Pierce Turner Releases New Single 'Set A Few Things Up' From New Album 'Terrible Good'

Today, the internationally acclaimed Irish performer, Pierce Turner, releases a new single titled "Set A Few Things Up" alongside a creative, handmade music video.

The single is the third track off his forthcoming album, Terrible Good, which was created with legendary guitarist Gerry Leonard (David Bowie, Suzanne Vega, Rufus Wainwright). The album is set for release on February 25 via StorySound Records.

In a dual-celebration of his new album and St. Patrick's Day, Pierce will perform at the famed Joe's Pub in New York City on March 17 with an all-star band including Leonard on guitar, Tony Shanahan on bass (Patti Smith), and Yuval Lion on drums (David Byrne). Tickets are available here.

"Set A Few Things Up" is about the optimism and persistence of being a musician. The music video was created by the ​​team of Mark Lerner and Nancy Howell and offers a make-shift performance of the song featuring illustrated paper cut outs and stop motion animation. The Aquarian premiered the music video saying "there is something so raw about [Turner's] work that it's easy to feel like a song such as 'Set a Few Things Up' is a command given to you, the listener, as a direction that you can understand and should be following."

"Being a musician is a dodgy way to make a living, just like anyone who is self-employed I suppose," explains Turner. "But it is a portable job, so there is always a gig around the corner that gets us out of trouble, so long as there is a guitar or a piano to play, I can make a few bob. Being a songwriter requires a certain amount of living outside the box I suppose, the trouble is, sometimes you live there too long, and then you have to get up, shake yourself, and set a few things up. Hunt for a gig."

An Irish-American musician in the truest, and most literal, sense, Pierce Turner lives half the year in his hometown of Wexford, Ireland, and the other half in his longtime adopted hometown of New York City. Both places are reflected in his songs, which frequently move between these two different worlds. Since he began his solo career in the 80's, he's worked on a broad range of projects including writing for opera, scoring movies, and composing a contemporary Mass. His genre-bending songwriting has led Turner to collaborate with legendary producer John Simon (The Band, Leonard Cohen, Cass Elliot) on 1991's Now Is Heaven and composer Philip Glass on projects such as 1986's It's Only a Long Way Across and "Yogi with a Broken Heart."

Turner wrote the songs for Terrible Good over a four-year period, in a process complicated by living and working in two different countries and during a pandemic. Electric guitars are central to Terrible Good, arising from his collaboration with guitarist/producer Gerry Leonard (David Bowie, Rufus Wainwright, Suzanne Vega).

The two Irishmen, who have spent the greater part of their lives living and experimenting with music in New York City, have married those experiences to produce an Irish album recorded with a New York attitude. Turner has previously shared two singles from the album, the raucous eulogy "Tommy and Timmy" and the soulful "Where It Should Be." Glide Magazine premiered the former saying "Pierce Turner's songs are like a soundtrack to a pub rock documentary - mixing the pent up singing of Joe Strummer atop the supercharged guitar sounds. It's no surprise that Turner splits his time between Ireland and NYC, as his contagious old school rock statement is as much hustle and bustle as it is explosively passionate."

Photo Credit: Chris Schoonover

Watch the new music video here:

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