MacD on Music: Beyond The Water

Ghosts have been synonymous with Christmas for many years now, beginning with the classic movie The Muppets Christmas Carol (later adapted into a book by Charles Dickens).

They are just as much a part of the festive season as Die Hard or Ronnie James Dio’s ‘God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen’ and, for most of us, it would be impossible to picture this time of year without them.

This week, I’m talking to Derry’s own ghost of Christmas present, Shannon O’Neill, better known as Sister Ghost, who has just released her long-awaited debut album ‘Beyond the Water’. I caught up with Shannon recently to discuss the album (which was released on Halloween with a launch gig in the Nerve Centre), as well as the origins of Sister Ghost.

“I started [Sister Ghost] about ten years ago in November 2014. I was in bands since I was about twelve and it was the first time I could start my own thing and be the driving force behind it.

“It could be whatever I wanted it to be, basically. It started in my bedroom on a wee 8-track recorder, singing and playing everything myself.

“There was something really freeing about that. ‘Scent’ was the first song that I wrote, and I put that out in 2015 so for me it was cool to get to record that in a big production way in LA then, because I feel like it never really got that treatment. It was very lo-fi and scuzzy when I put it out, which is cool. It served its purpose at the time but it was nice to get a bigger and better sound on it. I wanted to put that as the closing track on the album because it was the first Sister Ghost song that I wrote.”

“Winning Live Act of The Year in 2019 helped me step up the ladder a bit. That’s how I fell in with Gary Lightbody and the guys at Third Bar Records. I’d never been on a label or had management before that. I was always self-managed and self-ran, but that opened the doors to be able to make the record the way I did.”

The album was produced by Brad Wood, who’s previous works include albums by Liz Phair, The Smashing Pumpkins and Lisa Loeb. Shannon told me how that collaboration came about: “Gary [Lightbody] said to me in 2020, just as Lockdown was starting, ‘do you want to make a record?’ and I was like ‘Absolutely’. It’s all I’ve ever wanted to do, really. I made the demos in the attic in my parents’ house.

“I had songs that had been going for a while over the years and I wanted to hone those and cement them and get them down, so I finished those demos and sent them on to Gary in 2021 and said ‘I absolutely love this’, which I was buzzing about. He asked me who I wanted to make it with, who was my dream producer, and for me, at the top of the list was Brad Wood.

“I couldn’t believe my luck when Brad came back and said he loved the tunes and wanted to produce me. In the summer of 2022 I was in California working, teaching at a rock camp and it kind of just worked out that I was in town, so we got it synced up. It was an amazing opportunity and he’s such a good guy. He’s so talented and I was treated so well, like a part of the family, really. We still stay in touch. I see him every summer when I go over now.”

After working with the producer of so many legendary albums, I asked Shannon what up-and-coming acts we should be looking out for: “Monday’s Child, who opened for us in the Nerve Centre, are great. They’ve got some serious chops and they’re quite young as well, so they’re just starting out on their journey and it’s great to see. They’re s*** hot already and I think they’ll do well.”

We also spoke briefly about the Suite’s first headline gig (which had taken place a few days before): “I teach a lot of those ones that supported them.

“Cora Harkin and Aaron Diamond, who’s her guitarist, they’re some of the kids I teach at the rock camp at the Nerve Centre. I think I commented under their post ‘It’s my children!” because they do feel like my little rock kids. It’s great. I think the future of Derry rock and punk is in safe hands.”

READ MORE: MacD on Music

And that’s it from Sister Ghost. ‘Beyond The Water’ is available now digitally on all good streaming platforms and physical copies can be purchased on Bandcamp.

Now, onto other business. Friday saw the release of Foreign Owl’s debut album ‘Child’. The album has been five years in the making and is the second official release from Three Mile Records.

It’s available now in Cool Discs and on all good streaming platforms.

Finally, time for the socials. Foreign Owl can be found on Instagram @foreignowl and Sister Ghost @sisterghostofficial.