We’re very excited at the prospect of having Julie Feeney at The Model next weekend. I’ve been wanting to work with Julie ever since she won the Choice Music prize for her debut album 13 songs in 2005. The timing was never quite right though, especially once we closed for redevelopment, so it’s wonderful to have her as part of our opening season.

This show will be Julie’s first performance in Sligo, and it comes just before her headline National Concert Hall show in Dublin so it should be pretty special. Julie is a true performer. I caught her recent turn as part of the 2010 Choice Awards (she was nominated again for pages – her current album) and she blew me away. She just performs from her toes to the tip of her (often hat-topped) head. A brilliant musician, a great singer and a terrific stage presence combine to make her incredibly compelling to watch. Helped by a wonderful array of costumes she really makes every song a complete experience.

I find myself returning to the album again and again which, despite the orchestration and strings is still very much a pop album Tracks like Impossibly Beautiful are so lush and hopeful, and others like One more Tune feel very contemporary. I’d encourage you to buy the album of course, but definitely to come and see her live, where she really comes alive.

The acoustic in our new performance space is great, and very well suited for this sort of performance, so it’s set to be a very special night. If you like anything from pop to classical, or all that lies between, this is the show for you. Guaranteed quality. Take a listen to two of the tracks below to get an idea of what’s in store.