Groove Tube with Cian O’Connell

If you have not previously listened to John Craigie, the Californian’s act is wrapped up with a neat bow on his most recent live album, Greatest Hits…Just Kidding… Live – No Hits. A blend of storytelling, self-deprecating jokes and clever, versatile folk ballads, Craigie is an old-fashioned songwriter in the way he approaches his craft.

A big name in Americana, he has collaborated with the likes of Gregory Alan Isakov and TK & The Holy Know-Nothings, but he is undoubtedly happiest performing and staging intimate conversations with audiences.

John Craigie plays the Róisín Dubh on Wednesday, January 22, as part of a European tour. It will be his second time in Galway, a city that he instantly connected with on a similar tour this time last year.

“I think it’s definitely the most accurate representation of who I am,” he says of the live album.

“As a person; as an artist; as a songwriter. I like studio albums, but I think for every artist they’re a bit of a show. You can go back and redo the songs. You can add stuff you don’t play – bring someone in to do an amazing piano solo and all these things.

“Live is really the truth. I remember when I was a kid, I loved the Beatles – and the Beatles wouldn’t credit the other musicians. George Martin, for example, did the piano solo on In My Life but as a kid, I just thought oh, the Beatles are doing all of these things. When I realised, I thought okay, the studio really is a bit different and live is really a very honest expression of what you’re doing. At least for a songwriter for sure.”

With a show that relies so heavily on stories and conversations, it can be an interesting experience to tour it among different cultures. This run of dates includes Ireland and the UK, but also features visits to Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin and Stockholm.

“Europe is always a really fun challenge,” he says. “Not only do I have to adapt to different senses of humour, [I have to] adapt to different slang and different languages… It’s funny how you find out things that are funnier there than maybe they would be in the States.

Pictured: John Craigie…playing the Róisín Dubh later this month. Photo: Bobby Cochran