Greta O’Leary performs songs from debut album River Dark
The indie-folk artist is celebrating the release of her debut album which has been in the making for two years.
Tāmaki Makaurau-based indie-folk artist Greta O'Leary's brooding and tender debut album, River Dark, is finally out.
The music is often billed as 'spook-folk', which seems fitting: O'Leary's lyrics often explore dark themes, contrasting with her soft vocal delivery. Reflections on religious ideas (see: 'Baptised at the Desktop Computer') inform a folk-rooted aesthetic that feels almost gothic.
It’s further characterised by chiaroscuro-esque visuals; the cover features O’Leary in a white dress in a moody blue dusk.
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The band came up to RNZ’s studios to perform three tracks off the album, which has been in the works since 2023.
“I just spent an incredibly dedicated year writing and turning away from everything that did not serve my music and then did some gathering of team and [producer Jol Mulholland] and I recorded the bulk of the record in about two weeks up at the LAB [Studios] and that was last year and then here we are.”
While 'Good Girl' is a “little love song” to her childhood self, 'So Lucky' is a more cryptic one about loss and finding one’s path, O’Leary tells Music101.
The album cover of 'River Dark' - the debut of Wellington artist Greta O'Leary.
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Folk Artist Greta O’Leary celebrates new album River Dark
Her song 'Baptised at the Desktop Computer' is simply as the title puts it.
“It’s just a memory that came back to me during a delirious sort of flu week. My dad did bring holy water home one day and baptised me while I was sitting at the desktop computer in the living room.
“I was playing the Sims and I just really wanted to get back to my game.
“It’s created this wonderful song that we really love playing and my dad has mixed feelings about.”
O'Leary’s album release show is at Tāmaki Makaurau’s Old Folk’s Association on 24 May.
