Sometimes we need to find a way back to ourselves. For Northern Irish artist Gareth Dunlop, it was music that helped him reconnect with the things that mattered most. His third album, ‘Welcome To The House Of I Don’t Know’, revels in the comforts of home: the embrace of a loved one, or the coal dust and embers stirring memories of the past. Yet the sound is like nothing listeners have heard from Dunlop before, ramping up the drama with a full band, lush production and thrilling performances.
“I spent a lot of the last year away, and much of this year, too,” he says. “That distance from home and the people I love definitely put me in a more reflective place.” Already hailed as one of the finest singer-songwriters of his generation, Dunlop is at his most assured on this new album. There’s a wistful romanticism to the lyrics; the music riffs on the nostalgic tone with its superb throwbacks to brash Eighties pop-rock.
Born and raised in Belfast, Dunlop has established himself as a renowned talent whose music can be heard across radio, TV and film, including hit drama series such as Nashville, This Is Us, Lucifer, and Suits. Tipped as “one to watch” by the BBC, he received critical acclaim for his early sound inspired by Bob Dylan and Tom Waits, winning over fans with his candid, frequently self-deprecating lyrical style. After releasing a string of successful EPs – including 2014’s How Far This Road Goes – he was chosen to join revered artists including Van Morrison and Jeff Beck on tour, while the music press hailed his “vulnerable” and “heartfelt” songwriting.
