Irish folk artist Méav has a perfectly crystal clear voice that shines like her perfect teeth. With cheekbones to die for and glossy hair, it might come as a surprise to know that, as she brings out her new album, The Calling, she’s likely to be in a Dublin supermarket in her flip flops.
Despite appearing all over the world, fake-lashed and high-heeled, Dublin is home and where she can be herself, walk the city centre with her two little girls, grow tomatoes, broccoli, potatoes and even make chutney.
“I don’t have to keep up an image in Dublin,” she laughs. “People there pride themselves on leaving you in peace and, of course, everyone’s uncle or granny sings so they don’t let on they are impressed!”
Her new album was, she says, “Waiting for the right producer and now I’m very happy with it. It’s more “folksy” and I have done more song writing. I was very lucky to have Craig Leon produce it, guide me through it.”
The collaboration on this, her fourth album, released on August 26 through Warner Music, with Grammy award-winning Leon, sees the former founding member of female singing group Celtic Woman delighted with the 12 tracks recorded in London and Dublin.
And while her professional life is almost second nature, of ultimate importance is family. Her husband Tom was an actor when they met and is now a financial adviser. It seems a case of role reversals all round, as Méav was a law student at Trinity College when they met. Daughters eight-year-old Anna and Catherine, aged four, seem to think all mothers do something similar to theirs.
“When I’m wearing high heels they say, ‘You are going to do your singing,’” smiles Meav. “Growing vegetables mummy is the other Mummy, not the one with manicured nails. I can grow plenty of bindweed too! We’re hardly self-sustainable but the girls certainly know where food comes from.”
Other people’s expectations are vastly different. “At border control between the US and Canada on the tour bus I was told by an official, ‘You don’t look like you do on TV’. I guess I should have put on my false eye lashes!”
For a girl who studied law but enjoyed music life changed when “Something I did for pleasure became a career. I had to make the decision to give it a real go.”
First it was Riverdance in London’s Hammersmith and New York, then Celtic Woman. “Appearing live is amazing,” she says. “With Celtic Woman doing the gig was the easy part, the bit between shifting the gear on the tour bus.
“When it’s just you and the audience it’s great. It’s extraordinary performing for a crowd, this positive energy that comes to you. I certainly hope to tour with the new album. It was influenced by 70s style recording, without the big string sections, and will be easy to recreate live.
I’m definitely looking forward to taking it on the road.http://www.womentalking.co.uk/topics/entertainment/m%C3%A9av%E2%80%99s-comes-calling