Get a ‘musical hug’ from Jinx Lennon at the Spirit Store

Currently on tour to promote his new album ‘Walk Lightly When the Jug is Full’, Jinx is looking forward to playing to home audience on Friday night in The Spirit Store.

This latest offering from the highly prolific song-writer sees him putting the fruits of lockdown spent exploring his guitar technique into practice as he explores the world of Celtic open tuned guitar with a punk folk attitude. A number of the songs were written during his 2021 residency in An Tain Arts Centre.

He recorded the album with Chris Barry in Aiflionn studios Drumcondra and it features fellow Dundalk musician David Keenan, Sean Fitzgerald from Dublin band The Deadlians, Armagh Rhymers’ singer Annie June Callaghan and Chris Barry on bass.

With the second track called "Sing what you know about”, that’s exactly what Jinx does as his signs about a variety of social issues with his usual frank honesty combined with a new lyricism.

He says he sings about “the times we live in Ireland, social issues and the struggle to retain sanity and integrity in the 21st century.”

The result is an electric collection of songs including ‘Pregnancy Test Kit’, ‘The Man Who Loved Abba’ and ‘Celibate Rifle Day’, and, for the first time, instrumental tracks such as the beautiful “Atlantic Coast Woman”.

While the lyrics are delivered in his own Dundalk accent, he says that the themes are ones that audiences anywhere can identify with.

"It’s all about people and I try to make it as universal as possible. The songs are all about my views. If I wasn’t feeling what I’m singing about it wouldn’t be any good. It has to personal.”

He says that the reaction from audiences around the country has been really good.

"People are seeing a different side to me – a more melodic side but the subjects are still hard-hitting.”

He says that a lot more women are now coming to his shows and reveals that one woman described the album as like “ a musical hug”.

The reviews from the music press have been similarly positive with Hot Press describing it as a “compelling effort from folk-punk maverick”, while the Irish Times said it is “rooted in surprisingly soft earth”.

As one of the most authentic artists on the Irish music scene, Jinx has featured on a number of television documentaries and his music has featured in plays and films.

Last year he was featured as part of the TG4 documentary series Cumasc:Seisiuin Sa Black Gate co-writing songs with the Mary Wallopers for the featured episode

.He also appeared on the Tommie Tiernan show and performed the song ‘’Pushing the Patients Round’’ from ‘’Liferafts for Latchicos ‘’ and performed the piece ‘United Island’’ on RTE Radio One ‘’The County Measure’’ series.

​​​​​​​For Friday night’s gig in the Spirit Store, Jinx will be joined by Cork act Wasp v Humans