“Even if I do go to hell, at least I lived honestly.” GEORGE HOUSTON drops instant classic, ‘Hey Arnold’
DONEGAL’s alt-folk visionary GEORGE HOUSTON today releases ‘Hey Arnold,’ lead single from his fourth studio album, ‘TODC’ (The Original Death Card), unveiled June 13th.
The song echoes the bittersweet soul of Dionne Warwick’s ‘Do You Know the Way to San Jose,’ but reimagined through Houston’s uniquely queer, Irish lens.
“I grew up listening to ‘60s and ‘70s pop,” he said, “And I’ve always wanted to hear a good old-fashioned heartbreak anthem in that classic style that represents the queer community.”
‘Hey Arnold,’ was recorded at Paul Weller’s Black Barn Studios, following a year which saw Houston touring throughout North America and Ireland with Weller, and is also set to feature on Houston’s upcoming summer EP, ‘DragQueen.’
Houston’s TODC (The Original Death Card) 13-track album mourns the hardship LGBT+ individuals and women endured for generations, but also celebrates their resilience, and beauty. Each song, paired with its own music video, is the manifestation of a tarot card. Laid out like a glorious spread of tarot cards, the long-player is gospel for the witches, sinners, and stargazers.
“’TODC’ has been an incredible healing experience from start to finish,” adds Houston. “The death card, in tarot, is not only a symbol of death, but the change and rebirth that comes with it. To have a project that is unapologetically feminine, queer, and Irish, all rolled into one has been a massive step in removing myself from the shame that comes with growing up queer in rural Ireland. Even if I do go to hell, at least I lived honestly.”
GEORGE HOUSTON LIVE:
August 09: Under The Drum Festival
August 14: Ghostlight Sessions, Balor
October 04: Róisín Dubh, Galway
October 24: Bennigans, Derry
October 30: Ulster Sports Club, Belfast
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(Photo (c) Niall Murphy)
