I feel pretty bad that this is the first time Jill Lorean has been featured on the blog in a way that I can finally talk in detail about Jill O’Sullivan. There should have been something a long time before now, especially as all three Jill Lorean releases have found a home here in Villain Towers and I really should have written about one or more of them by now. What I can mention at the outset is Jill has played on a number of records that have previously appeared on the blog through, (in alphabetical order), Bastard Mountain, Broken Chanter and Sparrow and The Workshop.
And with this being the day of the week when I look to take a wee bit of a rest, I’ll also apologise for using parts of wiki rather than typing out my own thoughts on this rather wonderful and unique musician.
“Jill O’Sullivan is a multi-instrumentalist, singer and songwriter. Born in Belfast but whose early years were spent in Dublin before growing up in Chicago and finally coming to Glasgow via London. She is currently performing as Jill Lorean, a name that comes from a nickname she had as a child when her father worked in the De Lorean car factory.
O’Sullivan moved to London in 2005 to pursue a master’s degree in sociology, completing her studies in Glasgow in 2007, where she soon after formed Sparrow and the Workshop with Nick Packer and Gregor Donaldson.
The trio released two EP’s and three albums over the course of 6 years. After releasing their third album, Murderopolis, in 2013, the band took a break and O’Sullivan formed Bdy_Prts, an alt pop duo with Jenny Reeve and, with the help of drummer Johnny Scott, released the album Fly, Invisible Hero in 2017.
O’Sullivan’s latest project, Jill Lorean, is a collaboration with musician/producer Andy Monaghan and drummer Peter Kelly and has so far resulted in one 6-track EP, Not Your First (2020), and two albums, This Rock (2022) and Peace Cult (2024).”
mp3: Jill Lorean – Eyes On The Bird
From the Not Your First EP. Described by one reviewer at the time of release:-
It’s that voice that first demands attention, pure and keening over low droning noise and rattle. The ghost of Sandy Denny. And then 50 seconds in, there’s a deep bass rumble and we’ve moved into Led Zep territory. The result is deeply thrilling.
I’ve been lucky enough to have heard this played live, and it was quite sensational.
JC
THE NEW VINYL VILLAIN 