Sounds from the soul: Grainne Duffy
Published 14 Jun 2012 09:00
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AN IRISH songstress with a voice equally at home conveying the passion of soul and the astringency of rock'n'roll is bringing her unique sound to Berkshire.
Grainne Duffy, a singer-songwriter from Castleblayney in County Monaghan, Ireland, will be bringing her crafted tunes to South Street Blues Club in Reading, on Thursday, June 21, and Norden Farm Arts Centre in Maidenhead on Saturday, June 23.
The guitarist has two albums of made-for-Sunday-mornings music under her belt, blending blues, rock, soul and catchy pop into an easy-on-the-ear backdrop to her passionate, soulful vocals.
Grainne already has an impressive résumé, including three performances on the Acoustic Stage at Glastonbury in 2008, and a front cover appearance on the Sunday Times Magazine. The 28-year-old said: "I'm so excited to come back to the UK, everyone here is always really enthusiastic and they always come and talk to me after the shows."
The vast range of musical influences she cites - from the country sounds of Johnny Cash to Motown queen Aretha Franklin - are evident in her music, and live cover versions of tunes including The Rolling Stones' Wild Horses showcase her ability to put her versatile voice to multiple uses, from soul to rock.
Having started off in music from a young age, at 16 Grainne was performing around Castleblayney in a band she formed with her two older sisters, before moving on to study for a music degree at the National University of Ireland. Grainne said: "I really want to build up my fanbase in the UK and perform in Europe, as well as focus on making new music."
Grainne will be performing songs from her second album Test of Time, which was
released in January.
Tickets for the show at Norden Centre for the Arts in Altwood Road, are £13 or £11 for senior citizens, students and under-16s, from www.nordenfarm.org. Tickets for the show at Reading Arts Centre, South Street are £10, or £7.50 for members, from www.readingarts.com/southstreet
Visit www.grainneduffy.com
This article appeared in Slough Observer 14 Jun 12
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