George Houston at The Sebright Arms, photo by Eerie Rose

TODC, which stands for The Original Death Card, is the fourth album from Irish singer-songwriter George Houston, and released last year to rave reviews from both long term fans and new. Despite being far from the artist’s first work, it sees Houston tackle themes of death and rebirth, sexuality and religion and trauma in an entirely new and excellently vulnerable way. The tour for the record took the theme of a funeral procession, and has recently had a final run of shows which 5.18 Magazine was fortunate enough to witness, after being there for the original TODC London show back in October last year also. We caught up with George Houston just before the next leg of the procession commences in Ireland in June, to chat the end of the TODC era, new chapters and exciting new adventures.

You are currently on your way through the final tour for your latest record, The Original Death Card. How has it felt bringing the funeral procession to the rest of Europe?

The Original Death Card procession has been a dream. It was a couple of years since I took on a headline tour, and the turn out was so overwhelming considering we took on so much uncharted territory. Lots of exciting firsts, hopefully not lasts!

How does it feel, knowing you're playing these shows as a final chapter for this era of your music? Are you planning to continue very much on this theme, or are you looking forward to inspirations and imagery anew going forward?

It will be bittersweet closing the book on the procession, but for the moment I just want to make these last shows the best I’ve done to date.

Me and the band have also started practicing a new body of work, I’m very eager for people to hear it, and to give a hint of the vibe, I would call it a ‘lullaby album’…

The show in London at The Sebright Arms was absolutely packed - TODC has really resonated with a whole new fanbase, as well as your longterm admirers. What is it about this record that you think has captivated these new listeners so successfully?

Good press haha

Could you break down the album's imagery a little for us - the tarot deck, the funeral procession - the album is so full of unapologetic queerness, and powerfully direct songs on love that the patriarchal, heteronormative and binary gender ridden world may consider unconventional (boo) and I wonder what your specific connection of those themes to death was?

When I took on the tarot theme, I knew it would be a treat making visuals for this album. Tarot is so rich in storytelling, and symbolism, and there’s no card more visceral than ‘death’.

TODC is unapologetically queer, specifically through a rural Irish lens. As much as I adore where I’m from it can be an unforgiving environment to grow up at times, and using the death card as a symbol for moving on felt right.

What is your approach when it comes to writing - do the narratives come to you, or do you go searching for them? There's such visual storytelling in your music, and I wonder how much is personal experience and how much is imagination?

I like for songs to come to me, they exist out there in life already, you just have to look out for them I think. Regarding personal experience versus my imagination, there are songs I certainly wish were only my imagination, and others where I adjust the story here and there, depends on the song.

What are you looking forward to with the rest of the shows for this tour?

I’m looking forward to connecting with people, spending time with the band, and perhaps playing some new songs!

What are your plans beyond TODC and the final procession?

A lie-in, and a trip to the studio ;)

What artists are inspiring you right now? Who have you been listening to lately, and are there any current bands or musicians that have been particularly influential to you with this record?

I sort of treated our Lord and saviour Stevie Nicks as a muse for the album. Her voice, her spirit, her style is very much sprinkled throughout TODC. Artists who have versatility always inspire me, whether it’s through their vocal range and dynamics, their rejection of genre, or their gift of reinventing themselves with each story they tell; Kate Bush, Lana Del Rey, Anohni, David Bowie, Fiona Apple, First Aid Kit, CMAT now too I’ve fallen in love with her music, I could go on and on.

What does the tour playlist look like with your band? When it’s your turn on the aux what are you playing?

Haha I was the designated driver for the tour, so I just pressed shuffle on my liked songs on Tidal, the word incoherent springs to mind.

You’ve just been announced to support The Divine Comedy on tour. Could you tell us a bit more about it, and what you’re looking forward to?

I’m absolutely ecstatic. It has been a little internal dream of mine since I started music to support The Divine Comedy, my Father has been playing their albums at full volume in the house since I can remember and it felt like a real full circle moment finding out. I’ll be joining them for their uk shows this June/July, and I’m really looking forward to connecting with their audience, hopefully warming them up, and then sitting back to enjoy the rest of the show!

Follow George Houston on instagram to stay up to date with new releases, tour dates and more. You can catch the final TODC procession next in Dublin on 12th June (tickets here). See dates and get tickets for shows with The Divine Comedy here.

Before the Night is Over: An Interview with George Houston