Silver Inches

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"Silver Inches"

Single by Robbi McMillen
Released	December 2005
Recorded	2005
Genre	Indie, Folk, Acoustic
Length	16:00
Label	Muireann Music
Producer(s)	Aindréas Cullinane / Werner Hildrebrandt
Robbi McMillen singles chronology
Aisling Bhán	Silver Inches (2005) -----	Send me a Star

Silver Inches

From his Website [used with permission]

obbi enjoys many types of music, but his debut album, concentrated more on the Irish Traditional side of things. He tried putting his emotion into the songs.

"Silver Inches to me was sort of an escape from being branded. People thought, he's very into his traditional - and I am, and very dedicated, but I'm also into Indie, Jazz, Pop, Trance - everything! This is probably my favorite project so far. It's only four tracks, but a lot of work has gone into this single. Definitley a lot more than two of my previous singles."

Robbi speaks quite proudly of this album, which shines an aura of light on his personality.

"I can remember people came up to me after an energetic gig in Derry and said, 'Hello, do you mind talking to us'? I was gobsmacked, they thought that I was quite stuck-up! I was later told, by these people, who are now very close friends, it's because of the traditional songs, they seemed quite hard - well the serious songs!"

True, many Irish Traditional songs sound quite hard, or quite solid, without posture. It's songs like the beautiful Irish National Anthem, and Coinleach Ghlas an Fhómhair [sean-nós style!] that sound quite hard.

"I then started singing quite a few different songs in different genres at other gigs, and I had each and every person attending the concert chatting away with me. I thought that maybe I should incorporate the traditional and indie, and it worked - very well! When I was talking to Matt [sound engineer] he told me that the gig the week before sounded unlike anything I'd ever performed, and he came up with the idea of a new single!"

Robbi had his doubts, as he was writing for his next album at the time. He thought long and hard, and decided to go with the idea. He recorded the single in Belfast, Dublin and Lisburn, with the Robbi McMillen band.

"Aindréas was very interested in the songs, and later I asked him if we could take turns singing. It was my first time hear him sing, usually he would be picking away at his guitar! His voice was outstanding! So, there we were, Robbi and his Band! We decided to record 'Scented Songs' outdoors, in a beautiful forest in Kilkenny. Myself and Aindréas dueted, while Máirí Nic a' Bháird played harp, and the band played furiously! It was a lifetime experience!

Silver Inches went platinum in the German Folk Charts, and went up for sale in Ireland, Russia and the UK a month later.