Producer David Holmes has shared details of Sinéad O’Connor’s final, unreleased album, and revealed some messages he got from the late musician about the record.
O’Connor died in July 2023 at the age of 56. Since her death, she has continued to be celebrated as one of Ireland’s most fearless and influential artists, both for her voice and for her willingness to speak out on political, religious and social issues.
Taking to Instagram over the weekend, Holmes – who worked closely with the singer in the final few years of her life – shared insight into a new album that they were working on together called ‘No Veteran Dies Alone’.
His post was shared three years after O’Connor’s death, and in it he shared “a couple of texts I received from her while producing what would be her final album.”
In her messages, O’Connor said “Neil” – potentially Irish film director Neil Jordan – was “having a shit freak over NVDA” and “playing it to everyone”.
“I’m actually having a shit freak myself cus [sic] it sounds so good,” she added, also saying that she wanted to make some tweaks to the recording including “sing a bit more harmony stuff” and “balance the tracked vocals better in the first verse of the mix”.
“Anyway it’s all so good… I’m proud of us,” she added, saying that she wanted to “make records together until one of us croaks”.
In another message shown in the post, sent in December 2022, O’Connor messaged to discuss what she wanted an acapella “intro to the album” and for the album “to be sequenced in chronological order in terms of when the songs were written, or recorded”.
In his caption, Holmes said that while he is still uncertain about whether the album “will ever see the light of day”, he still regards it to be “a stone cold classic” and “a love letter to her children and the world.”
“Her songs are as real and pure as you can only imagine,” he continued, also sharing some insight into how she recorded the title track.
“I remember she once said to me [regarding] the song ‘No Veteran Dies Alone’, ‘There’s a techniquely better version to be had here but I’ll never be able to give you a better performance’,” he shared.
“As a music producer or artist that’s exactly what you should always be looking for. The truth. So much more to share re; all the songs and their genesis but that will come in due course. They tried to bury me but didn’t know I was a seed. I believe in Sinéad O’ Connor.”
In the comment section, Imelda May shared her praise for the unreleased record, writing: “I’ve heard it and it’s truly incredible I miss her so much. I too re-read her texts sometimes and listen to her voice notes… seems crazy she’s gone and yet she still feels so present. This album is important, it matters. The world needs to hear it.”
Lauren Laverne wrote that she “Really hopes this album is shared with people one day” as “we need her voice now more than ever”, and Pulp’s Jarvis Cocker simply wrote: “Agreed”.
Others to comment included Mogwai’s Stuart Braithwaite, who shared: “Can’t wait for this to come out David. The world needs it”, and Garbage who commented: “Oh this is pure gold. I had no idea there was a record in the can. What a heartbreak. What a thrill”.
Sinead O’Connor’s cause of death was revealed to be asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). She was laid to rest at a ceremony in the Irish town of Bray, with Bob Geldof and Bono among those paying tribute at her funeral.
Many figures from the music industry paid tribute to her online, including Garbage, Billy Corgan, Michael Stipe, Fall Out Boy, Ice-T and Tori Amos, and streams of her music went up by 7.9million in the US during the week after her death.
Her last album was 2014’s ‘I’m Not Bossy, I’m the Boss’, and her last single was 2023’s ‘The Skye Boat Song’ which she recorded for the drama series Outlander.
Since her death, there has been a stage production based on her life and music open in Manchester, and ongoing rumours of a biopic – which date back to 2023. Variety claimed that the project has been in the works since 2022’s Nothing Compares documentary and would recall the life and career of the late artist.
After her passing was announced in 2023, NME shared an obituary for O’Connor that celebrated her as “an artist of integrity, intensity and honesty”.
“No amount of troubles could ever overshadow her talent,” it read. “O’Connor was that rare artist who was determined to use her platform for retributive good, and she will be remembered not just for the beauty of her voice, but for its power.”
