Dublin’s Caimhin Gilmore, known for spearheading his Sun Collective project has spent 2021 by putting out a string of singles which showcase his singular vision for soaring chamber-folk with a magnetic pop sensibility.

On Ogham Scars, Gilmore enlists Saint Sister harpist Gemma Doherty to add otherworldly ambience to the moving piece. The track begins with the hypnotic and meditative interplay between guitar, harp and Gilmore’s gentle vocals – before bursting into catharsis as powerful rolling drums give the song new life in the second half.

Watch a live performance of the track on Other Voices below:

“I robbed the title (and possibly the entire meaning) of ‘Ogham Scars’ from the work of painter,
John Noel Smith,” says frontman Caimhin Gilmore of the track’s inspiration.

“A number of his series use Ogham iconography, which simultaneously recalls and disassembles the early medieval Irish alphabet, re-purposing the linguistic symbols into motifs that are both aesthetically traditional and contemporary.

“His re-imagining and dismantling of this imagery, for me, asks questions of how people use old and contemporary iconography to communicate ideas, language and identity. It was only recently I realised that I wrote ‘Ogham Scars’ mirroring the ideas I formulated about the meaning of his work.”

You can see Sun Collective’s Other Voices performance in full tonight, 15 April from 11pm on RTE 2.