Clare singer Áine Tyrrell who now lives in Victoria
SINGER Áine Tyrrell is taking the concept of a tour bus to another level by turning hers into a family home and recording studio.
The musician is planning to travel around Australia while she makes her first album and is bringing her three young children along for the ride – but that is not where the adventure stops.
The Co Clare native wants to get followers involved from the very start of her debut album through crowd-funding.
She launched the online money collection back in June and within 24 hours supporters had pledged $2,000 of the $15,000 target.
After considering funding her album through grants or going to a record company, she finally decided the more unusual crowd-funding option would be best for her and her music.
“I looked at other different models and how different people did things and I thought crowd-funding suited me,” said the folk singer who is based in Ocean Grove, outside Geelong.
She says the aim of her music is to connect with people and to share stories and she hopes this model – which allows fans and supporters to put their own money behind the production – is a way of further connecting with her audience.
“I have built up quite a large audience over the past year and I thought it was a good way to bring these people along with me,” she said.
“With crowd-funding, people are more invested in you as an artist and in your success.”
The singer-songwriter said since the site opened, donations have been coming in from across the globe.
“It’s good for me because I played music in Ireland years ago and it’s a nice way to reconnect with people that I played with before,” she said. “It’s lovely to be able to connect with people on both sides of the world.”
The public have until August 8 to donate towards the album before Áine and her three children, who are all under seven, jump aboard the bus and begin making music.
The old tour bus was previously used by Gleny Rae and her Playboys as well as the Junes but when the current owner heard of Aine’s plans he was more than willing to hand it over.
“He is putting every bit of love and care into this thing and is building it to our specific needs with bunk beds for the kids and bike racks,” she said.
Mark Stanley, who has worked with the likes of The Frames and Gemma Hayes, will meet the family at various locations mainly in Victoria to produce the album before the musician goes on an Australia-wide tour with the record this summer.
“When I first said to him, ‘I have this crazy idea, let’s record it on the bus’ he said ‘You’re crazy, Áine’,” she said.
“But then he got totally on board
and he actually got more excited about it than me.”
Being the daughter of renowned traditional musician Sean Tyrrell has undoubtedly influenced her and shaped her music.
“I grew up playing tin whistle and flute and being out in sessions,” she said. “There is definitely the influence
of Irish music in there and those melodies have soaked in through
time, but at the same time I’m hoping we will be doing something quite new and fresh.”
Rhythm is very important to the folk musician and she said she has been influenced by her travels in Africa and South America and listening to native music there.
For now she is looking forward to getting started on her musical trip around Australia.
“It’s going to be a bit of an adventure as I will be recording it on a bus,” Áine said. “Crazy Irish gypsy recording her album on a bus!”
