15
APR
2017

THE CRANBERRIES: WHEN REAL SUCCESS IS IN HAPPINESS

The Cranberries have matured musically, but also in the personal level. Two weeks before the publication of Something Else, the band has traveled to New York, where they have granted several interviews for the American press media. Back in Ireland, they have been talking to the Irish Times.

We go back to April 5th: The Cranberries arrived in New York and gave an interview for SiriusXM. In a disgruntled and even joking tone, Dolores tells how the idea of ​​Something Else came about, following her reunion with The Cranberries for their performance in The Bachelorette in 2015. To this album there were two new songs added: “Rupture” and “Why”, that Dolores had written two and a half years ago, and that she decided to “hand them over” to the band. “The Glory” was written by The Cranberries just six months ago, while recording and rehearsing with the string quartet in Ireland.

One of the most interesting things The Cranberries have shared in these recent interviews is how touring gives them time to spend together, in which they end up composing new material in an almost natural manner, something that is more difficult for them to do separately. They confess that this was one of the main intentions to publish this new album and to organise the tour. Dolores admits that as they grow older it is a little harder to get on stage almost every night, or to decide if something she has written is new enough, but she believes in the importance of going on tour and trying new things; to work flat out and overcome her barriers and shyness, because this is how, she thinks, things are achieved.

They have also shared their experiences as a band for the Irish Times Culture, something they compare to a roller coaster: from their beginning to suddenly reaching the top charts during the 90’s; of how health made them put their feet back on the ground and other projects emerged during the band’s stand-by periods. They confess their own perception of The Cranberries as the most solid thing they have done, and they feel lucky for what they have achieved, for having been able to live on music and above all, they are grateful to see how the public still awaits for them. They do not miss the opportunity to talk about their near future plans: After Something Else, perceived by the group as an intermediate step between the previous and the new material, there will come a new album. Noel talks about how his friendship with Dolores is better than ever. They have had ups and downs, as it happens in all bands, sometimes due to lack of communication, misunderstanding or outside forces getting involved. However, when they sit down to talk, it is as if nothing had happened. Noel compares his relationship with Dolores as siblings. Now they talk every other day, and their friendship is healthier than ever. As for success, Dolores is calm and optimistic; she wants to record new material but she does not expect to experience the same success as they did back in the 90s. Nor that she feels she needs it. Now they are older and have other priorities; Success and fame do not longer concern her. Cyril Connolly said: Better to write for yourself and have no public, than to write for the public and have no self.” Perhaps this is the key to success: to be happy with what you do without expecting what you do to be the thing that makes you happy.

21
MAR
2017

THE CRANBERRIES PREMIERE THEIR FIRST SINGLE, “WHY”

We did not expect it until Friday, but The Cranberries are a box of surprises. “Why” is the first single chosen from Something Else, a song that brings together both their essence and their evolution. Today we have had the pleasure of listening to it for the very first time on BBC Radio 2.

Producing the music we love costs a lot of effort, sacrifice and money. The only thing an artist or group deserves in return is respect to the fruit of their work. Unfortunately, in the internet age, premiering your own single has gone from being a right to being a real challenge. This was confirmed in the last week, after we saw how a private individual filtered the demo version of “Why”, the first single extracted from Something Else, uploading it into their own youtube channel. Today we can eventually express the sensations we have experienced while listening to this wonderful song, and in the best possible way, because The Cranberries have managed to recover that component of surprise that we thought had been robbed, by presenting today, in BBC Radio 2, a different version from the song we knew; the definitive version of “Why.”

With “Why”, The Cranberries get the perfect balance in a single that sounds like evolution, but taking a look back so as to not to leave their purest essence and roots behind. They experiment with new sounds and play an incredibly beautiful guitar plucking with what seems to be either a 12-string guitar, a mandolin or the harmonics of an acoustic guitar; However the guitar intro could have been taken from the Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can’t We? era, as well as Dolores’ backing vocals, which may have reminded many nostalgic of “Put Me Down”.

Perhaps one of the deepest and most reflective songs despite the apparent simplicity of its lyrics, “Why” reflects the questions and thoughts that went through Dolores O’Riordan’s mind right after her father died, in what she describes as “the most difficult time.” A clear and concise message, or how to say much with very little, these verses sink into the soul and touch the heart, because everyone, sometime, has wondered “why”.

“Why” is the cover letter of Something Else, which will be released next April 28th. You can listen to the podcast again (from the minute 48’16) in the link below: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08j256q

17
MAR
2017

THE CRANBERRIES: THE PROMOTION BEGINS

April is coming, and this has been a hectic week for The Cranberries’ faithful fans. After sharing the acoustic version of “Linger” in Rolling Stone magazine and announcing their participation in Taratata, France, next March 21st, today we know that “Why?”, the first single from Something Else will be released next 24th of March, according to Italian press. Moreover, we already know some details about the new songs.

“Why”, a song that was already planned to be a single since the group’s recent visit to Cancun last February, may be the most heartbreaking and personal track Dolores faces on this new album. Described for a press release issued to BMG, and as collected by the website Jenesaispop, “it was written just after my father passed away, at the most difficult time.”

In that same press release, Dolores also explains how she wrote “The Glory” during rehearsals with the Irish Chamber Orchestra in the University of Limerick. “I was trying to think of the fact that there is always hope, there is always a light at the end of the tunnel no matter how dark life may be. It can be difficult at times, but you have to find the light and the positive side of things.” As if it had been drawn from her recent work with D.A.R.K., Science Agrees, “The Glory” returns to that metaphor of a candle that shines in the midst of the utter darkness. This theme is also present in “Rupture,” which delves into the dark abyss of depression and the difficulty but need to carry on and move forward.

Dolores also talks about the title Something Else: While the cover was a recreation of the classic No Need To Argue, the title chosen for the eighth album of The Cranberries plays with that of his debut album, Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can ‘ T We? It is about adding “something more”, it is not an end but it does not augur the beginning of a new stage, although Dolores is optimistic about the future of The Cranberries; She would like to continue and hopes that the album will be welcomed by the public.

 Something Else goes on sale on April 28th. You can now reserve on Amazon, digital platforms such as iTunes or signed by the four members on the group’s official website. They will be on tour throughout Europe during the months of May, June, July and August.

09
MAR
2017

THE CRANBERRIES WANTED TO SAY “SOMETHING ELSE”

The Cranberries are back with their eighth album. Something Else will see the light on April 28th this year. Inside it, we will find some of their greatest classics in acoustic version, together with the Irish Chamber Orchestra and three brand-new songs: “Why”, “Rupture” and “The Glory”.

The band has just published in their social networks the picture chosen as the front cover of the album, a photograph that, as we told you in previous publications, was taken during their visit to Cancun (Mexico) earlier in February, and with which they have succeeded in thrilling and moving their fans to tears, since it is a recreation of the cover of their mythic album No Need To Argue, 1994. In the picture we can see Mike and Fergal sitting on a brown couch; Fergal rests his left arm on the arm of the couch while Noel sits sideways on the other arm, and Dolores, sitting on the floor in front of them with her knees bent, looks to her left, just like in the cover of this classic album from the 90’s. It is his way of suggesting that the passing of time is evident and those Irish lads have grown up and matured, both personally and musically, but their essence remains the same. It’s been more than 20 years, but they have always been there.

 This cover can be interpreted as a perfect metaphor for what we will find in the album: Those songs that have become “classics” in the recent history of pop-rock music are now reinterpreted with a more mature, orchestral touch, but preserving inside that fresh essence that is able to evoke feelings, to move and to touch in a way that only their music is able to.

But not everything in Something Else is about remembering the old days. In this album, The Cranberries have gifted us with three unpublished, brand-new songs, of which we already know the titles: “The Glory”, “Rupture” and “Why”, a song that, according to recent declarations of the band, could be the new single and that we are extremely thrilled to listen to.

This is Something Else’s tracklist:

  1. Linger
  2. The Glory
  3. Dreams
  4. When You’re Gone
  5. Zombie
  6. Ridiculous Thoughts
  7. Rupture
  8. Ode to My Family
  9. Free to Decide
  10. Just My Imagination
  11. Animal Instinct
  12. You & Me
  13. Why

As the band has just announced, you can already preorder a copy of this long-awaited masterpiece album, signed by The Cranberries, for only 12€ in their official online shop: https://cranberries.lnk.to/store

We were all waiting for “something else” by The Cranberries, and “Something Else” is now a reality. Because we wanted it, because we owe it to them, and what’s more important: because, like them, time may have gone by, but we have always been there.

11
FEB
2017

SOME DETAILS ABOUT THE NEW ALBUM

The Cranberries do not waste their precious time. During their stay in Cancun for the three concerts at Moon Palace Golf & Spa Resorts on February 10th, 11th and 12th, the band has been photographed for their new album and they have offered a press conference in which they have given some details about it.

We still have no title for the eighth album of the Irish quartet, of which we know it will be an acoustic album together with the Irish Chamber Orchestra, in which they will bring their greatest classics together with three brand-new songs. The album has just been recorded and although the single has not yet been decided, Dolores thinks it could be the song “Why”, for which a video clip will also be recorded once they have returned to Europe.

In addition, The Cranberries were seen in Puerto Morelo, where they were doing a photo shoot from which fortunately we have a picture taken by César Enrique Vera.

Https://www.instagram.com/p/BQVm2m5h6rO/

As Dolores would explain during the concert, a photo of that session will be used for the album cover.

Dolores has also talked about how she incorporates her own experiences, reflections and emotions into her lyrics and how these reflections help her to move forward.

There is no doubt that this album brings together all the components to make us enjoy, feel and relive, bringing back old memories from the best moments of our lives where the nostalgia of a glorious past will hold hands with the optimistic vision of a promising future.

07
FEB
2017

THE CRANBERRIES: A DREAMLIKE EXPERIENCE TOUR

The Cranberries are back in style: accompanied by a string quartet, in May they will be back on stage to present their upcoming album, a greatest hits album with the Irish Chamber Orchestra. Germany, France, Belgium, Holland, UK, Ireland, Italy and Spain will have the great privilege of welcoming The Cranberries on what promises to be, not only their most special and magical tour, but also, a dreamlike experience.

They announced it on their official website a few months ago; But sometimes, reality surpasses our already great expectations. If we had been told just a few weeks ago that we would have the enormous pleasure of enjoying this mythical group in acoustic, we would not have believed it. If we try to imagine how those classics, that have been part of our lives, will sound when accompanied by some string arrangements, the emotion leaves no room for reason. You cannot miss such a beautiful show.

 These are, for the moment, the dates of the tour with which we have been dreaming for years:

May 02 – Berlin, Germany. Admiralspalast
May 04 – Paris, France. Olympia Theatre
May 05 – Paris, France. Olympia Theatre
May 07 – Luxembourg, Luxembourg. Rockhal.
May 08 – Bruxelles, Belgium. Cirque Royale
May 10 – Amsterdam, Holland. Carré
May 12 – Lille, France. Nouveau Siècle
May 17 – Belfast, UK. Waterfront Hall
May 18 – Dublin, Ireland. Bord Gais Energy Theatre
May 20 – London, UK. Palladium
May 22 – Bristol, UK. Colston Hall
May 24 – Gateshead, UK. Sage
May 25 – Glasgow, UK. Royal Concert Hall
May 27 – York, UK. Barbican May 28 – Manchester, UK. Bridgewater Hall
May 30 – Tours, France.  Le Vinci
May 31 – Lyon, France. Cité Internationale
June 02 – Nantes, France. Cité des Congrès
June 04 – Barcelona, Spain. Auditori de Forum
June 05 – Madrid, Spain. Wizink Center
June 07 – Marseille, France. Silo
June 09 – Strasbourgh, France. Salle Erasme
June 10 – Geneva, Switzerland. Theatre du Leman
June 12 – Milan, Italy. Teatro Degli Arcimboldi

August 05 – Marbella. Starlite Festival

Tickets can be purchased next Friday, February 10th at ticketmaster.com, seetickets.com, cranberries.com and other official points of sale such as FNAC. 

03
FEB
2017

THE CRANBERRIES TO RETURN TO SPAIN

The Cranberries are back with a new album and a world tour this year, and Spain has had the great privilege of being the first country confirmed in their tour. Starlite Festival Marbella will host what is undoubtedly one of the most expected and world-wide acclaimed performances of 2017. On August 5th we will be able to enjoy the new album of the Irish band in our country.

With a brilliant musical career behind and more than 25 million album copies sold, The Cranberries have established themselves as one of the most acclaimed bands in the international scene of the last decades. Their eighth studio album, an acoustic album with the Irish Chamber Orchestra in which their greatest hits will experience new arrangements and sounds and which will include three brand-new songs, will see the light between the months of April and May 2017.

The Cranberries have just confirmed their performance in Starlite, a musical festival celebrated in Nagüeles quarry, in Marbella. Located in a wonderful natural environment and endowed with an excellent acoustic quality, Starlite offers musical performances of prestigious national and international artists during the months of July and August, as well as other activities within its program, dedicated to gastronomy, fashion, art and cinema. A social and cultural meeting, located in a privileged natural enclave, which meets all the requirements needed to enjoy an unforgettable evening accompanied by the best music.

This is the first confirmed date of what promises to be a great year for The Cranberries. After the release of this album and the tour that they will start in Europe and continue in Latin America, the group is already making plans about what will be their ninth studio album, and for which they already have some material. The tickets are already selling out, do not miss this out! This is, undoubtedly, the biggest and most important event next summer.

http://starlitemarbella.com/es/2017/the-cranberries/

19
DEC
2016

A GLORIOUS PAST; A PROMISING FUTURE. A SUMMARY OF THE CRANBERRIES’ VISIT TO PERU.

“So take my hands and come with me; we will change reality”, said The Cranberries in their mythical “Animal Instinct.” Their long-awaited concert in Peru has been accompanied by the news we’ve all been waiting for: new album, new tour; The Cranberries’ comeback is now a reality. The Irish quartet knows how to make even the most skeptical of their fans end the year with a smile.

The Cranberries arrived in Peru separately; the first to arrive were Dolores O’Riordan and Olé Koretsky, D.A.R.K.’s project leader, at 2 am Peruvian time on December 14th. Tiredness and jetlag did not prevent them from taking a few minutes to greet and take pictures with the fans who were waiting in the airport to welcome them. It would not be the only time Dolores showed her most human side; she and Olé would reunite with their fans at the hotel’s doorstep the following day, and even granted a meet and greet, with the whole band, on December 15th.
There was also time for some interviews for the Peruvian media, where guitarist Noel Hogan and drummer Fergal Lawler have shared, with great enthusiasm, their projects for 2017: in May they will release an acoustic album with the Irish Chamber Orchestra, in which greatest hits like “Dreams”, “Zombie” or “Linger” will experience new arrangements and sounds, and which will include three new songs. The album will be accompanied by a tour that they hope to start at the beginning of the year in Europe and to continue in South America. In addition, there is an almost ready ninth album, with completely new tracks, that will come out after this one. Their performance in Vivo X El Rock was a great success.

Plethoric The Cranberries poured tons of effort to satisfy a devoted audience who would sing their songs, taken by a cocktail of feelings that moved from emotion and thrills to madness and euphoria. Greatest hits like “Linger”, the sentimental “Animal Instinct” or their hymn “Zombie”, met the integration of more recent songs, like the rocker “Schizophrenic Playboys” or the delicate “Conduct”.

It was the first time Peru enjoyed these tracks, since the most recent visit of The Cranberries to the country was in 2010. Nostalgia came hand in hand with the romantic “Dreaming My Dreams”; Memories of our teenage ingenuity were brought by “Can’t be with you”; and “Salvation” put the musical ecstasy. The Cranberries closed the evening with “Dreams,” a song for which they are still awarded 24 years after its release, and that gains a enormous strength when performed live, leaving in the audience that feeling of completion, because The Cranberries are the clearest example that dreams come true.15592353_10154883010179275_1411566878_n(Picture by Ro YB)

Dolores’s eyes were shiny and smiles would not leave her face. The Hogan brothers enjoyed like kids playing on stage and Fergal worked flat out on his drums. The surprise came from the hand of Olé Koretsky, who made his appearance on stage as a supporting guitarist. They were all happy, excited, thrilled to get back to work. Dolores uploaded a small video in her facebook account, thanking her fans for the concert.

https://www.facebook.com/Dolores-O-Riordan-113672777931/?fref=ts

It is evident that the Peruvian fans’ were not the only ones to come true. It has been a magical evening from which only silences, memories and unquenchable emotions remain, but The Cranberries have been able to anticipate to this unavoidable post-concert nostalgia: the end of this period is only the beginning of the most expected comeback.

16
DEC
2016

THE CRANBERRIES: NEW ALBUM IN MAY 2017

With a brilliant musical career behind them, The Cranberries have established themselves as one of the most acclaimed bands on the international scene of recent decades. Many of us dreamed of their return, which is now a reality: Their eighth studio album will see the light in May 2017. Guitarist Noel Hogan and drummer Fergal Lawler talked about their future projects in the interview they gave to Publimetro in Peru.

They already told us in their official website: 2017 would be a great year for The Cranberries in terms of recording and touring. They are about to finish an acoustic album with the Irish Chamber Orchestra, in which their greatest hits will undergo new sounds. If the simple fact of imagining the acoustic version of songs like “Zombie”, “Linger”, “Animal Instinct” or “Can’t Be With You” with a string arrangement may produce massive goose bumps, the three new songs that will be included in this album leave no margin for doubts: we are talking about one of the great musical promises of next year. The album will hopefully be published in May 2017. This release will be followed by a new promotional tour. In addition, there will be a ninth album, with completely new tracks, that will come out afterwards.

Walking down Memory Lane, little could those Limerick kids imagine, with their heads full of dreams and illusions, that one day their music would reach the top of the charts, that they would get an international audience combining several generations who would sing their songs in unison. That is the essence of The Cranberries, which allows them to interact with their fans: People enjoy their songs because they are able to transmit feelings and allow people to give them their own interpretation. Because it is easy to empathize with The Cranberries when they talk about their concerns and illusions; but also when they express rage and disappointment; when they speak about rebirth after loss, or about the acceptance and wisdom of maturity. This is how they connect with their audience: When they do not speak the language of the audience for which they are performing, they let their songs speak for them. When they are asked, Noel and Fergal cannot decide on just one song to represent The Cranberries’ whole career. It is not surprising; that would be possible for any one-hit-wonder band, but that is not the case of The Cranberries. Each song represents an era, a moment in their lives, a part of themselves, of their being. This is why, for The Cranberries, the most important thing when composing is the sound, “the sound of Cranberries”, providing each element in the composition with its own space, in a perfect harmony.


Noel and Fergal comment on the advantages of playing in a festival, including the possibility of seeing other bands, and they are very grateful and excited to be reunited with their fans during the concert. Because The Cranberries are one of the essential rock bands of the latest decades, but they are still those Limerick kids with the head full of dreams and illusions.

05
DEC
2016

An update on Dolores’ projects apart from The Cranberries and D.A.R.K.

As you may remember, back in 2014, producer Eric Alexandrakis hinted us about Dolores O’Riordan’s upcoming solo projects in a kind of riddle that nobody seemed to guess… and that is about to see the light now!

One of these projects was “La Fine”, a song Dolores recorded with Eric Alexandrakis for Electrons, of which we previously showed you a little teaser and that, as Alexandrakis wrote just a few days ago, might see the light in the upcoming days:

"La Fine" [Viva La Apocalypse Mix]. Drums: Steve Ferrone. Everything Else: Eric Alexandrakis

A video posted by ERIC ALEXANDRAKIS (@esgalexandrakis) on

But hold on, cause there is still much more to come! Another one of the projects was Dolores’ collaboration in Angelo Badalamenti’s soundtrack for Italian thriller Evilenko, a horror movie about a school teacher who reacts psychotically to the fall of the Soviet Union by killing and cannibalizing women and children. Now we have come up to the news that Minus Habens Records is set to release a red vinyl edition of this soundtrack, that will be published in February 2017.

Let’s remember Dolores already collaborated with Badalamenti for the song “The Butterfly”, demonstrating how good her vocals connect to Badalamenti’s musical creation. Another proof of this can be seen in D.A.R.K.’s “The Moon”, whose guitar riffs clearly show some reminiscence of Badalamenti’s influence. With such precedents, it is not difficult to imagine that magic and evasion of our senses towards a musical ecstasy are guaranteed!

Source:

Fact Magazine: http://www.factmag.com/2016/11/29/soundtrack-evilenko-angelo-badalamenti-vinyl/ Eric Alexandrakis twitter & facebook