The Weight of Water

Copyright: ℗ 2025 Bring Your Own Hammer

Credits from Bandcamp

MICHAEL J. SHEEHY has, by his own account, pissed away two or three careers. His first band Dream City Film Club were signed to Beggars Banquet towards the end of last century and despite early promise they crashed and burned after recording their second album. Sheehy then released three critically acclaimed solo albums with Beggars Banquet and toured Europe and the USA with the likes of Kristin Hersch, Tindersticks, Ed Harcourt and Bauhaus front man Peter Murphy.
Despite a few bumps along the road, he has continued making music as a solo artist and as part of the rock band Miraculous Mule as well as one half of psychedelic electronic duo United Sounds of Joy. In 2020 he released his critically-acclaimed solo album 'Distance Is The Soul of Beauty', his first in a decade:
"A quietly storming solo return...it's spookily brilliant." - 8/10 Uncut
"A profound and touching response to these dark times... It's a record that might just be one of lockdown's most perfect creations: as intimate and stark a reflection of the period we're living in as Springsteen's Nebraska was of the early 80s." – Classic Rock
FIONA BRICE is a British composer, arranger & multi-instrumentalist (violin, piano, voice) whose music spans both contemporary classical and indie alternative worlds. She has released two solo albums on Bella Union records, “Postcards From” and “And You Know I Care”. Other instrumental releases include “String Quartet No.1” (Bigo & Twigetti), “Piano Preludes” (10 pieces for solo piano) and “Scissors Paper Stone” for Chamber Orchestra for the Thesis/DRIVE Project (USA). She is recognised internationally as an orchestral arranger and session musician, writing, recording & touring with high profile artists inc. Placebo, John Grant, elbow, Kelly Jones, Stereophonics, Johnny Marr, Anna Calvi, Liam Gallagher, The Libertines, Phoebe Bridgers, Vashti Bunyan, Roy Harper. Her large-scale orchestral arrangements for band collaborations with the BBC Philharmonic, BBC Concert Orchestra, Royal Northern Sinfonia, RTÉ Concert Orchestra, Iceland Symphony Orchestra, Heritage Orchestra have been broadcast on BBC Radio 2, 3, 4, BBC 6 Music and MTV Unplugged & the BBC Proms. She is a regular arranger and occasional conductor for BBC Radio2 Piano Rooms with the BBC CO and last year Uncut Magazine named her “Indie’s Favourite Arranger”. She has written string and brass arrangements on over 60 albums.
BRIGID MAE POWER is an Irish singer, songwriter and musician. She has produced a series of solo albums since 2016. All have been highly-critically acclaimed with 2020’s Head Above The Water regarded as one of the finest Irish albums. The Guardian described her simply as ‘extraordinary’.

Michael J writes:
“It is a privilege to be part of Bring Your Own Hammer alongside artists I have long admired. It has also given me an opportunity to explore my Irish heritage and discover a history I knew little about. Co-writing these songs with historian Richard McMahon has been richly rewarding and I am immensely proud of what we have achieved so far. These recordings are a collaborative effort and the contributions from Brigid, Fiona and Suzanne have elevated our modest songs beyond our wildest imaginings”

The Weight of Water Credits:
Michael J. Sheehy: vocal, guitars and keyboards.
Brigid Mae Power: Backing vocal
Fiona Brice: violin and string arrangement
Vicky Matthews: cello

Produced, recorded and mixed by Michael J. Sheehy
Mastered by Seán Mac Erlaine
Music by Michael J. Sheehy
Words by Richard Mc Mahon
Cover design: Paul Callanan and Richard Mc Mahon
Cover art: Ivan Mc Mahon
Publishing: Copyright control.

A special thank you to James Fortune for allowing us to use his shed to record the strings.