The Tenacious Songstress Returns with a Video Premiere Heralding Irish Wedding Customs
The disappearing nuptial traditions of rural Ireland take center stage in this new video from Sinéad O’Connor, the first she has appeared in for 10 years. Created for forthcoming single “4th and Vine” from last year’s album How About I Be Me (And You Be You)?, the lyrical short is directed by Belfast-born filmmaker Kathryn Ferguson, who translated the catchy wedding song into a nostalgic look at O’Connor’s motherland. “John Reynolds and Justin Adams had written the backing track and when they played it to me I immediately got images in my head of a girl jumping along the road to her wedding delighted with herself,” says O’Connor. “It was just such a happy, jolly track.” While there are familiar Hibernian visuals such as a colored pony and trap, a typical pub music session and drizzle over a cattle-filled field, Ferguson also revived some archaic rituals such as breaking bread over the bride’s head for the shoot, which took place in Castletown Geoghegan, Co. Westmeath. “I had already heard about some of the rituals but researching further I found many more, most of which we couldn’t fit in,” explains Ferguson, who has made films for brands such as Richard Nicoll and Chloé as well as for pop starlets including Lady Gaga. “I also remembered images from the 1960s documentary Rocky Road to Dublin which included black and white scenes of traditional music sessions filmed in a very unobtrusive way.” We caught up with the outspoken and often controversial icon about her own superstitions and what love songs continue to tug at her heartstrings.
What’s the funniest thing you’ve seen at a wedding?
I don’t really do weddings or funerals very much to be honest but me and my son enjoy watching The Jerry Springer Show, where the very overweight jilted girlfriend would launch herself onto the wedding cake at the reception where the fella has gone off and married someone else. Those would be the funniest wedding scenarios that I’ve ever seen.
What are your favorite love songs?
I love “Tell It Like It Is.” It's a brilliant Aaron Neville song which is just gorgeous. And my favorite song on earth is “I Love You Porgy”—I think that’s probably the best love song ever. It’s from a musical called Porgy and Bess but Ella Fitzgerald did the album and Nina Simone also recorded it. Then there’s a fantastic Curtis Mayfield song called “Fool for You.” To my mind those are the three best love songs.
Do you have any superstitions or traditions that you follow?
Other than prayer, no. I do a lot of prayer around singing and gigs. I do feel if I go through a certain prayer routine before and during the show in my mind then I’m able to do a better job.