Lisa Hannigan | |
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.jpg) Hannigan performing inLos Angeles in 2017 | |
| Born | Lisa Margaret Hannigan[1] (1981-02-12)12 February 1981 (age 44) Kilcloon,County Meath, Ireland |
| Education | The King's Hospital |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 2001–present |
| Children | 1 |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | Indie folk |
| Instruments | |
| Labels |
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Musical artist | |
| Website | lisahannigan |
Lisa Margaret Hannigan (born 12 February 1981) is an Irish musician, singer, composer, and voice actress. She began her musical career as a member ofDamien Rice's band. Since beginning her solo career in 2007 she has released three albums:Sea Sew (2008),Passenger (2011), andAt Swim (2016). Hannigan's music has received award nominations both in Ireland and the United States. Hannigan also received attention in North America for her role as Blue Diamond inSteven Universe, an animated television series created byRebecca Sugar.
Hannigan was born in Dublin but grew up inKilcloon, County Meath, Ireland.[2] She attended primary school at Scoil Oilibhéir Naofa[3] in Kilcloon, then attendedThe King's Hospital, a co-educational independent school atPalmerstown, Dublin,[4] then enrolled atTrinity College Dublin to study French and art history.[5]
While still in college, Hannigan metDamien Rice at a concert in Dublin in early 2001.[6][7] Rice enlisted Hannigan to sing on his 2002 albumO and his later album9, featured in the hit "9 Crimes". She toured with Rice as part of his band during that period,[6][8] lending vocal support and occasionally playing guitar, bass or drums.[6]
In 2007, Hannigan returned to Dublin and began a solo career.[7][8][9][2][10] Some of Hannigan's live recordings were made available through trading networks radio shows. These recordings included: "Willy" byJoni Mitchell, "Be My Husband" byNina Simone (from the 1965 albumPastel Blues), "Mercedes Benz" byJanis Joplin and "Love Hurts" byBoudleaux Bryant. Hannigan also performed live with her own band, called The Daisy Okell Quartet and contributed guest vocals to the recordings ofMic Christopher,The Frames andHerbie Hancock.
Lisa Hannigan's debut solo album, titledSea Sew, was rehearsed in a barn inThomastown and recorded in Dublin before being released in Ireland in September 2008.[11] The lead single, "Lille", was made available as a free Internet download and other tracks were available for preview on her Myspace page.[12] Thesleeve featuredneedle-work by Hannigan.[13][14] Some music critics called the recording one of the best Irish albums of the year.[15][16]
Sea Sew received favourable reviews in theLos Angeles Times andThe New York Times.[2][17] The single "Lille" was released in August 2008 on Irish and American radio stations.[9] Hannigan performed atElectric Picnic 2008.[18] She was the opening act for singer-songwriterJason Mraz on his 2008 U.S. tour.[19]
That year she appeared on the charity albumEven Better Than the Disco Thing and performed a duet ofMick Flannery's new song "Christmas Past" with Flannery onTony Fenton'sChristmas Special onToday FM.[20][21] In December 2008, she made her UK solo debut at St Johns Church in London.[22] Hannigan signed withATO Records in the U.S., where her album was released in February 2009.[23]
Sea Sew was nominated for theChoice Music Prize and Best Irish Album at theMeteor Music Awards in January 2009.[24][25][26]
That year, Hannigan appeared on the American television showsThe Tonight Show with Jay Leno andThe Colbert Report.[2][8][27] In 2009, Hannigan also appeared on theBBC'sLater... with Jools Holland, performing her song "I Don't Know".[8][28][29]Sea Sew rose in the UK charts following this appearance[citation needed] and she performed atGlastonbury 2009 music festival and went on tour later in the year.[22][29][30][31] She performed at the nomination ceremony and she was greeted by confused journalists wondering "Lisa who?".[11]
Hannigan performed atElectric Picnic 2009[2][32][33] Later in 2009, she toured the United States withDavid Gray and performed solo shows in New York, Los Angeles and London.[34] She then began a tour of Ireland to finish the year.[34] Hannigan's song "An Ocean and a Rock" was used in a 2009 Irish video supporting same-sex marriage entitled "Sinéad's Hand".[35] As part of an advertisement campaign forOxfam'sMake Trade Fair, Hannigan was drenched in melted chocolate and she participated in the Irish musical collectiveThe Cake Sale with lead vocal on the track "Some Surprise", which was played on the US television seriesGrey's Anatomy.[6][36][37][38]
Hannigan also contributed to the 2009 charity albumSparks n' Mind, released in aid of Aware.[39]
In 2009, a broadcast ofOther Voices was recorded.[40]
The songs "Lille" and "Braille" from this album were used in the filmOndine in 2009.[41]
Hannigan recorded her second album,Passenger, at Bryn Derwen Studios inNorth Wales with producerJoe Henry and engineer Ryan Freeland. The album was released in the US and Canada on 20 September 2011, and on 7 October in Ireland and the UK.[42][43]
Hannigan performed at theEurosonic Festival in 2012 when Ireland was the "Spotlight Country".[44]
Hannigan announced that her third album was produced in collaboration withAaron Dessner,[45] founding member of Americanindie rock bandThe National. The album entitledAt Swim was released on 19 August 2016.[46] On 24 May 2016 Hannigan revealed a short teaser in relation to the album's launch.[47] "Prayer for the Dying" and "Ora" are two tracks which appeared among promotional material in the lead up to the release. Hannigan toured Ireland extensively in the lead up to the album release. "Prayer for the Dying" appeared on digital streaming services in June 2016.[48] The album was positively received by several newspapers, includingThe Guardian, which awarded it four out of five stars, commenting on Hannigan's "crystal vocals" and the album's "stunningly pretty songs with quietly powerful undertones",[49] and theEvening Standard, which also awarded four out of five stars and mentioned the "new-found accessibility" the album represented.[50]The Telegraph noted the album to be "subtle and gauzy but loaded with emotion", and calls Hannigan's voice "an incredible instrument, drawing on both opera and folk, with a softness and intimacy".[51]
In 2016,Aaron Dessner produced Hannigan's albumAt Swim and also began featuring her on other projects he produced. She contributed backing vocals toThe National albumSleep Well Beast, was a featured vocalist on four tracks on theirI Am Easy to Find, and was an additional artist onFirst Two Pages of Frankenstein.
In 2023, Hannigan was a backing vocalist on two tracks onEd Sheeran's album-, also produced by Dessner.
In 2004, Hannigan credited on soundtrack forCloser (song: "Cold Water", arranged and performed by Damien Rice and Lisa Hannigan, featuring Vyvienne Long).
In 2007, Hannigan credited on soundtrack forShrek the Third (song: "9 Crimes", performed by Damien Rice and Lisa Hannigan).
In 2009, Hannigan credited on soundtrack forOndine (songs: "Braille", "Lille", written and performed by Lisa Hannigan).[41]
In 2013, Hannigan provided vocals to the soundtrack for Alfonso Cuarón's filmGravity and performed a cover ofRichard Hawley's "You Haunt Me" for the filmAnother Me.
In 2014, Hannigan contributed vocals along with John Smith for the Steven Price conducted soundtrack for the Brad Pitt blockbusterFury.
In 2014, she voiced the character of Bronagh, theSelkie mother of the main characters in the animated filmSong of the Sea, and provided several songs to the film's soundtrack.
In 2015, she sang a version of "Danny Boy" for the seventh episode of the second season ofFargo.
In 2017, she started voicing the character Blue Diamond for the television seriesSteven Universe which was made byRebecca Sugar. She also performed a cover ofDavid Bowie's "Oh! You Pretty Things" for the closing credits of the sixth episode of the first season ofLegion.
In 2018, she arranged and performed a version of the traditional Irish song "Weile Weile Waile" for the soundtrack of the movieThe Hole in the Ground.
In 2019, she reprised her role as Blue Diamond for the television filmSteven Universe: The Movie. In 2020, she returned to the role once more in the follow-up seriesSteven Universe Future.
In 2023, Hannigan coveredBritney Spears' song "Toxic" for season 5, episode 8 ofFargo.[52]
In 2020, Hannigan was part of anIrish collective of female singers and musicians called "Irish Women in Harmony", that recorded a version of the song "Dreams" in aid of the charity Safe Ireland, which deals withdomestic abuse which had reportedly risen significantly during theCOVID-19 lockdown.[53][54]
Her music has received critical praise, airplay and award nominations both in her native Ireland and the United States. In 2008, her debut albumSea Sew spawned the single "Lille", aChoice Music Prize nomination, twoMeteor Music Awards nominations and aMercury Prize nomination.[55][56][57]
Hannigan performs using "broken-down, wheezy old instruments".[8]Herbie Hancock said of her vocals, "there's so much jazz in the notes and phrases that she picks. She was singing the ninths, the elevenths of the chords...I mean some of the things sound like choices thatMiles would have made."[58]
Hannigan briefly studied English and art history atTrinity College Dublin. During her first week at university she became friends with Irish singer-songwriterDamien Rice.[59] Hannigan eventually left university to travel with Rice across Europe.[citation needed]
Returning to Ireland, both Hannigan and Rice began to work together recording music, including songs like "Unplayed Piano" and "Once I Loved." Hannigan featured on Rice's first two solo albums and a number of EPs and live recordings. Both Irish artists toured for a number of years together and were in a relationship, but in 2007 Hannigan left Damien Rice and his band[60] the afternoon before a live show inMunich.[59][61] Rice released a statement saying that their professional relationship had "run its creative course" in March 2007.[62]
She and her husband have a son.[63]
Hannigan has fourHot Press Readers' Poll awards. She won Best Debut Album, Best Irish Album, Best Irish Track and Best Female in 2009.[22]
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Sea Sew | Best Debut Album | Won |
| 2009 | Sea Sew | Best Irish Album | Won |
| 2009 | "I Don't Know" | Best Irish Track | Won |
| 2009 | Lisa Hannigan | Best Female | Won |
Hannigan's debut album,Sea Sew, was nominated for theChoice Music Prize in January 2009.[64]
Hannigan's second album,Passenger, was nominated for the Choice Music Prize in January 2012 and she also lost out to Jape that year.[65]
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Sea Sew | Irish Album of the Year 2008 | Nominated |
| 2012 | Passenger | Irish Album of the Year 2011 | Nominated |
Hannigan and her work was nominated in the Best Irish Female and Best Irish Album categories at theMeteor Music Awards in 2009.[66] She was the only solo artist nominated in more than one category at the awards. She lost toImelda May andThe Script'sself-titled album respectively.[67]
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Sea Sew | Best Irish Album | Nominated |
| 2009 | Lisa Hannigan | Best Irish Female | Nominated |
Sea Sew was nominated for theMercury Prize on 21 July 2009.[68][69][70] It was Hannigan's first nomination.
Hannigan was referred to as 2009's "token folk nominee" in the UK,[36] with theNME calling her a "token folkie".[71] One British journalist even claimed she was "truly obscure" and part of the "moribund sensitive singer-songwriter genre".[36] Ed Power, writing in theIrish Independent, criticised such claims, wondering ifJape (whose albumRitual beat Hannigan to the Choice Music Prize) had come close to receiving a Mercury nomination—"Or, for that matter, how many of the judges had even heard of him".[36]
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Sea Sew | Best Album | Nominated |
'It's been hell for me as they told me a few days ago because they wanted to me to perform at the nomination ceremony today [Tuesday], so I couldn't tell anyone in case they took it away from me,' says the 29-year-old from Co Meath. There were cries of 'Lisa who?' from the assembled British media throng – Hannigan was a surprise nomination".
As well as the evening concerts in the 200-year-old St James's church, which has a capacity (approximately 80) that is far less than the frantic demand for tickets, one of the add-ons of the series is the filming of "sessions" in unusual locations. So far, these have included BellX1's Paul Noonan dueting with rising Irish singer, Lisa Hannigan, in Dún Chaoin (in a cottage owned by artist Marie Simmons Gooding), American band The Antlers performing in the locality's Celtic prehistoric museum, and Irish band Villagers in Dingle's cosy Goat Street Café.
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