In the quiet moments found between touring her first solo album and collaborating with mainstage folk and bluegrass peers, Aoife O’Donovan found the inspiration to write her sophomore album In the Magic Hour released earlier this year on Yep Roc Records. With a bit of grit threading through her unforgettable voice, the title track Magic Hour was picked for NPR’s Songs We Love.
O’Donovan grew up outside of Boston, but spent her summers in Ireland, exploring a mixture of both Irish and American folk songs. Although her solo career is still relatively fresh, Aoife has been making music for a decade and a half now, perhaps most famously for lead vocalist of progressive bluegrass outfit Crooked Still. She’s also a member of folk-noir trio Sometimes Why, and performs regularly in I’m With Her, with Sara Watkins and Sarah Jarosz. Today, she’s known for her unique style, as well as her collaborations with people like Chris Thile of Nickel Creek, Yo-Yo Ma and the Boston Pops.
“Aoife O’Donovan’s singing is almost too gorgeous for its own good.” – The Washington Post