Why You Should Be Listening to Lisa Hannigan

431 Morris Avenue

May 22, 2025

I first became aware of the Irish singer-songwriter Lisa Hannigan through Damien Rice’s stunning and emotionally charged track “Unplayed Piano,” a tribute to Burmese political activist Aung San Suu Kyi. Her backing vocals on that song were utterly haunting—delicate yet powerful, floating just behind Damien’s raw and impassioned delivery. That contrast stopped me in my tracks. There was something so ethereal, so quietly arresting about her voice that I immediately found myself wondering: Who is this? I had to know more.

Lisa Hannigan began her career as part of Damien Rice’s band, contributing vocals and playing a key role in the emotive atmosphere of his early work. But it wasn’t long before she stepped out on her own. In 2008, she released her debut solo album, Sea Sew—a whimsical, homespun collection of songs that showcased her gentle vocal phrasing and poetic songwriting. That record earned her a Mercury Prize nomination, placing her among some of the most innovative and exciting artists in the UK and Ireland at the time.

Since then, Lisa has quietly built a career defined by elegance, subtlety, and emotional honesty. Her most recent album, 2016’s At Swim, produced by The National’s Aaron Dessner, marked a shift toward more atmospheric and introspective territory. The album is lush and meditative, full of spacious arrangements and lyrical depth, and Dessner’s influence can definitely be felt in the record’s darker textures and layered production.

If you’ve never taken the time to explore Lisa Hannigan’s solo work, At Swim is a perfect entry point. But honestly, any song she touches tends to carry that same quiet magic—like a wisp of fog rolling in on a calm morning, beautiful and a little mysterious.