Lisa Hannigan to Play Sold Out Show at Maxwell's

Indie folk artist Lisa Hannigan has been in the music scene for years.

First she teamed up with Damien Rice in 2001 and spent the following six years collaborating on music. But in 2007 she decided to go her own way and released her debut record, "Sea Sew," in 2008, which received praised from critics. While she did release an EP entitled "Lille" in 2009, the Irish singer-songwriter is now gearing up to release her sophomore effort, "Passenger."

""I think I'm much more experienced," Hannigan told Patch. "When I wrote my first record, I had a lot of songs, but it was rushed. So this time, I took my time and feel like I'm just a bit better at writing songs."

With fans waiting anxiously for its release, which Hannigan hopes will be in the fall, she will be giving them a taste of the new material tonight at Maxwell's. She was shocked to find out it'll be a packed house.

"I haven't been, and I'm excited to go!" she said. "And it's sold out? Who knew?"

And after getting my own little preview of "Passengers," it's safe to say Hobokenites who attend tonight's show will be getting a treat. With songs like "What'll I Do" and "A Sail," there's a fun and sassy personality in the music that will get people moving. One notable song is "O Sleep," a duet Hannigan recorded with fellow singer-songwriter and friend Ray Lamontagne.

"I had always wanted to write a proper duet," she said. "Not someone who is just doing backup vocals but people really singing to each other."

She continued, "I've known him for years. And I just think his voice is to die for. It's incredible. Then I wrote the song, I sang the bits and the harmonies and everything, and then I sent it to Ray. And then he said he would love to do the record. We had a day of overdubs in London, and Ray was in London and had a free day. So I asked him to come down and sing. And the moment he sang I knew that it would be beautiful. "

Don't expect Lamontagne to make any special appearance tonight. But with all the praise she's been given and the fact that there are no tickets left to tonight's show, Hannigan feels blessed.

"To me, it's such an incredible thing to be able to," she said. "It's an incredible dream to be able to do that. I'm from the countryside in Ireland, and I just love singing and writing and I have this wonderful band around me. We just love to play and come over to the States and perform. When I come here, I feel very lucky, and I love to be here."