Thirteen Years, One Tradition: Alan O’Hare on Keeping the String Show Special.
For thirteen years, Alan O’Hare — the singer-songwriter behind Only Child — has captivated audiences with a unique annual show: a folk-rock performance transformed by the classical grace of a string quartet. This year, the gig returns to Prohibition Studios for the second time, a venue chosen for its remarkable intimacy. With only 45 seats, the space allows the audience to feel the music, making the concert a shared, almost spiritual experience.
But this annual gig isn’t just a look back; it’s a chance to push his songs into new territory. O’Hare hopes the audience will leave having been moved emotionally and spiritually by the music, a powerful and deeply personal exchange that has made the Only Child with String Quartet show a cherished tradition.
And with that, Steve Kinrade of Liverpool Noise chatted with Alan to discuss the art and emotion behind these unforgettable annual shows…
This will be the thirteenth annual Only Child with String Quartet show — what keeps drawing you back to this format year after year?
How it feels standing in front of those strings. They have a power no electric guitar or snare drum can match. The grace they add to my melodies is something I crave. But it’s a rare gift… so I keep it rare.
Since this is the first time you’ve returned to the same venue for a consecutive year, what makes Prohibition Studios such a special space for the string quartet gig?
Its intimacy. 45 seats and you can see the whites of the punter’s eyes. It also encourages people to feel more involved as they can actually feel the music, so the concert becomes collaborative. I feed off that.
What are the biggest challenges in reimagining your songs with string arrangements, especially when the originals are rooted in folk and rock traditions?
Noise! We played a handful of the first ‘with strings’ gigs as a full band. They were good shows, but I felt the force of electric bass, full drum kit and top end Telecasters got in the way. The challenge is leaving the space for the strings to help the song still dominate the sound.
Your music is known for its emotional and social honesty. Does having a string quartet, an instrument group so often associated with classical music, add a new layer of emotional expression or gravitas to your songs?
It adds something! I agree strings are often associated with classical music, but it’s the fiddle that dominates my music and that’s a folk instrument. Even when the strings rise or swell in these arrangements, there’s often a violin striking through and playing a melody or riff I’ve written. Gravitas is a good word to describe the feeling the songs give me and the audience with the string arrangements. I would hope the emotion comes from the song – but the sound of four people playing acoustic instruments close to you can’t help but search for an emotional truth within the listener.
How do you choose which songs from your extensive back catalogue to include in a setlist with a string quartet, especially considering the different sonic textures you’re aiming for?
It started with wanting to play the songs that already had arrangements on record, live. A violinist called Laura MacMillan (Ian Prowse, Bill Ryder-Jones) started Only Child with me in 2012 and the first EP we recorded was full of strings. That carried on through a couple of EPs and LPs. So a back catalogue of songs with strings was starting to reveal itself. I play lots with another incredible musician called Amy Chalmers (Mick Head, Rianne Downey) and I asked Amy to write some new arrangements for songs that maybe only had a fiddle riff or brass parts… that’s how the set developed. Choosing the songs these days is tough, as most Only Child songs have string arrangements even if we only play that version once a year! The set is written very close to the gig and I rely on my instinct and the venue we’re playing at to create it.
With the string quartet, the interpretation of songs will be different. Which songs from your fifth LP, the excellent Holy Ghosts, were you most excited to reimagine with a string section, and why? I trust you will be playing some tracks from the album?
We’ll certainly be playing a couple from the latest LP. The Visit is definitely in, that’s the song I’ve enjoyed playing the most this year. It’s brass parts will be replaced by a string arrangement Amy has written and we’ll go from there. Maybe Dock Road and That Fateful Day too… they’re the songs off the fifth record that use big strings anyway.
Working with a quartet involves precision, timing, and sensitivity. How do rehearsals differ from preparing for a full-band or solo show?
We don’t rehearse! The arrangements are written and the musicians play what’s on the page. The only rehearsal is me at home making sure I stick to the arrangements and don’t improvise. I love being on the high wire up there! I’m a folk singer when all is said and done, so I like to put the pressure on the professionals! It’s lovely for a performer to be taken by surprise on stage too and create magic live and in front of an audience.
You’ve performed in a variety of intimate spaces over the years. What is your process for connecting emotionally with the audience in such a small, intense setting?
Tell the truth. An emotional truth. Make them laugh. Make them part of the show. And give them everything you’ve got!
Do you see the annual string gig as a celebration of Only Child’s history, or more as a chance to push the songs into new territory?
A bit of both. The high wire aspect of the show always pushes my songs into spaces they haven’t been before…that excites me. But to witness a gathering of music fans coming to hear my back catalogue is inspiring, too. Songs need to live, breathe and change shape and meaning. Playing gigs like this keeps the work in the present.
Finally, what do you hope the audience will take away from this year’s string show that’s different from previous years?
I want them to go away having been moved in a couple of different ways, whether that be laughing or crying. I also want them to have experienced the music touching them physically as well as emotionally. And I want them to have gotten something they didn’t know they needed. Different? I’m not sure… I go back to songs every single day to feel something familiar. Don’t you?
Only Child & String Quartet + Shadow Captain
Friday 3 October 2025
Liverpool Prohibition Studios
Tickets
