Richard Farrell is an Irish musician/producer and composer based in Copenhagen, Denmark. He released his debut album ‘Lights at Sea‘ in 2012 with his band Richard Farrell and The Last Tribe.
Born and bred on classical and blues music, he also draws from soul, funk and latin music, influenced by his many trips to New Orleans, Cuba and the South American continent. Richard is a singer foremost, but also an accomplished pianist and guitarist.
While at La Muse Richard put the final touches to writing and demoing his second album. He joined us back in mid-January for four and half weeks. You can read about his journey at La Muse on Clear Haze here and listen to some of the a cappella covers he recorded in the echoing hallways below and on the La Muse Youtube channel.
When did you realize you were a musician?
Music has always been a strong current in my life, stitched into my mind from the age of 6, when I started playing piano, but before then I remember humming and hitting anything to create some kind musical sound. I spent four years in St Patrick’s Cathedral Choir School in Dublin from the age of eight until twelve which laid the foundation for my core understanding of music which I have built on ever since.
What is Creativity to you? And: What is your Creative Process?
Creativity for me can be described as an emotional or spiritual purging. After and during the process of understanding matters deeply in one’s mind, we release energy that allows us to heal ourselves and others. For me I harness this in the form of melodies, lyrics and rhythms. This healing process is very powerful in some music as it rings true to our own lives, and allows us to connect and share the complexities of life’s magic and suffering.
What is Inspiration or Inspirational to you? How Do You Live an Inspired Life?
Truth and the passing of the message of love are inspiration to me. This can be a smile, a meal someone has prepared or a song… at the end of the day it is the intention of the message that really counts. By being able to notice these ‘ordinary’ or everyday qualities means I can live an inspired life, knowing other people feel the same way I do and their wish to attain the same qualities in life.
How Did You Know You Needed to Come on a Retreat? OR: What Made You Come To a Artists Retreat?
For many years I have traveled alone ( which I believe is very important) to find a place where music and words would flow out of me, almost without effort and I have found certain occasions where this would be true. But coming to La Muse instilled a strength in honing and mining my creative talents, giving me the space and environment for all of that to flourish. With Kerry and John at the helm, a beautiful house/room to work in, inspirational company to share the whole experience with and walks/landscapes that defy my expectations of beauty, I needed no more to know that this truly would bring the best out of me.
What’s Been Your Eureka/Transformative Muse Moment?
The space between working on my material has allowed for certain phrases and melodies to arise. There were particular moments when this happened, mostly on one of my walks through the valley, getting lost and uncovering some naturally beautiful spots. This allowed a stillness and clear water like quality to arise in me, giving my mind the threads to weave it’s creative yarn.
What was the one thing you didn’t pack that you wish you had?
A bass guitar.
Can You Give Us One Word to Describe Your Retreat?
Cleansing.
What do you believe La Muse can offer other musicians?
For all art forms, finding the space to exercise your creativity is a very difficult thing. At La Muse this comes very soon after entering the house. Never in my life have I mixed and lived with people who are as engaged as I am in their own different art forms. This ignites everybody to bounce each others very different creative processes off each other while allowing them to personally develop new ideas in a beautiful room or studio. La Muse offers many hidden gems for any musician, composer or producer looking to take his craft to the next level, especially in the area of acoustics.
Below is one of the acoustic recordings Richard made at La Muse. You can check out other ones on our Youtube channel.