Irish Harpist Joy Shannon Unveiled Her New Single “Grey Havens”

Irish Harpist Joy Shannon has unveiled the first single from her new record. The track, “Grey Havens”, released on October 10th, complete with video from the dark folk composer’s regularly collaborator Matt Kollar. It comes ahead of the release of her latest record “In The Forest Singing Sorrowless”, and features performances by Tolkien’s granddaughter Ruth, Heilung vocalist Maria Franz, and Osi And The Jupiter’s Kakophonix!

The album, which is entirely composed of The Lord of the Rings author J. R. R. Tolkien’s poetry, with Shannon creating original compositions to accompany Tolkien’s beautiful words, is set for release initially on Halloween, will be followed by an instrumental rendition of the same record on November 21st, 2025, all through Royal Tea and Fiadh Productions.

Speaking about the track, Shannon said:
““Grey Havens” is about Tolkien’s mournful description of going into the Elvish afterlife in the West, similar to the ancient Irish afterlife Tír na n’Óg. I was lucky enough that Tolkien’s granddaughter, Ruth Tolkien, agreed to perform backing vocals and spoken word in the Elvish language.”

Going on to discuss the video, Joy stated:
“The music video was directed by horror film director Matt Kollar. It features hawks and an owl, to represent the ancient Irish idea of the soul shapeshifting into a bird to soar over the sea into the afterlife.”

The tracklisting for both versions is:
1. Beren And Luthien (feat. Leila Abdul-Rauf)
2. Grey Havens (feat. Ruth Tolkien & Maria Franz) (Sorrowless Version)
3. Faramir (Sorrowless Version)
4. Finduilas (Sorrowless Version)
5. Song Of The Rohirrim (Sorrowless Version)
6. Misty Mountains

Joy Shannon is an Irish harpist and singer whose ethereal and haunting songs come from depths of Irish folklore. Her melodies evoke images of witch’s lairs in dark woods or the distant echoes of the voices of spirits in the ancient places of the Irish countryside.

Joy Shannon’s latest album “In the Forest Singing Sorrowless” is inspired by author J.R.R. Tolkien’s poetry, with Shannon’s original music accompanying Tolkien’s wonderful words. Shannon decided to create this album during a personally challenging year, when she went through medical treatments for breast cancer. Tolkien’s works have always been an inspiration for Shannon, especially to have hope and purpose at the darkest times, so the recording of this album carried her through a difficult time. The resulting album is a mystical dream-walk through Tolkien’s landscapes, through the magical lens of Shannon’s intimate harp and vocals.

The album title is a quote from Tolkien’s poem “Beren and Lúthien” about the tragic love story between a man and an elf. Love and music to Shannon, is like Tolkien describes the forest as a haven from the sorrows of the world, where love can flourish. Shannon has written songs like “Grey Havens” and “Faramir” over the past 20 years but decided to intricately rework and re-record all her Tolkien-inspired work, in addition to some new songs like “Beren and Lúthien” and “Misty Mountains”. She recorded with cellist Kakophonix, from the dark folk band Osi and the Jupiter. Additionally, this album features guest artists Ruth Tolkien, the great granddaughter of Tolkien, Maria Franz from Heilung, Leila Abdul-Rauf, and Travellers Rest.

Previously, Joy Shannon has released several notable albums: “Mo Anam Cara” (2015), “Aes Sídhe” (2017), “The Cave” (2020) and “An Chailleach” (2024). Ever inspired by Irish lore and history, “Mo Anam Cara”, Irish for “soulmate”, followed the ancient Irish calendar, with a song for every holiday. Shannon’s 2017 album “Aes Sidhe”, Irish for “the spirits of the other world”, leads the listener through a musical journey through the Irish afterlife, from entering the dark of the burial mounds to the glorious peace of the Irish afterlife lands of “Tír na n’Óg”.

In 2020, Joy Shannon released a sublime album called “The Cave” which was inspired by the ritualistic use of caves in ancient Ireland, where they were used as meditative places to connect with the gods and face one’s fears. The songs are, at times, droning and mesmerizing and, at other times, they pulse with the heartbeat of the earth.

Last year, Shannon released an album called “An Chailleach”, or Irish for the crone or elder goddess. For this album, Shannon delved into the lore of the dark wintertime goddess of Ireland, with stark and stunning compositions. Shannon’s fascination with ancient lore, led her to this year’s album, as Tolkien’s works are similarly inspired by ancient mythologies. Through her signature dark folk, full of longing and a mystical air, her music pairs perfectly with the words of Tolkien.