Janet Devlin Shares New Single, “Holy Water”

Following the release of four highly-praised singles (“Confessional“, “Saint of the Sinners“, “Honest Men” and “Away with the Fairies“), Janet Devlin is now delivering her final single “Holy Water” today, before her hotly-anticipated concept album Confessional is released on June 5, 2020.

With no less than nineteen performers on the track, including legends from the traditional Irish scene such as Eoin Dillon, Brian Fleming, and Peter Browne, “Holy Water” captures a riotous, celebratory atmosphere, with an infectious chorus and rhythm you can’t help but stomp your feet to. Her Irish roots are prominently showcased, with turns from the exceptional musicians providing fiddle, uilleann pipes, bodhrán and accordion parts, all recorded at Westland Studios located in Dublin. “Holy Water”‘s energetic and high-spirited feel is a simple expression of the relief and release felt when a significant milestone has been reached. Janet explains; “I wanted to make this sound like something you’d hear in an Irish bar, people having fun and being boisterous. It’s a throwback to a time I felt happy, with close friends enjoying good music from back home. It’s a celebration that the past lives in the past and the future is unwritten.”

“Holy Water” almost drowned under the weight of personal setbacks inflicted on the singer as she navigated her way through a decade-long struggle with demons including alcoholism, as revealed in intimate detail in her autobiography My Confessional, also released June 5, 2020. When the drinking became too much, and at the insistence of herself, Janet sought help in 2015 and began the journey of recovery. No longer staring down an empty bottle, Janet’s creativity returned, allowing for the concept of Confessional to creep into her mind.

A deeply personal song, “Holy Water” is adored by Janet and producer Jonathan Quarmby (Lewis Capaldi, Tom Walker, Benjamin Clementine). It’s therefore no surprise that the track just flowed out of Janet’s fingers in a burst of inspiration. “In less than 30 minutes, the ‘Holy Water’ we now know was written. Whether or not it was any good, I had no idea. I took it to my producer the next day who helped me finish the track; ‘It’s either so simple that it’s genius… or… well… crap,’ he said! Despite its subject matter – or maybe because of it – ’Holy Water’ is my favorite track on the album. I wanted this song to be representative of the ‘up’ after the acceptance of my issues. The feeling of relief I got when the great weight had been lifted off my shoulders. The album was originally called Holy Water and I wanted this song to close the record. A happy ending to all of the hell I put myself through,” Janet confirms.

Janet’s successful return to the music scene as a homegrown indie artist sees this life-affirming track setting out her stall post-lockdown: I’m here to stay. “Holy Water” is the penultimate single from Confessional, released next month, and is sure to be a live favorite once touring is back on the table.