Tallaght’s Acko releases deeply personal album

“WHEN Sita passed, the only thing that seemed to make any sense was music,” remarks Tallaght-born singer-songwriter Acko Atkinson.

The former frontman of the 90s Dublin indie band Grasshopper released his third solo album on June 19.

‘Before and Then’ is Acko’s most personal set of songs yet.

Five of the nine songs were written in the aftermath of the tragic passing of Acko’s daughter Sita in 2024.

He reflects that “in a weird way I was kind of lucky to have music; I can’t imagine what it would have been like without it.”

If someone’s parents die, they are an orphan; if they lose a spouse, they are a widow or a widower, but if they lose a child, there is no name for it, so “you have to create your own title and your own language to express how you feel.”

Music gave Acko somewhere to put all of his grief, anger and hopelessness. He points out that that is probably why there are so many loud electric guitars on the album, mostly recorded in the small room where his studio was set up.

“I think I was trying to drown all my thoughts out,” he remarks.

Acko is joined as ever by Noel Quaid on bass and Iain King on guitar, with one song, ‘The Lesson’, featuring 19 year old Matt Griffiths on guitar.

Acko has made a series of short videos where he talks about the songs that are being made available over the next couple of weeks on his YouTube channel.

‘Before and Then’ is currently available to listen to on Bandcamp and other streaming services.