SXSW 2016 Interview: Conchúr White of Silences

At the Thursday afternoon Output Belfast showcase, I was introduced to several new (or at least new-to-me) Northern Irish artists, including County Armagh singer/songwriter Conchúr White, who is frontman to five-piece band Silences. Silences were offered a last minute slot on the Output Belfast lineup after another band had to cancel their trip to Austin, and because the cost of travel to America is quite prohibitive, White opted to make the trip to SXSW 2016 without his bandmates.
It must be said that while White did seem a bit nervous standing alone on the stage at the British Music Embassy that day, his performance overall was quite effective, and I was positively impressed by both his songs and his singing voice. Silences’ new single ‘There’s A Wolf’ was among the most impressive tracks on White’s solo playlist, its atmospheric folk-rock losing none of the emotional impact of the studio version despite being stripped back to its acoustic bare bones. ‘There’s a Wolf’ has already received radio play from Annie Mac on BBC Radio 1 and will feature on Silences’ upcoming EP ‘Luna’, which is due for release on the 15th of April via indie label Decisive Records.
When I stepped outside to chat with White about his rather impromptu experience in Austin, he seemed eager to take it all in, relishing the opportunity to play tourist as well as musician. I will eagerly look forward to the possibility of seeing Silences’ full band lineup at SXSW in the future, but if you’re on the opposite side of the Atlantic, you won’t have to wait that long. Silences will tour the UK and Ireland in support of ‘Luna’ starting on the 15th of April in Belfast. A full listing of the band’s upcoming shows can be found here on their official Web site.
Leave Your Response