A Lazarus Soul have released their fifth album ‘The D They Put Between the R & L’, recorded between Nice (band members Joe Chester and Julie Bienvenu’s new home) and Maynooth.
Brian Brannigan was nicknamed Lazarus by his mother. She was told he wouldn’t survive at birth and when he did, he was diagnosed with a form of Spina Bifida. He pulled through major surgery early in life, only to be diagnosed with cancer in his teens. A mixture of good fortune & surgery saved him again. However this trauma had a huge effect on a young mind & songwriting became his coping mechanism, his way of figuring out the world. His songs became those of A Lazarus Soul & Brannigan has gone on to build a reputation as one of Ireland’s finest lyrical commentators.
The first three ALS albums, ALSRecord (2001), Graveyard of Burnt Out Cars (2007), Through a Window in the Sunshine Room had revolving cast of musicians from other Irish bands including 10 Speed Racer, Mexican Pets, Future Kings of Spain, Sunbear & Rollerskate Skinny. However they all heavily featured the music of & were produced/ arranged by one of Ireland’s finest producers/ musicians, Joe Chester.
After becoming a father, Brannigan all but quit playing live until he was asked (at 2 years olds birthday party) to play a tribute gig to his hero, Mark E Smith. He asked Joe, Julie Bienvenu (Lines drawing Circles) & Anton Hegarty (Future Kings & ALS stalwart since “Graveyard” days) to accompany him. With only an hour’s rehearsal, something very special happened in Stoneybatter that night, the line-up of ALS solidified.
Together they released “Last of the Analogue Age” in late 2014. It was made album of the week by John Meagher (Newstalk), Alan Jacques (Limerick Live 95) & Dan Hegarty (2FM). It was included in many end of year top ten including the Irish Independent & Newstalk. It was album of the year for Tom Dunne (Newstalk), Alan Jacques (Limerick 95) & Paul Page (Between the Bars blog/ Whipping Boy).
The same year, ALS was invited to play live on RTE Radio 1’s Arena, Other Voices Music Trial & Newstalk’s Pet Sound’s end of year broadcast. They were also invited to play the Abbey Theatre, where they stunned a packed theatre with a rendition of the Midday Class.
They were included in Tom Dunne’s Sunday Times, 100 Irish albums to Love in 2017.
