# Lisa Hannigan
**Lisa Hannigan** (born 1981) is an Irish singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and occasional voice actor from Kilcloon, County Meath, known for her folk-pop and indie-folk records and for her years as the vocal partner of [Damien Rice](https://www.edgepedia.org/damien-rice) before launching a solo career in 2008 with the [Mercury Prize](https://www.edgepedia.org/mercury-prize)-nominated debut *Sea Sew*.[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/lisa-hannigan-mn0000298113)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name / origin | Lisa Margaret Hannigan, born 1981 in Kilcloon, County Meath, Ireland[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/lisa-hannigan-mn0000298113) |
| Damien Rice years | Met Rice at Trinity College Dublin in autumn 2000; sang and played in his band for seven years, appearing on *O* (2002) and *9* (2006)[2](https://www.othervoices.ie/news/interview-lisa-hannigan) • [1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/lisa-hannigan-mn0000298113) |
| Solo albums | *Sea Sew* (2008), *Passenger* (2011), *At Swim* (2016), *Live in Dublin* with stargaze (2019)[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/lisa-hannigan-mn0000298113) |
| Irish chart success | *Passenger* and *At Swim* both entered the Irish album charts at number one[2](https://www.othervoices.ie/news/interview-lisa-hannigan) |
| UK chart peaks | *At Swim* No. 24, *Passenger* No. 51, *Sea Sew* No. 58 on the Official Albums Chart; the 2005 single "Unplayed Piano" with Rice peaked at No. 24[3](https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/5557/lisa-hannigan/) |
| Voice acting | Voiced a Selkie in the Oscar-nominated animation *Song of the Sea* (2014) and the character Blue Diamond in the American animated series *Steven Universe*[4](https://lpr.com/lpr_artists/lisa-hannigan/) • [1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/lisa-hannigan-mn0000298113) |
| Recent project | SIRENS, a curated showcase of women's voices, presented at the National Concert Hall, Dublin (26 September 2026) and the Barbican Hall, London (17 October 2026)[5](https://www.nch.ie/news/national-concert-hall-announces-major-new-contemporary-and-traditional-music-concerts/) • [6](https://www.barbican.org.uk/our-story/press-room/lisa-hannigan-announces-folk-showcase-sirens-at-the-barbican-for-2026) |
## The Damien Rice years
Hannigan met Damien Rice on the first day of Freshers Week at [Trinity College Dublin](https://www.edgepedia.org/trinity-college-dublin) in the autumn of 2000, when he was looking for a singer and she got the job.[2](https://www.othervoices.ie/news/interview-lisa-hannigan) • [7](https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/people/lisa-hannigan-on-damien-rice-he-didn-t-want-me-in-his-band-anymore-so-i-left-1.2745425) She left college to join him on the road, and for seven years she sang delicate backing vocals in his band, lending her voice to his albums *O* and *9* and bolstering the music with guitar, keyboards, and drums.[8](https://www.tpr.org/2009-04-10/lisa-hannigan-sews-together-a-solo-debut) • [1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/lisa-hannigan-mn0000298113) Rice's debut *O* became a multi-platinum record that spent 30 weeks in the US album chart, and Hannigan's soaring vocals became an essential part of his sound; [Glen Hansard](https://www.edgepedia.org/glen-hansard), introducing the pair at Other Voices in Dingle, declared that "Lisa gives wings to his songs".[2](https://www.othervoices.ie/news/interview-lisa-hannigan)
The partnership ended abruptly. While on tour in Munich in 2007, Rice told Hannigan, ten minutes before they were due on stage, that she was no longer needed.[9](https://www.irishcentral.com/culture/entertainment/lisa-hannigan-interview-40964927-237628801) Hannigan later described the split as "slightly brutal, but absolutely for the best", saying simply, "He didn't want me in his band anymore, so I left".[7](https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/people/lisa-hannigan-on-damien-rice-he-didn-t-want-me-in-his-band-anymore-so-i-left-1.2745425) She went straight into songwriting mode, and the result was her debut album.[9](https://www.irishcentral.com/culture/entertainment/lisa-hannigan-interview-40964927-237628801)
## Solo career
**Sea Sew (2008).** Hannigan released her debut solo album in Ireland in September 2008, and it was a critical and commercial success, earning a [Choice Music Prize](https://www.edgepedia.org/choice-music-prize) nomination and a Mercury Prize nomination.[10](https://www.advertiser.ie/galway/article/19588) • [4](https://lpr.com/lpr_artists/lisa-hannigan/) The album's title reflected its making: the lyrics were hand-stitched, letter by letter, onto a piece of linen that Hannigan sewed herself, a project that took about a month.[8](https://www.tpr.org/2009-04-10/lisa-hannigan-sews-together-a-solo-debut) She described the record's sound as wanting to be "rusty custard", a creaky warmth accented by what she called "funny noises".[8](https://www.tpr.org/2009-04-10/lisa-hannigan-sews-together-a-solo-debut) The lead single "Lille", the first song she wrote after leaving Rice's band, closes the album with an a cappella moment.[8](https://www.tpr.org/2009-04-10/lisa-hannigan-sews-together-a-solo-debut) In the 2009 Hot Press Readers Poll she won Best Female, Best Debut Album, Best Irish Album, and Best Irish Track.[11](https://www.femalefirst.co.uk/music/features/Introducing%2BLisa%2BHannigan-7407.html)
**Passenger (2011).** Her second album, made with producer [Joe Henry](https://www.edgepedia.org/joe-henry), explored the pain of leaving and the sense of apartness that comes from a life spent in constant motion.[12](https://www.bruzz.be/en/culture/music-nightlife/lisa-hannigan-unpacks-her-rucksack-2012-05-10) • [4](https://lpr.com/lpr_artists/lisa-hannigan/) Its artwork continued her handmade approach: she perforated street-map printouts with pinholes and photographed the collage against a light box so the light shone through.[12](https://www.bruzz.be/en/culture/music-nightlife/lisa-hannigan-unpacks-her-rucksack-2012-05-10) The album entered the Irish album charts at number one.[2](https://www.othervoices.ie/news/interview-lisa-hannigan)
**At Swim (2016).** After touring *Passenger*, Hannigan experienced a lengthy bout of writer's block.[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/lisa-hannigan-mn0000298113) An out-of-the-blue email from Aaron Dessner of The National, asking whether she wanted a co-writer or a producer, restarted the process; the two sent music back and forth until momentum returned.[2](https://www.othervoices.ie/news/interview-lisa-hannigan) The album, released on 19 August 2016 on PIAS Recordings, replaced the lighter tones of her first two records with lush, sparse arrangements and a more solemn, introspective disposition, on songs such as "Prayer for the Dying", "Funeral Suit", and "We, the Drowned".[13](https://drownedinsound.com/releases/19570/reviews/4150321) The Guardian praised its "stunningly pretty songs with quietly powerful undercurrents", and *At Swim* also entered the Irish album charts at number one.[14](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/aug/26/lisa-hannigan-at-swim-review-play-it-again-sam) • [2](https://www.othervoices.ie/news/interview-lisa-hannigan) In the UK it became her highest-charting album, peaking at No. 24.[3](https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/5557/lisa-hannigan/)
## Voice acting and screen work
Hannigan's voice has carried into animation and television. In 2014 she voiced a Selkie in the Oscar-nominated Irish animation *[Song of the Sea](https://www.edgepedia.org/song-of-the-sea-2014-film)* and performed songs for its soundtrack, including "Song of the Sea" and "Amhrán Na Farraige".[4](https://lpr.com/lpr_artists/lisa-hannigan/) • [15](https://music.apple.com/us/artist/lisa-hannigan/435150355) She then voiced the character Blue Diamond in the American animated television series *Steven Universe*, appearing on the *Steven Universe the Movie* soundtrack in 2019.[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/lisa-hannigan-mn0000298113) • [15](https://music.apple.com/us/artist/lisa-hannigan/435150355) Her other screen work includes a haunting cover of "Danny Boy" for the TV series *Fargo*, vocals for Steven Price's Oscar-winning score for *[Gravity](https://www.edgepedia.org/gravity-2013-film)*, and a cover of [David Bowie](https://www.edgepedia.org/david-bowie)'s "Oh! You Pretty Things" for *Legion*.[4](https://lpr.com/lpr_artists/lisa-hannigan/) • [2](https://www.othervoices.ie/news/interview-lisa-hannigan)
## Collaboration and SIRENS
Collaboration runs through Hannigan's career. She contributed to The Cake Sale charity album, whose "Some Surprise" with Paul Noonan became a hit, and appeared on records including The Frames' *Burn the Maps*, Herbie Hancock's *The Imagine Project*, The Chieftains' *Voice of Ages*, and [Big Red Machine](https://www.edgepedia.org/big-red-machine)'s *How Long Do You Think It's Gonna Last?* (2021).[16](https://eaf.ie/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/eaf-brochure-2008.pdf) • [17](https://www.albumoftheyear.org/artist/204-lisa-hannigan/) She tours regularly with other songwriters, including joint shows with Gemma Hayes and Paul Noonan, and her most-played venue is Dublin's National Concert Hall.[18](https://www.derrystrabane.com/what-s-on/events-%28sv%29/lisa-hannigan-paul-noonan-gemma-hayes/1027051) • [19](https://gigvault.app/artists/lisa-hannigan)
Her most recent large-scale project is SIRENS, a curated concert centered on the resonance, collective strength, and intimacy of women's voices, developed during her artistic residency at the Sounds from a Safe Harbour festival in Cork.[6](https://www.barbican.org.uk/our-story/press-room/lisa-hannigan-announces-folk-showcase-sirens-at-the-barbican-for-2026) The program moves between original compositions and reimagined works by female songwriters, with layered harmonies and fluid multi-artist configurations, and has featured guests including Amanda Bergman, Kate Stables, Charlotte Cornfield, Victoria Canal, Angie McMahon, The Staves, Anna Mieke, and Méav Ní Mhaolchatha.[6](https://www.barbican.org.uk/our-story/press-room/lisa-hannigan-announces-folk-showcase-sirens-at-the-barbican-for-2026) • [5](https://www.nch.ie/news/national-concert-hall-announces-major-new-contemporary-and-traditional-music-concerts/) SIRENS closed the National Concert Hall's Tradition Now festival on 26 September 2026 and was presented at the Barbican Hall, London, on 17 October 2026.[5](https://www.nch.ie/news/national-concert-hall-announces-major-new-contemporary-and-traditional-music-concerts/) • [6](https://www.barbican.org.uk/our-story/press-room/lisa-hannigan-announces-folk-showcase-sirens-at-the-barbican-for-2026)
## References
1. [Lisa Hannigan – Biography, Discography & Reviews, AllMusic](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/lisa-hannigan-mn0000298113)
2. [Interview | Lisa Hannigan, Other Voices](https://www.othervoices.ie/news/interview-lisa-hannigan)
3. [Lisa Hannigan songs and albums – Official Charts Company](https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/5557/lisa-hannigan/)
4. [Lisa Hannigan – LPR artist page](https://lpr.com/lpr_artists/lisa-hannigan/)
5. [National Concert Hall Announces Major New Contemporary and Traditional Music Concerts](https://www.nch.ie/news/national-concert-hall-announces-major-new-contemporary-and-traditional-music-concerts/)
6. [Lisa Hannigan announces folk showcase SIRENS at the Barbican for 2026, Barbican](https://www.barbican.org.uk/our-story/press-room/lisa-hannigan-announces-folk-showcase-sirens-at-the-barbican-for-2026)
7. [Lisa Hannigan on Damien Rice, The Irish Times](https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/people/lisa-hannigan-on-damien-rice-he-didn-t-want-me-in-his-band-anymore-so-i-left-1.2745425)
8. [Lisa Hannigan Sews Together A Solo Debut, NPR/TPR](https://www.tpr.org/2009-04-10/lisa-hannigan-sews-together-a-solo-debut)
9. ['Sew' there! Lisa Hannigan loses job, becomes star, IrishCentral](https://www.irishcentral.com/culture/entertainment/lisa-hannigan-interview-40964927-237628801)
10. [Lisa Hannigan – out from the shadows, into the spotlight, Galway Advertiser](https://www.advertiser.ie/galway/article/19588)
11. [Introducing: Lisa Hannigan, Female First](https://www.femalefirst.co.uk/music/features/Introducing%2BLisa%2BHannigan-7407.html)
12. [Lisa Hannigan unpacks her rucksack, BRUZZ](https://www.bruzz.be/en/culture/music-nightlife/lisa-hannigan-unpacks-her-rucksack-2012-05-10)
13. [Album Review: Lisa Hannigan – At Swim, Drowned In Sound](https://drownedinsound.com/releases/19570/reviews/4150321)
14. [Lisa Hannigan: At Swim review, The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/aug/26/lisa-hannigan-at-swim-review-play-it-again-sam)
15. [Lisa Hannigan – Apple Music](https://music.apple.com/us/artist/lisa-hannigan/435150355)
16. [Earagail Arts Festival 2008 brochure](https://eaf.ie/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/eaf-brochure-2008.pdf)
17. [Lisa Hannigan – Album of The Year](https://www.albumoftheyear.org/artist/204-lisa-hannigan/)
18. [Lisa Hannigan Paul Noonan Gemma Hayes, Derry City & Strabane District Council](https://www.derrystrabane.com/what-s-on/events-%28sv%29/lisa-hannigan-paul-noonan-gemma-hayes/1027051)
19. [Lisa Hannigan – Setlists, Tour Dates & Concert History, Gigvault](https://gigvault.app/artists/lisa-hannigan)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Music › Musicians and ensembles › Individual musical biographies › Pop and R&B singer-songwriters › Indie and alternative pop, 1990s and 2000s*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license