Ãine O’Dwyer is an Irish singer, musician, composer, writer, and sound artist with a unique and highly original approach to creating music. Heavily rooted in folk, her work strays far from the more traditional definitions of the genre, often delving into experimental and ambient music and performance to create something highly unusual, mystical, and constantly evolving. Ãine O’Dwyer has released several albums since the early 2000s, as a solo artist as well as band member, and her live performances rarely rely on regular instruments or music theory, using traditional techniques and hardware sampling machines instead of a laptop crunching numbers. She is an incredibly versatile and inventive musician, making her a wonderful addition to the global folk and experimental music scenes.
Ãine O’Dwyer was born and raised in Killarney, County Kerry, Ireland. Her early years were filled with traditional Irish music in the style of her father and grandfather, who both played in bands in the area. Her love and appreciation for the sound of Irish music was undoubtedly due to her parents and how important it was in her household during her formative years. O’Dwyer has carried on this upbringing influences with her throughout her musical journey ever since.
Since childhood, O’Dwyer had an affinity for a variety of different instruments, including the accordion, guitar, whistles and harp, enabling her to craft unique arrangements and sounds rooted in traditional Irish folk music but with a distinctively modern twist. The influences in her music over the years have expanded from traditional folk music to include post-rock, psychedelia, ambient and avant-garde elements, resulting in a unique sound signature.
Throughout the 2000s, Ãine O'Dwyer released various albums including 'Massinga's Grave' (2005), 'Gallery' (2009) and 'Maria' (2011). She also worked as a musician on several Irish scholar, theatre and film productions, giving her ample opportunity to experiment and hone her craft.
In 2015 O’Dwyer released two full-length records in the same year—'APE' and 'Gegenschein.' Both these albums were met with heavy international praise, thanks to their creative blending of folk and electronic elements, meandering drones and subtle time signature changes.
Over the years, Ãine O’Dwyer has been invited to perform at the Dublin Theatre Festival, The Block series in New Zealand, the Donaueschingen Music Festival, All Tomorrow’s Parties and various traditional music festivals. The producers of the internationally acclaimed 'Despacio'Sound System also chose to showcase her music during high-profile DJ sets throughout 2010 and 2011.
Being incredibly passionate and dedicated to her craft, Ãine O’Dwyer is also an explorer of different sounds and locations. Taking it upon herself to combine her skills on stage with her love for architecture and culture, she organized the 'Music for Church' project back in 2016—a string of tours and shows that sought to fully channel and capture sounds composed in awe-inspiring environments. The shows featured multi-instrumental performances inside cathedrals, chapels, towers, and other grand settings, redefining the notion of a ‘stage’ and creating entirely unique listening experiences.
Today, Ãine O'Dwyer is considered one of the world's foremost experimental folk/ambient musicians, having carved out a distinguished and highly original path through the music scene. Her newest album 'Gallarais' (2019) showcases her traditional roots and her love of experimental and ambient music styles.
Through her untamed creativity, an overall passion for music and constant willingness to learn and grow, Ãine O'Dwyer is an Irish singer, musician, composer, writer and sound artist like no other. Intriguing, yet calmingly beautiful, her music is the perfect blend of the familiar and the unknown, turning it into a remarkable sonic landscape that’s filled with curious wonder and life.