Belinda O’Hooley began playing the piano at the age of seven. She is an exceptionally gifted pianist, singer, songwriter and composer and has become renowned for her highly individual, emotional, yet sensitive musicality. She is half of four time BBC Radio 2 Folk Award Best Duo nominees O’Hooley & Tidow alongside her wife Heidi Tidow; together described by The Guardian as ‘exceptional songwriters.’ Their song ‘Gentleman Jack’ features as the closing theme song for Sally Wainwright’s latest BBC/HBO drama series Gentleman Jack. Belinda is also known for her inventive, minimalist, sometimes flamboyant accompanying of folk luminaries including Rufus Wainwright, Nic Jones, Jackie Oates and the Mercury nominated; Rachel Unthank and The Winterset.
‘Inversions’ showcases Belinda’s abilities as a composer and pianist with many of the piano pieces inspired by the songs and tunes her father inherited from a long line of male musicians in the hills of the West coast of rural Ireland. With the passing of her father in 2017, Belinda; the first woman to be handed the tradition, has found the freedom to express the music of her ancestors in her very own, unconventional way, evolving and migrating into something you could describe as an inversion: a reversal of the norm.
Gently nurtured, produced and recorded by Heidi Tidow at MOMA Wales, the mountains, valleys and landscapes of Snowdonia also provide the backdrop to a trio of compositions; each celebrating a deep love of the nature and wildlife of this breath taking part of Wales.
Belinda was meant to be touring Inversions in the Autumn of 2019, but it coincided to the day with the birth of her and Heidi’s son Flynn. Rescheduled to Spring 2020, no-one could anticipate that a global pandemic would unfold around the same time. It has meant that Belinda’s album has only seen brief glimpses of live performance until now when she is taking to the road to perform at ten, intimate venues across the country.
‘Inversions’ encapsulates the essence of an artist truly at one with her instrument.
Inversions Tour Dates:
FEBRUARY
26 BROSELEY Birchmeadow Centre
MARCH
04 GUILDFORD Music Institute
05 TAUNTON Brewhouse
06 BIRMINGHAM Kitchen Garden Cafe
09 LIVERPOOL Philharmonic
11 BURY Met
12 HUDDERSFIELD Slaithwaite Civic Hall
24 BARTON UPON HUMBER Ropery Hall
25 NEWCASTLE Cumberland Arms
26 SHEFFIELD Greystones
Exquisite’ * * * * * The Guardian’
For further information please visit https://ohooleyandtidow.com
📸 Hannah Webster
