjork. Radiohead. Tom Waits. Elizabeth Fraser. Nick Cave. Beth Gibbons. Grouper. David Lynch.
What was the first gig you ever went to?
Stefano: We all had good first gigs. Ken’s was Oasis in Lansdowne Road in 2000, Shane’s was Glen Hansard in the Spirit Store, Steve’s was The Verve at Slane in 1998 but we all agreed that mine was the best. It was Pink Floyd in 1994, in Modena, Italy. It was their final tour before disbanding, and I feel incredibly lucky to have experienced them live just in time.
What was the first record you ever bought?
Shane: The first album I bought with my own money, I think, was Version 2.0 by Garbage.
What’s your favourite song right now?
Ken: Cinnamon Horses by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, it’s on the 2024 album Wild God which is an album I’ve kept going back to.
Favourite lyric of all time?
Ken: That’s a really tough question and I’m sure if I was asked on a different day I would give a different answer. These lyrics from Ashes of American Flags by Wilco are definitely up there: "I'm down on my hands and knees, Every time the doorbell rings, I shake like a toothache, When I hear myself sing."
If you could only listen to one song for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Shane: Impossible Soul by Sufjan Stevens. It's 25 minutes long so you get plenty bang for your buck.
Where can people find your music/more information?
YouTube, Bandcamp, Spotify, Instagram, Twitter.
Alan Corr
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