Cathal Coughlan (musician) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Cathal Coughlan
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Coughlan in 2020
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| Background information | |
| Born | 16 December 1960 Glounthaune, County Cork, Ireland |
| Died | 18 May 2022 (aged 61) |
| Genres | Post-punk |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 1980–2022 |
| Labels | Rough Trade Records, Virgin Records |
| Associated acts | Microdisney, |
Cathal Coughlan (born December 16, 1960 – died May 18, 2022) was a talented Irish singer and songwriter from Cork. He was best known as the lead singer of the band Microdisney. He formed this band with Sean O'Hagan in 1980. Their second album, The Clock Comes Down the Stairs, became very popular. It reached number one on the UK Indie Chart.
Microdisney gained many fans in the Irish and UK independent music scenes. The band broke up in 1988. After that, Coughlan started a new band called The Fatima Mansions. This band was known for its energetic live shows and released five successful albums. They broke up in 1995.
In the years that followed, Coughlan released music on his own. He also worked with other musicians like O’Hagan, Jonathan Fell, and Nick Allum. His solo career became very successful in 2021. His album Song of Co-Aklan was highly praised. He wrote it from the perspective of a character he created, "Co Aklan." This album came out fifteen years after his previous solo album, Foburg (2006).
Contents
Cathal Coughlan's Music Career
Microdisney: Early Days
Cathal Coughlan was born in Glounthaune, a village near Cork city. He was active in the local music scene in Cork in the late 1970s. In 1980, he met Sean O'Hagan and they formed Microdisney as a duo.
After finding some success in Cork, they moved to London. They recorded music for an independent record company called Rough Trade. Later, they signed with a larger record company, Virgin Records, but this did not work out as well.
Coughlan's songs with Microdisney often talked about politics and relationships. His lyrics used imaginative pictures and references to books and history. People often compared his singing voice to Scott Walker. Coughlan said Scott Walker was a big inspiration for him. Microdisney broke up in 1988. After that, O'Hagan formed the High Llamas, and Coughlan started the Fatima Mansions.
Microdisney got back together after thirty years. They performed concerts in London, Dublin, and Cork in 2018 and 2019. In 2018, Coughlan and his bandmates received an award. The IMRO/NCH Trailblazer Award honors important Irish albums. Their 1985 album The Clock Comes Down The Stairs received this award.
The Fatima Mansions: A New Sound
Coughlan formed the Fatima Mansions in 1988. He named the band after a large public housing area in Dublin. Their first album, Against Nature, came out in 1989. They followed this with Viva Dead Ponies in 1990.
They also released an EP (a shorter album) called Bertie's Brochures in 1991. Their albums Valhalla Avenue (1992) and Lost in the Former West (1994) were also highly praised. The Fatima Mansions broke up in 1995. This was due to disagreements within the band and issues with their record company, Virgin Records.
Solo Music and Working with Others
After the Fatima Mansions broke up, Coughlan faced some challenges. These challenges made it difficult for him to perform new music in public. His next album, Rancho Tetrahedron, came out in August 2010. It was released under the name "Cathal Coughlan and the Grand Necropolitan Quartet." He later said that his live shows were very intense during this time. This was because of the business problems he was dealing with.
In 2011, Coughlan worked with British singer Luke Haines. Haines was from the bands The Auteurs and Black Box Recorder. They created a song and speech show called The North Sea Scrolls. It first showed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2011. The studio recording of The North Sea Scrolls was released in November 2012.
Coughlan's last album, Song of Co-Aklan, was finished in late 2019. He worked with many musicians on this album. These included Nick Allum, Aindrias O'Gruama, Jon Fell, Luke Haines, Audrey Riley, James Woodrow, and Rhodri Marsden. The album was released in March 2021.
He also formed a music duo called Telefís with Irish producer Jacknife Lee. They released the album A hAon in 2022. Another album, A Dó, followed in October 2022.
Personal Life
Cathal Coughlan passed away at age 61 on May 18, 2022. He died in the hospital after a long illness. He is survived by his wife, Julie.
Discography
Microdisney
- Kaught at the Kampus (compilation EP) – 1980
- We Hate You South African Bastards! – 1984
- Everybody Is Fantastic (1984)
- The Clock Comes Down the Stairs – 1985, re-issued in 2013
- Crooked Mile – 1986
- 39 Minutes – 1988
Fatima Mansions
- Against Nature – 1989
- Viva Dead Ponies – 1990
- Bertie's Brochures – (mini-album) 1991
- Valhalla Avenue – 1992
- Lost in the Former West – 1994
Solo
- Grand Necropolitan – 1996
- Black River Falls – 2000
- The Sky's Awful Blue – 2002
- Foburg – 2006
- Rancho Tetrahedron– 2010
- Song of Co-Aklan - 2021
Telefís
- a hAon – 2022
- a Dó - 2022
