Rough Trade Records are excited to share the debut solo single by one of Ireland’s most influential and revered vocalists, Lankum and ØXN’s Radie Peat – an interpretation of the popular traditional love song, ‘Still I Love Him’. With unique vision, staggering vocal range and a wry sense of knowing, Peat is celebrated for her powerful contralto voice, technical vocal authority, and emotional depth, she distils the essence of folk music, breathing life into old songs and carrying them forward with new meaning, both sustaining and enriching the Irish singing tradition, her strength of will palpable through poised delivery. On ‘Still I Love Him’, Peat traverses the peaks and troughs of romantic relationships, carrying a message of strength and sovereignty out of a song that can easily change shape according to the one that sings it.
This distinctive version of the song was discovered by close friend and musical companion John Francis Flynn who came across it in the Irish Traditional Music Archives. Following Flynn’s discovery of the song, he wrote a melody to accompany it and with a view to valorising the song’s female protagonist, he shared it with Peat who dovetailed the melody with her intricate vocal arrangement and nuanced tonal contrasts. “I like indirect,” Peat says. “I don’t like being too explicit and I wanted the freedom to make decisions around my voice without having to explain myself”. Describing a process of subtly building and layering her own voice, harmonising for emphasis and atmosphere, Peat talks about “creating emotional connection, that’s what I’m trying to do”, she says, “I’m trying to capture the elation and devastation that can accompany true love”.
Listen / purchase ‘Still I Love Him’ here.
