As music began to play and faces appeared in separate boxes across the screen, Allie Sherlock’s video was clearly a virtual collaboration, recorded by multiple people in separate locations. In the middle of the COVID-19 lockdowns, the setup became familiar as people used technology to come together to make music while being stuck at home. This cover, however, was something special. It featured forty different female musicians singing ‘Dreams’ by The Cranberries.
As the faces pop up one by one, Music Man fans might spot a couple of familiar musicians in there, including the likes of Imelda May, Una Healy, and Orla Gartland. With women from across the music industry taking part, it captures the enormous talent of female musicians in Ireland. It can’t help but feel like a tribute to the lead singer of The Cranberries, Dolores O’Riordan, one of the most famous Irish musicians of all time. As one listener put it, “Dolores O’Riordan would have been proud!”
I was amazed to see the breadth of talent on display in the cover. With so many talented musicians taking part, the wide variety of musical talents showcased in the video shouldn’t have been a surprise, and yet I kept finding myself enchanted by the impressive skills on display. Not only did the singers’ strong voices shine, but the musicians brought their instrumental skills to the cover too. It was amazing to see the collaborators play guitars, pianos, the cajon, and even the harp.
Music Man fans who know Allie Sherlock, the musician who brought the whole collaboration together, will know that this is not her usual style. Usually, Allie can be found performing on the streets of Dublin, drawing in crowds with her voice. Luckily, it wasn’t long before she was back to her usual street performances, and she took her cover of ‘Dreams’ with her. Despite performing without her entourage of iconic women, she still stopped people in their tracks when they heard her sing.
Despite the lockdowns putting a disappointing stop to most musical events, including Allie’s wonderful street performances, hearing these forty talented musicians coming together to record ‘Dreams’ is a reminder that it did create opportunities for collaborations that might not have happened otherwise. Thanks to the connective power of technology, these iconic musicians were able to join forces and create a cover that people are still returning to over six years later and will continue to do so for a long time to come.