Damien Rice

"I used to have a feeling that I had to spend a long time at the song, work at it 'til it got better, but recently I discovered that the better songs I have written are the ones that come really fast, where I stop trying to be a songwriter, stop trying to be anything, and just live, experience and be free." -- Damien Rice
 

Damien Rice was born on December 7, 1973 in the outskirts of Dublin and grew up in Celbridge County Kildare. He spent much of his childhood down by the River Liffey fishing. Hours of catching little to nothing left plenty of time for thinking...

Damien started his music career as the lead singer for the band Juniper. Juniper managed to get a big record deal with Polygram, and released "The World Is Dead" and "Weatherman". However, the record company put pressure on Damien to write upbeat main stream songs. In despair one night, Damien wrote a song which became "Amy." He left the band but the remains of Juniper became Bell X1.

In March 1999 Damien moved to Tuscany, then travelled around rural Europe, busking penniless in the streets. He lived quietly, until deciding to return to the music business on his own terms when he arrived back to Dublin a year later, with a clear head, loaded with ideas, and was able to attract a band and gained coffeeshop gigs. Exploiting a lucky connection to David Arnold, his second cousin, Rice was able to record "'O'". The songs "The Blower's Daughter" and "Cold Water" were featured on the 2004 Mike Nichols film Closer. "Cold Water" was also featured on the TV drama ER. "Delicate" was featured on the TV dramas Lost and House, and "Cannonball" was featured on the TV dramedy "The O.C."

_{^{screen captures from the video for "The Blower's Daughter"; a song Damien wrote about an intense crush he had on the daughter of his flute instructor}}

"So why do you fill my sorrow, With the words you've borrowed, From the only place you've known, And why do you sing Hallelujah, If it means nothing to you, Why do you sing with me at all?"  _{lryics from Delicate}

Damien Rice isn't just a one man show, he is a band. The other members of his band are: Lisa Hannigan who sings and occassionally plays guitar and bass; cellist Vyvienne Long; Percussionist Tom Osander (aka: Tomo) who was also a member of the band God Street Wine; and bassist Shane Fitzsimons.

The album "O" was released on February 1st 2002 and was immediately lauded by the critics as mesmerising, absorbing, adventurous and emotional. A major six-week tour of Ireland followed along with dates in the UK, Germany, France and Spain. In 2003, the band won the Shortlist Music Prize for "'O'". Damien and his band were also nominated for Meteor Irish Music Awards and a BBC Hot Press Rock Award. "O" has since gone platinum status in Ireland. In the UK, constant gigging, festival appearances at Glastonbury, V2002, Edinburgh Fringe, London Fleadh plus supports with McAlmont and Butler, Counting Crows and Kathryn Williams, have all helped established Damien as a must see live act. "O" appears this year in many critic's end of year polls.

"And what I am to you, Is not real, And what I am to you, You do not need, And what I am to you, Is not what you mean to me, You give me miles and miles of mountains, And I ask for the sea..." _{lryics from Volcano}

Damien Rice is also involved in a human rights campaign to free Burmese leader Aung San Suu Kyi. He and Lisa recorded a charity song, campaigning for this, called "Unplayed Piano." Damien has spent 2004 and 2005 reportedly recording the follow-up to "O", which currently has no expected release date. He also took some time to record an old Juniper track, "Cross-eyed Bear", for the new Warchild album. When the song was first available for download, there was an error in the mastering of the track, in that Damien's and Lisa's voices were much lower than usual. The error was fixed a few days later, to the dismay of some fans (who thought that the low voice was intentional, and subsequently some people prefer the erroneous version.)

_{Besides being a very talented musician, Damien can do amazing things with an empty water bottle in an interview}

Damien Rice and Lisa Hannigan's video for Aung San Suu Kyi

music video for "The Blower's Daughter" featuring clips from the movie Closer

video for "Cannonball"

a video for "Older Chests"