Ways of Seeing

Ways of Seeing is the project of singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist James O'Donnell.This is his first solo project after previous musical ventures with bands ‘Hush War Cry’ and ‘Dear Desert’. Mixing indie rock with folk tinged-psychedelia, the Kerry native's debut album 'End Comes To Light' was released in 2022 to much critical praise and attention. Writing for the album began in the attic of his childhood home in Kerry. After converting the attic into a home studio, the unfolding pandemic provided time to flesh out years of voice notes and musical sketches. It was recorded and produced with Christian Best (Mick Flannery), Alex Borwick (Niamh Regan, Rachel Lavelle) and mixed by Tommy McClaughlin (Soak, Pillow Queens, Ailbhe Reddy) at Attica Audio in Donegal. Singles have received national radio airplay on 2fm (The Alternative, Dan Hegarty), Newstalk (Tom Dunne Show) and Raidió na Gaeltachta (An Taobh Tuathail, Cian Ó Cíobháin). Meanwhile, the album has also featured on prominent magazines/blogs such as Nialler9 (“sounds a bit like War on Drugs”), Goldenplec, The Thin Air and The Goo Dublin ("The soundscapes are broad and lush..."). A five-piece band live; they are poised to win over many new followers on this year's summer festival and gigging circuit.

The name “Ways of Seeing” came from the idea that songs could reveal parts of the self that might otherwise never have been revealed. In an attempt to capture the subconscious, melodies and lyrics were kept as they came out on first takes of recording. The songs exist as dreamlike stories where the subconscious voice inhabits a world of lush panoramic soundscapes. Ways of Seeing aims to use musical ideas to dig deeper into knowing one’s self while observing the world from new perspectives. Song-writing can allow us to see the world in ways we never could have imagined, for Ways of Seeing this is just the start of that journey….