Aoife O'Donovan is an acclaimed singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist known for her contributions to Americana, folk, and bluegrass music. Born in Newton, Massachusetts, O'Donovan spent summers in Ireland immersing herself in traditional Irish music with her extended family. Influenced by artists like Joan Baez and Bob Dylan, she pursued contemporary improvisation at the New England Conservatory of Music.
In 2001, while studying at the conservatory, O'Donovan founded the progressive string band Crooked Still with banjo player Gregory Liszt, bassist Corey DiMario, cellist Tristan Clarridge and fiddle player Brittany Haas. Though the group steadily gained popularity in the Boston music scene and released several well-received studio albums–including 2004’s Hop High and 2006’s Shaken by a Low Sound–they’ve remained on hiatus since 2011.
O'Donovan's solo career commenced in 2013 with the release of her debut album Fossils through Yep Roc Records, followed by In the Magic Hour in 2016. Beyond her solo endeavors, O'Donovan is also a member of the award-winning trio I'm With Her–alongside Sara Watkins and Sarah Jarosz. The group won the Best American Roots Song Grammy in 2020 for "Call My Name."
Age of Apathy, O'Donovan’s third full-length solo release, arrived to critical acclaim in January 2022. The album was recorded through a unique arrangement with Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida, with O’Donovan logging daily hours on-site while collaborating remotely with acclaimed producer Joe Henry (Bonnie Raitt, Rhiannon Giddens, etc). Mixed by Grammy-nominated engineer Darren Schneider (Deep Purple, Koryn Hawthorne, Trivium, etc), Age of Apathy also features guest appearances from Allison Russell and Madison Cunningham.
Age of Apathy went on to receive three nominations at 65th Annual Grammy Awards: Best Folk Album, Best American Roots Song, and Best American Roots Performance (the latter two for the song "Prodigal Daughter").
In addition to the standard two-channel stereo version, Schneider also created a Dolby Atmos mix of Age of Apathy at Full Sail’s custom-built immersive studio. Though the Atmos mix has been available to stream since January 2022, we at Immersive Audio Album–in partnership with Exceleration Music and Yep Roc Records–are thrilled to now offer the album as a hi-res immersive digital download through our online shop!
IAA offers immersive digital downloads in Dolby TrueHD, the same hi-res format used for Blu-Ray discs with Atmos audio. While streaming services offer convenience and access to a vast library of music, they also severely compress the audio to save bandwidth. With lossless TrueHD, the inner detail and sonic clarity is much better preserved for home listeners.
Darren Schneider seen mixing Age of Apathy in Dolby Atmos at Full Sail University’s custom-built immersive studio in December 2021.
Age of Apathy kicks off with the delicate “Sister Starling,” setting the template for the immersive experience. Acoustic guitars and percussion gently rise from the front stage into the overhead channels, as double-tracked vocals fill up the side surrounds for the chorus (“Apples and oranges don't make lemonade…”). Aoife O’Donovan’s vocal resides in the front ‘phantom’ center position, rather than isolated in the center speaker.
Strings emanate largely from height speakers throughout “B61,” along with the layered harmony vocals. Acoustic guitars drift out into the side surrounds for “Phoenix,” while percussion floats directly overhead. The Atmos mix interestingly makes limited use of the rear surround channels, focusing most of the instrumentation towards the front, side, and height speakers.
“Lucky Star” is certainly a highlight from an immersive perspective, as the psychedelic keyboards at the very beginning move all around the room to very cool effect. The closing track “Passengers” is also a standout, with the handclaps up in the height speakers and layered vocals wrapping around the listener.
All My Friends–O’Donovan’s first-self-produced LP–followed in March 2024. Originally commissioned to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the 19th amendment in August 2020. All My Friends features a number of guest contributors including the Westerlies, the Knights, Anaïs Mitchell, and the San Francisco Girls' Chorus. Recording again took place at Full Sail, with Darren Schneider returning as engineer and mixer.
Critics have lauded All My Friends for its cinematic scope and intimate warmth. The album's lush orchestration and O'Donovan's crystalline vocals create a soundscape that is both expansive and deeply personal. The integration of historical texts and contemporary reflections offers a nuanced perspective on the suffrage movement, drawing parallels to the current social and political climates.
All My Friends went on to receive two nominations at 67th Annual Grammy Awards: one for Best Folk Album, and the other for Best American Roots Song (for the title song). All My Friends is also currently nominated for Album of the Year at the 2025 International Folk Music Awards. The Dolby Atmos mix of the album, previously-available exclusively via streaming, is now also available as a hi-res immersive download in the IAA shop!
O’Donovan’s voice stays locked to the front stage for “All My Friends,” as the orchestration extends out behind and above the listener. The choir resides upfront as well, lifted partially into the front height speakers. Ambient reflections hit off the height and rear speakers, helping transport the listener into the studio with the musicians.
The orchestra soars from the front speakers up into the height array for “Crisis,” with natural reverberation hitting off the back wall. During the chorus (“oh America look up at that north star…”), the brass swells amusingly travel from the front speakers back into the rear heights.
Throughout her career, Aoife O'Donovan has been celebrated for her evocative songwriting and distinctive voice–solidifying her status as a significant figure in contemporary folk and Americana music. Age of Apathy and All My Friends contain some of her very best and most heartfelt compositions, drastically enhanced by a stunning immersive experience. For fans of Folk/Americana and spatial audio, these are releases you won’t want to miss.
Purchase Age of Apathy and All My Friends in the IAA Shop!
