Naoimh’s debut album invites you into a deeply personal space

Naoimh Penston, a beloved voice among Irish Musical Theatre audiences, returns with an album of self-penned songs and stories after a 20-year hiatus from the live music scene.

‘No Fury’ is Naoimh’s long-awaited debut album, a heartfelt collection of songs that has been 30 years in the making.

Spanning themes of love, loss, and life-changing events, each track invites listeners into a deeply personal and reflective space.

This album is not just a showcase of Naoimh’s musical evolution but also a testament to the power of her resilience, creativity, and storytelling.

This week, we sat down with Naoimh to discuss her album launch, which takes place in the Civic on August 16.

What was the inspiration for ‘No Fury’?

The inspiration for the album itself was finding myself at a point in my life where I felt I hadn’t done enough to leave any sort of mark on the music world, despite having been involved in it all my life.

I had all these songs written and unheard for years and realised I needed to do something with some of them and leave something behind.

How long has it been in production?

There were so many reasons for not doing this earlier – financial, personal, emotional, et al . . . (It’ll all come out in a book sometime, as well as in songs) . . . but it’s mostly down to lack of confidence.

I spent my life comparing myself to people who are remarkable and too good to emulate.

Until I met Mark Cahill, who inspired me to record my own songs, to believe in myself, and just to stay in my lane.

What issues did you face making this album, and how did you handle them?

Along the way, during the process of recording with Mark, my first grandchild was born.

Three months later, harrowingly, my ex-husband, partner for over half of my life, and inspiration for many of my earlier songs died.

The profound sorrow of this unexpected loss has motivated me to keep striving, keep dreaming, and keep living life to the full.

The album title comes from a lyric from a line in the song ‘Sorry’ – ’I believe hell hath no fury,’ a song about a life-changing and traumatic situation, pain I live with each day.

As you can tell, I’m drawn to writing about drama, conflict, heartache, and trauma!

But this is my story; it is what it is . . . (My next album will be warmer and wiser!)

Would you have any favourite songs from ‘No Fury’? If so, why/why not?

I find it very hard to pick a favourite song; each one is like a child to me, each written from the heart, full of the truth of the moments that inspired them.

‘All I Have To Say’ is soul-baring and honest, a song about finding yourself after separation from a lifelong relationship. My heart is on a platter in this one.

‘Sorry’– dark and dramatic, written about conflict, strife, and trauma, cathartic and therapeutic to sing, but very dark and sad.

‘Darling Man’ – a more mature (recently composed) piece about what love really means, dedicated to my partner.

‘Always You’– the oldest song on the album, the one that almost represented Ireland in the Eurovision in 1995.

A simple love song to my husband, celebrating how we overcame so many obstacles in being parents so young, surviving, marrying, building a home and a family, and apologising to him for being such a pain in the hoop at times (which, in hindsight, I wasn’t – we were just kids figuring it out!) and thanking him for his patient love . . . and all of this before I was even 25. It was a lot!

However, ‘Amazing Grace’ and ‘Face In My Dreams’ appear to be the favourites among listeners.

Who would you like to thank for organising this event or helping with the album in general?

Mark Cahill (my muse, mentor, and producer) and I have been working on this project since the end of 2023, throughout 2024 in fits and starts (he’s gloriously talented and in big demand, so I booked into the studio with him whenever I could). and it was all ready for release on January 1, 2025.

I could NOT and would NOT have done this album with anyone else but Mark.

My association with him went back to Covid, when he was producing Ivory Sessions videos remotely during lockdown and then producing his big concerts in The Solstice Arts Centre in Navan, with my daughters, Amy and Leah, performing with him.

I did a few Ivory Sessions videos with him, and eventually we got chatting about the possibility of recording, and he was unbelievably supportive and gave so generously of his time and talent.

 I understand that this performance is your return to the live music scene after a 20-year hiatus, how do you feel? Are you nervous?

I’ve been very nervous about getting back to live performance, as it’s been 20 years since I gigged and toured as ‘Penston & Harper’ (with guitarist Fran Harper).

Since then I’ve trod the boards many times in musical theatre productions and also occupied the pit as MD.

This is all work I adore, being very much part of a larger team effort.

Carrying a 90-minute gig at the piano on my own (accompanied by a guitarist) is a different animal, and, although it was daunting at the start, I’m in my stride again now, back in the saddle. My concert champions the songs of No Fury alongside other gems that have had a significant impact on my life – a concert of story and song.

What is next for you after this?

What’s next? It’s very difficult (virtually impossible) to get unsigned music played on the radio, and it’s equally difficult (virtually impossible) to get signed to a record label at my age and stage in life. So, I’ll keep gigging where and when I can, and maybe someday, a signed artist might record a song of mine and take it to new places. Who knows?

While waiting for that to happen, I’ll keep looking for opportunities to sing my stories to anyone who cares enough to listen.