Track of the Day: Luke Concannon – Doing Nothing

Luke Concannon weaves a heartfelt tale of self-doubt amidst hope and triumph in ‘Doing Nothing’, the first single release on his upcoming album. It’s been eight years since Concannon released his first solo album and 15 years since his former band Nizlopi’s No.1 hit ‘The JCB Song’ made waves. The seasoned singer-songwriter’s newest release tells listeners he’s back with a serene and harmonious kind of vengeance.

The autobiographical ‘Doing Nothing’ is refreshingly honest and crafted with sensitivity. The writer softly, but self-deprecatingly, prods and pokes at his own sense of self, self-esteem and anxiety-ridden mind, accompanied by gorgeous finger-picked guitar and a folksy, bluegrass melody inspired by his Irish roots. The production of Concannon’s song is stripped-back which compliments the rawness of his lyrics as he sings about the idle dangers of browsing ex-girlfriends on social media, streams of endless content and generally “doing nothing at all” with his  life.

Hailed by Ed Sheeran as one of his greatest influences, the ginger-haired star’s presence also features prominently in the song as Concannon exclaims, “I inspired him”, bitterly at first. Sheeran even cameos in the video for the single, in puppet form at least, seemingly taunting Concannon with his steep and accelerated rise to prominence, but, by the next line, Concannon has already conceded singing: “Easier than taking the risk of being as bold as him.”

The song, however, does not lyrically wallow in the pits of despair and the frustrations of time spent procrastinating for too long. It rises above it all towards renewed feelings of purpose,  accompanied by crescendos and high notes Dolly Parton would be proud of. Written in a friend’s remote Welsh shepherds hut, Concannon’s song tells a story many of us know far too well, this year especially in the Covid era, where doing nothing has almost become an international past time. His recently released single offers an anthem of sorts and hope, for the procrastinators, dreamers, do-nothings and over-thinkers of this world.

Find out more about Luke Concannon on his website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Spotify.