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“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 14^th. 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 15^th.
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.(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.

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.

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 Jun 27, 2015 at 11:48pm PDT

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

As many of you have been able to appreciate, “The Cranberries – 5 Classic Albums” has been published under the signature of Spectrum Music (a division of Universal Music), and scheduled for October 7. After four long years without a new release by The Cranberries, we could not miss the opportunity to get this gem and see what it offers. In this article we will tell you the five reasons why 5 Classic Albums is a MUST HAVE.

1) The perfect solution for new fans. 5 Classic Albums offers the easiest and most practical way to own The Cranberries’ complete discography(except for Roses, that does not belong to Universal). Without the b-sides, this new compilation gives us every album in its classic version, taking us back to the naivety, illusions and mysticism of Everybody Else Is Doing It So Why Can’t We?; the wrath, nonconformity and disappointment No Need To Argue; the preoccupation with death, pain and depression of To The Faithful Departed; the feelings of rebirth and liberation of Bury The Hatchet and the maturity and wisdom of Wake Up And Smell The Coffee.

2) A treasure for collectors. Because our beloved Treasure Box not included Wake Up And Smell The Coffee, and, we really needed the icing on the cake to complete our collections and thus, to crown which has been a glorious decade for such a legendary and worldwide acclaimed band as The Cranberries are.

3) The meaning and creativity of its layout. 5 Classic Albums rescues that mythic couch that accompanied The Cranberries in their first two studio albums, and that became an icon for their fans. Now, that couch is empty, abandoned in a road in the middle of nowhere, thus evoking the desire of liberation from Bury The Hatchet and Wake Up And Smell The Coffee and a nod to the cover of Stars: A road that takes us to new places, new stories… because the end of an era is only the prelude to a new beginning, and we have promised The Cranberries that we would accompany them all along their journey.

4) An irresistible price. For only 13.99 euro, you can get all albums by The Cranberries for the price of one. Because music is meant to be enjoyed, felt, loved… and, why not, also shared. Maybe it is the right time to thank the friend who did not know the band much, but decided to go to the concert with you, or to share, with that special someone, the magic of those four Irish people who changed your life and helped you learn more about the world and about yourself.

5) And, if after all of this, the simple satisfaction of going to your music store like in the old times and ask for “the newest by The Cranberries’ can’t convince you, I don’t know what will! The Cranberries opened its website announcing that 2017 promised to be a year full of music, concerts and new projects, and, in the meantime, 5 Classic Albums is now available to remind us why we think of red berries when we talk about music, dreams and memories of a lifetime accompanied by the best of soundtracks.

Just three days ago there came the news through Noel Hogan himself: He and Dolores O’Riordan had received an invitation to attend BMI Music Awards, held at the Dorchester Hotel in London, on October 10^th, 2016.

The BMI London Awards recognizes the U.K. and European songwriters and publishers of 2015’s most-performed songs on radio and TV in the United States. Noel Hogan has received a Special Citation of Achievement in recognition for the over 3 million broadcast performances attained by Dreams.

As we all know, “Dreams” was the first single from the debut album by The Cranberries Everybody else is doing it, so why can’t we? Written by Dolores O’Riordan, it was the first hit of four young The Cranberries with their heads full of dreams and illusions, who had just started to make their way in the music world. Youth, divine treasure! Little could they imagine that one day this song would become one of his greatest hits, crowning them forever as worldwide acclaimed musicians. Currently, Dreams is chosen as the closing song at their concerts.  Already in the early morning Noel did not want to lose the opportunity to share a photo of the award with his followers in his social networks. To all of us, their fans, we are immensely proud to see that The Cranberries get the recognition they so richly deserve, for a brilliant career full of success and, more important, full of effort, work, sacrifice, sleepless nights and a huge will to improve themselves. Because they already told us in their presentation: “everybody else was doing it, so why couldn’t they?Dear Noel, we wish you enjoyed the Awards gala, and from this website we want to give our most sincere congratulations; to you, Dolores O’Riordan, Mike Hogan and Fergal to Lawler: Thank you all for being the best example of how much it is worth fighting for one’s dreams.

It’s been months in which we would type that www.cranberries.com in our browsers and all we would get was a big sign saying: COMING SOON.

Now the waiting is over. The Cranberries are back with a brand new website, with a strictly professional layout that promises to be an amazing source of official information! There you will be able to find their upcoming tour dates, have a listen to the singles from each of their studio albums, a complete gallery from rehearsals in their studio in Limerick or a collection of very useful links to their social networks (make sure you’re following The Cranberries in every of them!).

But our favourite part is the final lines of their BIOGRAPHY section: “2017 promises to be a very, very special year for The Cranberries in terms of touring and recording.”

For those who could not follow their activity recently, The Cranberries are to play three gigs in Cancun, Mexico, in February 10^th, 11^th and 12^th. There have also been rumours of their participation in the eighth edition of Vivo X El Rock Festival in Lima, Peru, and some unofficial sources have ventured to talk about a possible whole tour in Latin America. Apart from this, The Cranberries are working on a Greatest Hits album with the Irish Chamber Orchestra, which promises to be a very interesting new twist to all these songs that have marked our lives and have brightened our world in so many occasions.

The website has not gone unnoticed to The Cranberries’ passionate fans: soon after it was launched, its service went down briefly due to the huge amount of people who were trying to enter the site; a problem that is now solved, as you can all check and as The Cranberries explained themselves on their facebook account.

September 21^st, This Is The Day we have been dreaming with for years… ‘Cause they’re a Dream to us.

September 6^th 2016

What an amazing day Dolores’ birthday has been!! Just a few days after we had to communicate the sad news about the cancellation of their European tour, D.A.R.K. have decided to put a smile on fans’ faces by sharing two brand new tracks from Science Agrees: “High Fashion” and “The Moon”. Curiously enough, according to our polls and discussions on social networks, these are fans’ favourite songs from Science Agrees.

We started with the podcast of the interview D.A.R.K. conceded The Talkhouse last April, where the band shared “High Fashion”. You can listen to the interview in the link below:

http://thetalkhouse.com/andy-rourke-smiths-talks/

The introduction starts presenting the career of both bands The Smiths and The Cranberries –with a nice mention to Dolores’ solo albums – and the premier listening of “High Fashion”, a song about drug addiction and love. Andy Rourke and Dolores O’Riordan procede with a lovely interview to each other:

They discuss how they met through their manager and Dolores poses the first question to Andy: how old he was when he started playing the guitar. Andy answers he was seven or eight when he started playing the guitar, and twelve when he started playing the bass. Dolores keeps interviewing Andy as he talks about how he is familiar with several instruments and left school when he was 15 to start working; he explains how he met and started working with Olé seven years ago and Dolores tells Andy how she was a fan herself of The Smiths in her teen years.

They carry on with the interview and Dolores admits it is easier working with The Cranberries because fans have the music and they sing along with the band, while in D.A.R.K. the band have to be aware of every detail. However, since Olé is the lead singer of D.A.R.K., she feels like a backing singer, and she concludes she enjoys both the pressure of being a lead singer as much as being “in the shadow”.

As an anecdote, Andy Rourke comments on how Morrissey got knocked once by a packet of sausages during a festival and Dolores got thrown a bitten apple on stage.

Andy and Dolores continue commenting on their favourite tracks from Science Agrees: Dolores likes “The Moon” but both of them are also fond of “Loosen The Noose” and “Underwater”. They also talk about how it is when their families come to see them on stage and they comment in laughter that they feel like they cannot make any mistakes.

Dolores is not worried about people liking D.A.R.K. or not; she hasn’t got great expectations about it and feels it is an experiment, and she is enjoying the process of doing new things. She is aware of the different reactions D.A.R.K. has caused on the internet since it is very different from what they have done before (The Smiths and The Cranberries). Dolores thinks it’s important to challenge oneself and try different things. She explains how she was in Ontario when she had a first contact with D.A.R.K.’s music and she hadn’t been given any instructions about it; how they moved to Electric Lady in New York and everything regarding what would come out of the project was unpredictable at the time.

The lovely interview ends with “Loosen The Noose”, another enchanting track you will find in Science Agrees.

Just when we thought the day was over, another excellent piece of news came our way: D.A.R.K. have shared and talked about “The Moon” to Consequence of Sound:

Cranberries/Smiths supergroup D.A.R.K. share gothic club track “The Moon” — listen

In Olé Koretsky’s words about “The Moon” in Consequence of Sound: “It was just a vague disco sketch that Andy [Rourke] and I kept pushing… ‘Think Angelo Badalamenti, think Twin Peaks,’ we would say to the mix engineer. That’s what we were going for and we really wanted to feature those guitars. I advocated for a cleaner mixdown and wanted to restructure it into a proper song format but Dolores didn’t want to change a thing. She put her vocals on and now it’s probably my favorite track on the album.”

As you may remember, “The Moon” has often been described as the band’s favourite track from Science Agrees, since it captures the different personalities of the three members and, although its structure may seem chaotic, its mad guitar riffs and the enchanting vocals of Dolores’ solo at the end have made it one of fans’ favourite tracks from the album.

Source: The Talkhouse: http://thetalkhouse.com/andy-rourke-smiths-talks/ Consequence of Sound:  http://consequenceofsound.net/2016/09/cranberriessmiths-supergroup-d-a-r-k-share-gothic-club-track-the-moon-listen/

As we announced in our social networks, D.A.R.K.’s European Tour is cancelled due to the bulging disc Dolores is suffering, which already forced her to cancel The Cranberries’ concert in Landerneau, France ( August 13^th ) and the three concerts Cancun, rescheduled for February 10^th, 11^th and 12^th 2017 .

From this site, we are deeply sorry about what has happened; First and foremost, because seeing our girl suffer breaks our hearts, and secondly, because we are fans too. We have lost our money and, even worse, many dreams too. We were very much looking forward to this tour. Therefore, we know and understand that the situation may be lamented, but it could also be endured… We propose a little game for you:

 1) Choose your favorite song from “Science Agrees”.

2) Imagine that song was the next single and design a cover for it.

Covers can be drawings, photographs, paintings, digital illustrations, compositions… You can use any kind of materials, Photoshop and other programs or applications, even leaves of trees or seashells as our beloved Dolores does! Originality is rewarded. All designs will be uploaded to our social networks and other fans can vote on their favourites. The designer of the best cover will be able to choose between a CD of “Science Agrees” signed by Dolores, Olé and Andy, or the vinyl edition of “Science Agrees”. The creator of the second best design will receive the second prize. You have the entire month of September to design and submit your covers. “Science Agrees” is a masterpiece, a commitment to creativity and originality where styles as varied as electronica, new wave and indie rock intertwine with the masterly bass tracks of Andy Rourke and the unique voice of Dolores O’Riordan; an album in which love and rebirth find their way across dark and stormy memories. An ode to the celebration of happiness integrated into that Romantic vision of tempus fugit and other human concerns. A project which is too beautiful not to be enjoyed. Dear Dolores, from Dolores O’Riordan Spain, we wish you a speedy recovery. Do not feel guilty; No tour is worth more than your health. We love you and your wellbeing is our priority.

If there’s something Science should agree is on the fact that we are facing one of the most interesting music proposals that have appeared in recent years. D.A.R.K., the musical group formed by Dolores O’Riordan with Andy Rourke (The Smiths) and Olé Koretsky, has proven to be up to the expectations of a music industry that appears to be increasingly demanding and more and more dehumanized.

As D.A.R.K. members would discuss on previous interviews, “Science Agrees” offers a chaotic harmony that finds the perfect balance between styles as varied as electronica, new wave, alternative rock and the shoegaze of the 80s, and influences such as Joy Division, New Order or David Bowie, perfectly mixed with the demands of the musical trends of the century. This originality is one of the most remarkable features of the extraordinary creativity of D.A.R.K.’s members:

“Science Agrees” mainly meets a wide variety of electronic-based rhythms in which synthesizers, electronic drums and vocal distortion acquire a remarkable relevance. Examples of this are the psychedelic “Miles Away” (which may remind us of Crystal Castles) or the chilling “Underwater”. Other tracks, such as “Chynamite” show a more indie-like influence, folk rock and a Celtic touch, Dolores’ unmistakable hallmarks. At an intermediate point between electronic rhythms and indie rock, one can find other tunes in which, in addition to the electronic bases, melodic guitars and drums take on greater prominence, such as “Curvy”, “Steal You Away” the chaotic “The Moon” or “Gunfight”, which introduces an interesting touch of the 80’s punk.

Lyrics deal mostly with the process of finding light in the dark: the theme of death and its equalizing power, present in the bleak “Underwater” or the melancholic “Steal You Away” contrasts with the rebirth of ” Curvy “; the disillusionment and loss of faith in “Gunfight” opposes the oneiric delirium of “Miles Away” or that understanding we can only find in true love, as in “Loosen The Noose” and “High Fashion”.

It should be noted the outstanding quality and vocal versatility of Dolores, who adapts her voice to the style and personality of each of the songs of “Science Agrees”: from the wrath and nonconformity of “Gunfight” to the soothing whispers of “Curvy” or an almost childlike sweetness in “Steal You Away”; introducing treble and unusual techniques such as vocal hiccus, without leaving behind her so distinctive Celtic Yodels as can be seen in the bewitching “Watch out”. Koretsky also makes an excellent display of vocal quality, especially in “Loosen The Noose” or “Steal You Away”, where his technique may share some reminiscences with the singers from those bands of the 80 that have influenced him.

“Science Agrees” is D.A.R.K.’s commitment to innovation in a demanding music industry where creativity and talent are constantly tested; an album in which duality plays an essential role: electronic beats and melodic guitars create the perfect atmosphere to dance and celebrate happiness while its melancholic lyrics invite to reflection in solitude; an ode to life and rebirth that does not prevent concerns about the transience of time and the arrival of death; the sense of liberation after the oppression of a stormy situation; a small halo of light that makes its way in the dark.

On September 9 we will be able to enjoy what promises to be one of the most interesting music proposals in recent times. Pre-order is now available at Pledge Music: http://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/dark-science-agrees

Amazing news come to all of us who believe in, admire, support and LOVE Dolores. Excited, inspired, and in good health, Dolores talked to Classic Pop about her long journey, her admirable strength and her projects.

IT IS OFFICIAL! Many people may have doubted about it, but Dolores O’Riordan is working on two parallel projects in the shape of two brand new albums, and we couldn’t be any prouder of our girl! Get yourselves ready for D.A.R.K.’s debut album “Science Agrees” and a “Greatest Hits” album with The Cranberries and the Irish Chamber Orchestra! YES, The Cranberries are back with a new album too!
Dolores admits when “Roses” came out, she thought that would be The Cranberries’ last album, “But the years go by, things happen in your life and you end up back together” Dolores said. Back in June this year, Noel and Fergal gave some interviews in which they talked about the possibility of coming back together, a project that would not happen “soon” but for which a door had always been opened. After a successful summer tour in Europe and Mexico in which they have hung the SOLD OUT sign several times, The Cranberries are back, and all of us, their faithful fans, hope this is just the beginning of a long journey together.

But the best part of this article is getting to know Dolores’ health is much better now. Her honesty and strength when talking about her bipolar disorder is admirable, and we find ourselves crying while writing these words: She tells Classic Pop that she was once going through really hard times; she had to spend three weeks in a psychiatric hospital, her hair was falling off and she got no sleep for two months. Fortunately, she always had good people around, her mother and brother took good care of her and provided an essential help in her recovery. She is still on medication for her bipolar disorder but she is in control of it and feeling much better now and, when you always believed in Dolores and were right by her side through thick and thin; when you cried in your bed cause you could not do anything for person who once saved you; when you love her –when you really love her – this is really the best news you can get. The best one EVER.

This is somehow the essence of D.A.R.K: one’s own searching for happiness after getting over darkness. “Science Agrees” offers an interesting mixture of trends going from electronic and pop-disco to hip hop and some reminiscences of Depeche Mode, The Cure and David Bowie. Lyrics talk about desolation, disconnection and rebirth.  Some of the vocals from “Science Agrees” were recorded during those hard times Dolores had to go through, and Dolores confesses she was manic while recording “Gunfight”. Thus, working with D.A.R.K. was like a therapy to her.

Olé Koretsky explains Classic Pop about the origins of D.A.R.K., how they were originally formed as Jetlag back in 2012, how much Dolores liked the tracks she was first sent by email two years later and the difficult process of working together from different continents. He insists that Dolores is the light that their project needed. D.A.R.K. is described by its members as something different from everything else they have done before… “a different vibe, unique”.

There is no doubt that D.A.R.K. is bound to be one of the most interesting promises happening to the music in a long time. Don’t miss out the opportunity to see them display their art in their live shows in Limerick, Cork, Dublin, London, Paris, Milan, Berlin and Madrid in September, and get their magnificent “Science Agrees”, available at Pledge Music: http://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/dark-science-agrees

Source: Classic Pop Magazine https://www.facebook.com/ClassicPopMag/
Special thanks to Kike Rivas who found the article from Classic Pop.