Lisa Hannigan
Lisa Margaret Hannigan (born 12 February 1981) is an Irish musician, singer, composer, and voice actress. She began her musical career as a member of Damien Rice's band. Since beginning her solo career in 2007 she has released three albums: Sea Sew (2008), Passenger (2011), and At Swim (2016). Hannigan's music has received award nominations both in Ireland and the United States. Hannigan also received attention in North America for her role as Blue Diamond in Steven Universe, an American animated television series created by Rebecca Sugar.
Lisa Hannigan
- Musician
- singer
- composer
- voice actress
2001–present
1
- Hoop Records (Ireland) Barp
- ATO Records/Play It Again Sam (US & Worldwide)
- MapleMusic Recordings (Canada)
Reception[edit]
Her music has received critical praise, airplay and award nominations both in her native Ireland and the United States. In 2008, her debut album Sea Sew spawned the single "Lille", a Choice Music Prize nomination, two Meteor Music Awards nominations and a Mercury Prize nomination.[54][55][56]
Hannigan performs using "broken-down, wheezy old instruments".[7] Herbie Hancock said of her vocals, "there's so much jazz in the notes and phrases that she picks. She was singing the ninths, the elevenths of the chords...I mean some of the things sound like choices that Miles would have made."[57]
Personal life[edit]
Hannigan briefly studied English and art history at Trinity College Dublin. During her first week at university she became friends with Irish singer-songwriter Damien Rice.[58] Hannigan eventually left university to travel with Rice across Europe.
Returning to Ireland, both Hannigan and Rice began to work together recording music, including songs like "Unplayed Piano" and "Once I Loved." Hannigan featured on Rice's first two solo albums and a number of EPs and live recordings. Both Irish artists toured for a number of years together and were in a relationship, but in 2007 Hannigan left Damien Rice and his band[59] the afternoon before a live show in Munich.[58][60] Rice released a statement saying that their professional relationship had "run its creative course" in March 2007.[61]
Returning to Dublin, from 2007 onward Hannigan began to focus on her solo career which to date has produced three solo albums. In 2015, Hannigan decided to move from Dublin to London to begin a new life, which involved beginning to write new material for her third studio album At Swim. She also started pursuing a part-time degree in English literature.
As of 2016, Hannigan planned to return to Dublin with her London-based husband following her At Swim tour of Europe and the US.[62][44] They have a son.[63]