Biography

Born in 1975 and performing since the age of 14, Cara Dillon has made a career using her almost angelic voice. Born in Dungiven, Ireland, Dillon won the All Ireland Singing Trophy at age 14. She became the vocalist for Oige, an Irish band in her area. In 1995, she became the vocalist for Equation, an Irish "folk super-group" that toured Europe and the Middle East. In July 2001, Dillon released her debut solo self-titled album on Rough Trade Records. She has worked with several musicians ranging from Phil Coulter to Mike Oldfield. She has also received critical acclaim in British music magazines and in 2001 received two BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards, one for Best Newcomer (Horizon Award) and the other for Best Traditional Track. Dillon returned in 2003 with her sophomore effort, Sweet Liberty, which met with further acclaim. The record was commended for its balanced mix of traditional folk and original material, garnering comparisons to Kate Bush on tracks such as "Falling Like a Star." She went on to promote the album on a nationwide tour of Japan in 2004, and also received The Meteor Irish Music Award for Best Irish Female. 2006 saw the release of her third record, After the Morning; the recording process proved to be longest thus far, and featured performances from folk artist Martin Simpson, Irish singer/songwriter Paul Brady, and the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra. The album was led by the single "Never in a Million Years," which received the most airplay of any song in her back catalog up to that point; ultimately becoming her most successful single. In 2008, she put out a live DVD release, The Redcastle Sessions, of her performance in County Donegal, which led to a vast international tour throughout 2008. Dillon formed her own label in 2009, Charcoal Records, to release her fourth album, Hill of Thieves. She followed up with A Thousand Hearts in 2014 (co-released with Sony Music) and Upon a Winter’s Night, a collection of classic Christmas carols and Celtic hymns, along with original material, in 2016. ~ Jason MacNeil & Rob Wacey, Rovi