Nerve Centre’s Board Member and Chairperson, John McGowan, has unveiled his second album of covers, And So It Is.
The album, released today, Thursday, 9 January 2025, is a tribute to some of Ireland’s most renowned contemporary artists, featuring tracks originally by Damien Rice, U2, Glen Hansard, The Frames, Snow Patrol, Sting, and Bell X1.
A lifelong music fan, John has travelled the globe to see his favourite bands perform live. Preferring the contemporary music artists of Ireland, John wanted to release versions of his favourite songs from these artists as a tribute.
For this second album, John is joined by his daughter Elena, who contributes vocals on several tracks. Describing the collaboration, John shared, “It’s hard to explain, but being able to sing on a few tracks with my Elena is probably the highlight of the album for me. It’s a special moment for us and something we will always share.”
The album’s title, And So It Is, is taken from the opening line of Damien Rice’s The Blower’s Daughter, which John and Elena perform together.
The project’s production values have been elevated this time, with John once again working with Rafa Sánchez at Hive Studio in Valencia, and Carlos Gómez on production duties. This album features an expanded sound, including a string section conducted and arranged by Matteo Nahum, performed by Yevgeny Moriatov, Lelia Lancovici, Javier Cárdenas, and Alex Friedhoff.
The band featured Carlos Gómez on guitars and vocals, Álvaro Ponce on keys, Natxo Tamarit on bass, Jorge Torres on acoustic guitar, and Edu Olmedo on drums. Vocal producer Maria Kosenkova also played a key role in refining the album’s performances.
Reflecting on the journey of creating the album, John said, “Three years later and we’re back with eleven songs on our second covers album. The songs were more challenging this time, so we needed to blow the cobwebs off the vocal cords! My wife Francesca had to put up with me and Elena around the house making lots of noise.”
John’s first album, Every Breaking Wave, was released in November 2021 and featured his versions of tracks by U2, Snow Patrol, and Bell X1. The production team and musicians for the debut album were also based at Hive Studio, Valencia.
And So It Is is now available to stream on Spotify, YouTube Music, and other major platforms.
Listen to John’s unique interpretations and enjoy the special father-daughter collaboration that makes this album unique.