The new single from Lisa O’Neill is an epic song for our times. Epic, powerful and important. ‘The Wind Doesn’t Blow This Far Right’ delivers an incredibly emotive message right from the universally felt opening lines: “I’ve lately been thinking of an old friend, // Who I haven’t seen in a while // Last night I dreamed that the same friend, passed without saying goodbye.” Throughout, O’Neill’s words are poetry – utterly compelling, beautifully chosen, purposeful – matched by the quietly dramatic music, which is genuinely timeless. There’s a real richness and fullness to textured music; Jordan O’Leary’s guitar, Mic Geraghty’s harmonium, and Seamas Hyland’s accordion rise up, while Joseph Doyle’s double bass adds weight.
O’Neill says of the song’s theme: “I began writing this song in November 2017, and I finished it in January 2025. My song is a reaction to the unsettled times that we live in.” Indeed, processing these feelings and finding those words are tasks that require time and space to be fully realised. Directed by Ellius Grace, the atmospheric video features a series of guests, including musicians Kae Tempest, Kevin Rowland, Spider Stacey of The Pogues, and Iona Zajac, as well as Nigerian/Irish poet Feli Speaks, actresses Olwen Fouéré and Hazel Doupe, and actors John McArdle and Jack Walsh.
The song features on a new 6-track EP set to be released on Rough Trade Records on 19th November 2025. This is the follow-up to the gorgeous and highly acclaimed 2023 album “All of This Is Chance” from the five-time BBC Folk Award nominee. Immerse yourself in the power and feeling of ‘The Wind Doesn’t Blow This Far Right’. Magical stuff.
