Lisa Hannigan knits and sews her way into the hearts of her San Francisco fans

February 16, 2009, at the Independent

By Camille Ikalina Robles
Published: February 20th, 2009 | 1:40pm

I remember the first time I heard Lisa Hannigan’s voice. She was singing along with Damien Rice on his album O (Vector), which, in 2003, won the hearts of music lovers and critics alike. In his songs, Hannigan’s voice was sometimes boldly present and other times it danced softly behind Rice’s vocals, but it was always haunting and memorable. I remember trying to find out more about her, only to learn that Hannigan’s career revolved around the music of others and not her own.

Six years later, I stood in the Independent in San Francisco on a rainy Monday night, waiting for the singer-songwriter to take the stage in support of her debut solo release, Sea Sew (ATO). Now, it seemed Hannigan was throwing herself completely into her own musical creations. Industrious and with a creative spirit, she endeavored to hand knit the covers of some of the initial copies of her album. And if that wasn’t impressive enough, Hannigan also hand stitched lyrics to seven of the 10 songs found on the album for the CD sleeve.

Switching back and forth between the acoustic guitar and the harmonium, Hannigan and her band opened the show with the album’s first track, “An Ocean and a Rock,” followed by “Sea Song” and a softly haunting “Splishy Splashy.” Sipping tea after and struggling with her hair, Hannigan remarked it was “the perfect length for inhaling,” as soft laughter made its way through the crowd.

During the brief moments between songs in her set, she appeared awkward and timid, sometimes speaking so softly her words were unrecognizable. But when fully engulfed in her music, it was Hannigan’s passion and fierceness that shone through. Possessed by the boldness and almost painful vulnerability of her lyrics, Hannigan fervently swayed along to the building and cascading music of her songs.

The swaying rhythm of “Pistachio” echoed the numerous references and metaphors to the ocean, as Hannigan summoned the many moods of the sea with her lyrics. From the volatile “Teeth” to the hypnotic “Venn Diagram,” to the cover of Air’s “Playground Love,” the set moved with enough energy and variety to stay interesting despite the quiet intimateness of the seated show. Unlike her opening slot on Jason Mraz’s tour last year, where her voice was swallowed up in large, outdoor venues, Hannigan’s little voice, which was darkly rich and scratchy throughout the night as she sang from deeper in her register, fit well among the confines of the small venue.

Hannigan closed with “Lille,” which showed the singer at her most vulnerable, and the upbeat “I Don’t Know,” a song about being intrigued by someone and the curiosity of wanting to know them. The encore, which featured “Keep It All” and a dark, eerie, and majestic cover of Iron & Wine’s “Free Until They Cut Me Down,” earned a standing ovation from the crowd.

Earlier in the evening while I stood waiting outside, Hannigan walked out the front door of the venue to her tour bus unrecognized, unassuming, and lost in thought, wrapped in a coat and red hat. If her performance was an indication of her bright future as a solo artist, then it won’t be too long before she never gets that chance again.

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For more photos from this show visit Venus Zine’s Flickr page
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Lisa Hannigan feature
Review of Sea Sew