A double shot of LOVE from Vancouver to Cork on the 10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY of losing Colin and Ferg. Their music lives on…
Colin Vearncombe (Black) May 26, 1962 – Jan 26, 2016 age 53
Fergus O’Farrell (Interference) Jun 30, 1967 – Feb 2, 2016 age 48
These two gifted, irish singersongwriters (and Corkonian neighbours) died within a week of each other 10 years ago, in Co. Cork Ireland, within a week of each other in 2016.
As Canadians, we currently find ourselves on the outs with our closest neighbours in the US. This leaves us pondering a different country. One where we share a deep love of the song, where death may be celebrated, where grown men cry, and sing – often at the same time. Ireland. Over the last while, our Irish peeps have invited us to cover these uplifting songs of hope and acceptance…and in their mossy arms we have found the inspiration and comfort we sorely needed. Sometimes music is the only thing that makes sense…
FERGUS
DON’T GO DOWN Written by Fergus O’Farrell & Glen Hansard https://reidjamieson.com/me-daza
It was Canadian/Irish legend Mary Margaret O’Hara who introduced us to producer Kieran Kennedy at a Toronto concert where she had joined our band ontage for the whole night. Kieran and his wife actor/musician Maria Doyle Kennedy also enjoy a musical partnership, and have created many gorgeous albums together. That night a friendship was struck (tho we had no idea who they were at the time) and plans were set in motion that went on to inspire an epic trip to the Emerald Isle, and perhaps our most daring record to date – ME DAZA.
We wrote each song on Me Daza together – with the exception of ‘Don’t Go Down’. Fergus’ was a much admired Schull local who also wrote the song GOLD from the production Once with his band Interference. Ferg passed away due to complications of Muscular Distrophy that left him in a wheelchair since age 19. Turns out we released this song before Ferg was able to properly release this track himself. All of this unbeknownst to us when we chose the tune from a selection of potential Irish covers to consider sent by our producer.
We wrote each song on Me Daza together – with the exception of ‘Don’t Go Down’. Fergus’ was a much admired Schull local who also wrote the song GOLD from the production ONCE. Ferg passed away due to complications of Muscular Distrophy that left him in a wheelchair since age 19. Turns out we released this song before Ferg was able to properly release this track himself. All of this unbeknownst to us when we chose the tune from a selection of potential Irish covers sent by our producer.
Fergus O’Farrell Interference (Jun 30, 1967 – Feb 2, 2016)
Fergus was diagnosed with Muscula Dystrophy at age 8, told he would die by 18, lived to 48. And we do mean lived. You can find out more about this determined artist in the award winning documentary about his life ‘Breaking Out‘ that won Best Irish Feature Documentary at The Galway Film Fleadh. Winner of the George Morrison Feature Documentary Award at the Irish Film & Television Academy Awards. We finally got to watch it and were blown away!
Sending big love to Ferg’s family and friends, especially Marc McDonald and that insanely talented ginger man Glen Hansard.
COLIN
THIS IS LIFE Written by Colin Vearncombe (aka Black)
https://reidjamieson.com/love-colin
A very timely tune of acceptance in an unfair yet beautiful world. This recording would not be possible without inspiration & initiative from Marc McDonald at Interference Archive, and Colin’s talented wife Camilla Griehsel who requested we cover this song of Colin’s. When you take a tune with 80s or 90s production, and then strip it down to a folksier place, you can see how the song really is the thing, and endures the ages. Check out the video that includes a drive we took to through the wilds of West Cork when making our own record Me Daza with that talented mad man Kieran Kennedy (Maria Doyle Kennedy) who was driving while cranking very loud thrash metal oddly enough….
Colin Vearncombe – aka Black (May 26 1962 – Jan 26 2016)
Born in Liverpool, and ended his days in Schull, Colin had three top-ten records across Europe and sold over two million albums before leaving the mainstream and going independent. He released a string of albums as Black and under his own name on his own label; Nero Schwarz. Colin was involved in a car crash, near Cork Airport in Ireland, and placed in a medically induced coma after sustaining serious head injuries. He never regained consciousness and died from his injuries at the intensive care unit of Cork University Hospital at the age of 53. He left a widow, Swedish opera singer and former One 2 Many singer Camilla Griehsel, and three children. His legacy lives on in the Love, Colin project.