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Celtic CD Releases

www.celtic-cd-releases.com

!! This page is purely for NEW Celtic Styled CDs !!

For Information and Links to the Artists and their CDs click on the CD cover.

You can follow the page on the following Social Media platforms. Click on the Logo.

New: threads & Bluesky

Spotify Link

Instagram Link

Bandcamp Link

Released December 2024.

Songs of Northeast Scotland - the latest CD from Janie and Allan.

Janie Rothfield (fiddle/banjo/vocals) and Allan Carr (guitar/mandola/vocals) play a unique blend of Scottish and American songs and tunes, many original, on fiddle, guitar, mandola, and clawhammer banjo! Their ability to merge these styles comes from years of living, touring and recording in the UK, Europe and USA, playing concerts, clubs and festivals,etc.

Janie and Allan play celtic and roots music that is directly from the source while expanding on that tradition with newly composed songs and tunes. They blend their love of traditional music as well as their own compositions to present a concert that weaves a musical story from both sides of the Atlantic.

Since meeting in 1978 when Janie was at college in Aberdeen, Scotland (they met at a folk music concert Allan was singing at), Janie and Allan have played and taught at festivals, concerts, workshops and music camps throughout the USA and Europe-including Edinburgh Folk Festival, Glasgow Folk Festival, Old Songs Festival, Philadelphia Folk Festival, New Bedford Summer Fest, Portsoy Traditional Music Festival, Great Lakes Music Festival, Earful of Fiddle, Southern Maryland Celtic Festival, Fiddle Hell and more!

https://www.allanandjaniemusic.com/
https://www.facebook.com/JanieandAllan

You can find their Album on Bandcamp.
https://janierothfieldandallancarrmusic.bandcamp.com/

Released November 2024.

OUR MUSIC
"Celtic songs, Irish ones especially tell of love and loss, laughter and crying, of human greatness and weakness, of birth and death. We seek to make these stories, the roots of our society come to life. The band is based in Austria and tours mainly in Europe."

"Handspun" brings together nine pieces from Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Cornwall, the Isle of Man, and the Isle of Skye, presented in their original languages. A special focus of the album is on the genre of waulking songs—a traditional form of work song originating in Scotland. In this tradition, woolen fabrics were processed by a group of women, who would beat the cloth on tables or similar surfaces while singing rhythmic songs. These songs helped to maintain a steady working rhythm.

The spinning wheel as a motif symbolises many of their musical ideas and wishes. The sound of a spinning wheel has for many generations been associated with calm, reflection, winter, stories and magic.

"I find it fascinating how singing transforms an otherwise monotonous and lengthy work process into a lively, social experience," says Danika Ruso.

"What I find especially interesting is that the waulking songs were created and passed down exclusively by women—not for performance, but as an integral part of a communal, craft-centered project." (Danika Ruso)

https://www.celticsong.at/
https://www.spinningwheel.at/celtic-folk.html (in German)
https://www.facebook.com/spinnlied

You can find their Album on Bandcamp.
https://spinningwheel.bandcamp.com/album/handspun-light

Released November 2024.

Amongst The Wild Rowans, the second album from Gaelic singer Rachel Walker and renowned singer and musician Aaron Jones, is a beautiful folk record which sees the acclaimed duo celebrate their roots with an intimate collection of twelve traditional songs. Set for release on Friday 29th November 2024, the album pays tribute to many of the songs that shaped them both as traditional singers.

Inspired by the expression ‘Dig Where You Stand’, the duo made an active decision to search for songs with deep personal significance, songs they heard and learned at the beginning of their musical journeys, songs that were important at different times in their lives, songs that inspired, broke hearts or raised a smile.

Rachel Walker said: “It’s been a real pleasure to work on this album and to sing so many of our favourite songs from the Gaelic and traditional folk repertoire. All too often we have steered away from the most popular songs, so for this album it was lovely to focus on singing the songs that we love, or that have been a part of our soundtrack as we were growing up. The end result is a varied and heartfelt collection of performances that we are very proud of.”

Aaron Jones said: “It was so satisfying to make an album of songs we love. I was brought up in a family that always sang and since those early days I've always looked for new songs to sing. Whether learned from the music that surrounded me in my youth, from family sessions or from the many great singers I've had the good fortune to work with over the years, these songs feel like the story of my life. We've tried to capture an honesty and sincerity in the arrangements which do justice to what these songs mean to us both.”

Rachel and Aaron are celebrated names within the traditional music scene in Scotland, having both worked as singers and instrumentalists for many years. Rachel previously recorded four of her own solo albums, with her recent album Gaol showcasing her songwriting talent. She has played with much-loved Gaelic song band Cruinn and is a regular guest with Skipinnish. Aaron has recorded on multiple projects, including with his own band, Old Blind Dogs. He is recognised as one of the foremost accompanists on the trad music scene, working with singers such as Emily Smith, Siobhan Miller and Kate Rusby, and has contributed to many mainstream television sound-tracks, including Jane Austin period drama Sanditon and NBC’s Law and Order.

Following the release of 2022’s debut EP entitled A Happy Place, the duo launched their first full album Despite The Wind And Rain to a standing ovation at 2023’s Celtic Connections. The critically acclaimed album featured ten new self-penned songs which celebrated inspirational Scottish women and the resulting tours - which included trips to Canada, Ireland and extensive touring in Scotland - saw the duo nominated in the ‘Folk Band of the Year’ category at the 2023 MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards. They were included in The List Magazine’s ‘Hot 100’ for 2023, Rachel was listed as one of The Scotsman’s ‘Women in Culture 2024’ and was added to the Scottish Poetry Library’s list of poets in recognition of her songwriting.

Although the intimate, and deeply personal arrangements on Amongst The Wild Rowans feature the interplay and musical bonds that Rachel and Aaron have nurtured on the road since the release of their EP A Happy Place, the album also includes contributions from a small but stellar trio of guest musicians, Duncan Lyall on Double Bass and Moog, Alice Allen on Cello and Nathon Jones on Resonator Guitar.

https://www.rachelwalkerandaaronjones.com/

https://www.facebook.com/RachelandAaronSong

You can find their Album on Bandcamp.
https://rachelwalkerandaaronjones.bandcamp.com/album/amongst-the-wild-rowans

Released November 2024.

‘A Whistle Wonderland: Christmas Melodies in a Celtic Style’ is a collection of some of your favorite Christmas melodies as you've never heard them before!

Performed and arranged in a traditional/contemporary Irish style, these melodies are treated as Irish tunes. Some are arranged in sets while other melodies stand alone to demonstrate the beauty and liveliness of the melodies. From high energy to slow and emotional pieces, this album, (featuring whistles, Bodhrán, guitar, and bouzouki) reflects the beauty of Christmas music with a fresh, new flavour!

Cedar Dobson is a versatile musician hailing from California with a deep passion for traditional Irish music. Currently based in Dublin, Cedar holds an Honours Bachelors Degree in Music Production at Pulse College based in Windmill Lane Recording Studios.

Cedar has performed music in the United States, Ireland, Scotland, and Brazil, meeting and playing music with renowned musicians such as John Doyle, Tara Breen, Blackie O’Connell, Liam Kelly, Catherine McEvoy, and Alexandre Romanazzi. She is a part of the band, ‘Tradify’, who has performed in various festivals across Ireland including Fiddler’s Green and the Fleadh Cheoil Mullingar.

In 2021, Cedar released her first album, “Harmonies,” which she composed, performed, mixed, mastered, and produced herself. In July 2023, Cedar engineered, mixed, and produced a traditional and contemporary Irish music album with her band Tradify entitled ‘Take Flight’.

Cedar’s composes music for visual media, including the short film “Camp,” released January 2023. Cedar composed music for the TG4 Autumn Showreel video entitled ‘Seoladh Sceideal an Fhómhair 2023’. Her immersive audio-visual project ‘Shoreline Serenity’ was installed in the legendary Windmill Lane Recording Studios in late October/early November, supported by The Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media and Visit Dublin.

Cedar continues to immerse herself in creative projects and pursue opportunities to expand her musical horizons.

This is her latest Album.

https://cedardobson.wordpress.com/
https://www.facebook.com/CedarDobsonMusic

You can find her Album on Bandcamp.
https://cedardobsonmusic.bandcamp.com/

Released November 2024.

The Irish traditional band FourWinds has returned with Allta, their second album, an exhilarating celebration of Ireland’s wild musical spirit. Recorded at Black Mountain Studios in Dundalk, Allta, meaning “wild” or “untamed” in Irish, feels as free and alive as the landscapes that inspired.

The band’s core lineup—Tom Delany (uilleann pipes, whistles, vocals), Caroline Keane (concertina, whistles, vocals), and Robbie Walsh (bodhrán, vocals)—is complemented by Alan Murray, Laura Kerr, and Barry Kerr to create a record that thrives from the co-musicianship and the joys that was passed between each other.

The album opens with “The Road to Cúl Ros,” a tune led by Caroline Keane’s concertina, with reed instruments joining in to create a lively, Irish pub-like atmosphere, embodying the organic, communal joy of Irish music.

“Men of the Sea” is a reflective song for the seas and the travelers penned by John Conolly and Bill Meek. Delany’s pipes and Walsh’s bodhrán create an oceanic ambiance, while warm, expressive vocals bring the narrative to life. The song feels like an old tale retold by the fire, reminding us of Ireland’s connection to the sea and the seafaring traditions that run deep in its culture.

“The Great Big Roaming Ass,” inspired by the tales of Robbie McMahon from Co. Clare, recounts the misadventures of a man and his rather scruffy donkey. Beginning with playful whistling, the song’s witty lyrics and minimal instrumentation let the story shine through.

The album closes with “The Slide to Lisdoonvarna,” a high-energy track that builds to an intense crescendo. Pipes and tapping drums set a rhythmic foundation, gradually layering sounds to create an impressive wall of sound.

With a major tour across Ireland, Europe, the U.S., and Canada in support of Allta, FourWinds is poised to captivate audiences around the world. Stay tuned for mch merriment ahead.
(Review by: Naomi Joan)

https://fourwindsirishmusic.com/
https://www.facebook.com/FourWindsIrishMusic

You can find their Album on Bandcamp and Spotify.
https://fourwindsirishmusic.bandcamp.com/album/allta
https://open.spotify.com/album/3wa8XGDmpafVApn3y21hmg

Released October 2024.

Originating in Glasgow, Ape House delivers a wide range of both new and traditional tunes and songs, combining them with their signature raw and varied style to produce an exciting listening experience. The band grew organically from playing in Glasgow - most notably at The Drum and Monkey, which inspired the band’s name and (still organised by an ‘ape’) has become one of the top weekly sessions in the city centre.

Ape House’s new self-titled album is their first full length release. Recorded by Ian Stephenson in Northumberland, its compositions and arrangements tell a story of the band’s formative years: an exploration into contemporary traditional music as the trio evolved and found their sound. Like the band itself, ‘Ape House’ takes its time, gradually inviting the listener into its world. But there’s a time and a place to bring the fire, and this band’s energy and enthusiasm are more than a match when that time comes!

Band Members:

Craig Harrison is a fiddler from Co. Clare, Ireland. Immersed in Clare’s rich culture from a young age, Craig competed at many fleadhanna cheoil throughout his teens. He moved to Glasgow in 2016 in order to study mathematics and since then, he has become increasingly involved in the Glasgow scene and enhanced his Clare fiddle style.

Lachie Robinson is from Knoydart in the West Highlands. Growing up in a wild place surrounded by Folk song, cèilidhs, and electronic-trad fusion, music quickly became his natural habitat. His ear was developed further through local Fèisean, where he learned guitar, banjo, and mandolin, and later the Traditional Music course at the RCS. Lachie values experimentation and musical curiosity, and isn’t afraid to bring many wacky and wonderful ideas to Ape House rehearsals!

Wallace Calvert began learning both classical and traditional music on cello. His passion grew as he participated in various youth projects, taught himself other instruments including concertina, and eventually went on to study traditional music at the RCS. Wallace has become a versatile multi-instrumentalist, seeking to refine his skills and sensitive playing style through the exploration of Irish, Scottish, Northumbrian, and other traditional folk repertoire.

https://www.facebook.com/ApeHouseBand

You can find their Album on Bandcamp, Spotify and Soundcloud.
http://apehouseband.bandcamp.com
https://open.spotify.com/album/0UA5nPcUHheUJm7ZjDMJ0r
https://soundcloud.com/ape-house-26711029

Released October 2024.

Joseph Carmichael, originally from Dallas, now living in eastern PA, is known for his unique approach to accompaniment within the traditional Celtic and folk genres.

Joseph was born into a musical family, and began his journey composing on his family's computer, before being drawn to Irish music as a teenager. He is mostly self-taught, and in summers of 2011 and 2013 attended the Burwell Bash, learning under Brian Finnegan (Flook).

Through his free-thinking, sometimes considered “jazzy” chords, and ability to draw from multiple styles, Joseph has established a strong reputation as an accompanist in the traditional music scene in the US and abroad, his guitar work being featured on a track of Brian Finnegan's 2021 solo release ‘Hunger of the Skin’.

An in-demand accompanist in a wide array of Celtic and folk styles, he has performed with such musicians as Brendan Power, Cormac De Barra, Buddy Connolly, Oisín MacDiarmada, James Kelly, Liz Carroll, John Williams, and Brian Finnegan.

Joseph was a former member of Flashpoint, The Here & Now, and is the current guitarist and flute player with Poor Man’s Gambit.

https://www.facebook.com/josephchordmichael

You can find his CD on Bandcamp and Spotify.
https://josephcarmichael.bandcamp.com/album/desiderium
https://open.spotify.com/album/3eMqNMsqekAHqnVZGDWByg

Here are the CDs I intended to add before Christmas. Well. I ran out of time.

I will ad them with the usuall Info. in the recent future.

Till than. Happy Christmas everyone.
Keith

https://linktr.ee/Celtic_CD_Releases

Here are the Album pages.
https://rachelwalkerandaaronjones.bandcamp.com/.../amongs...
(Rachel Walker & Aaron Jones)
https://open.spotify.com/album/0I8TVA4W5LqjH0gcIK1EhH
(Socks in the FryingPan)
https://cedardobsonmusic.bandcamp.com/
(Cedar Dobson)
https://damienquinnsfleadhtown.bandcamp.com/
(Damien Quinn)
https://fourwindsirishmusic.bandcamp.com/album/allta
(Four Winds)
https://apehouseband.bandcamp.com/album/ape-house
(Ape House)
https://josephcarmichael.bandcamp.com/album/desiderium
(Joseph Carmichael)

Released October 2024.

Some Ballads of Anna Gordon, Mrs. Brown of Falkland is a major event for ballad scholarship: classic versions of twelve ballads from one of the earliest and most famous Scottish sources in a CD, with notes and commentary by leading singers and scholars.

The repertoire of Anna Gordon, collected in the closing years of the eighteenth century, has long been a standard reference-point for folklorists but never before has it actually been heard. Commissioned to accompany Ruth Perry’s landmark new biography The Ballad World of Anna Gordon, Mrs. Brown of Falkland, (Oxford University Press) these historically-informed performances by traditional singers Alison McMorland with Jo Miller and Kirsty Potts open a thrilling new soundscape into this ancient art. The sensitive direction of Alison McMorland, using occasional doubling of voices and gentle instrumental interjections, beautifully recreates the informal domestic circumstances in which these ballads were originally learned and sung. The results will surprise and delight even the most experienced ballad enthusiast. Nothing like this has been heard in modern times.

Eight of the tunes come from the transcriptions made by Robert Eden Scott, of his aunt, Anna Gordon’s, singing– three of these as amended by Bertrand Bronson who supplied conjectural readings that he felt better fitted the words. Another comes from the notebook of Walter Scott’s daughter, Sophia Scott. Three of the texts came down without tunes, but Scotland’s contemporary ballad-singing tradition supplies two of the airs and the third comes from the eighteenth-century Blaikie MS cited by Bronson.

As Alison McMorland says, ‘I have long been fascinated by the ballad as a form, and in arranging for the recording of these ballads was frequently reminded of the belief of my old friend and mentor, Hamish Henderson, that performance “breathed new life into ancient memorials.” Peggy Seeger and Ewan MacColl’s testimony in their Blood and Roses ballad project perfectly echoes my own experience: “a ballad is not a ballad until it is sung.”’

"These recordings are a rare treat and the listener experiences a real sense of the ballad as a singing story.

In her introductory note Alison McMorland says she likes to think that Time is made audible in singing these glorious ballads which Anna Gordon herself heard and absorbed some 200 years ago. She’s spot on – the listener is transported back in time and hears these songs in a new way through these sensitive and beautiful performances.

The singing by McMorland, Miller and Potts is fresh and clear, with the words and story taking precedence. And the sensitive choices of tunes and performances, including instruments that Anna Gordon would have used herself, gives these ballads a real sense of authenticity, bringing out the dramatic, sometimes theatrical, qualities of our national ballads.

The mix of memorable solo ballad singing by McMorland and Miller, along with the sensitive vocal ensembles and instrumental accompaniment (similar to those Anna Gordon herself might have experienced) makes this a lovely and inspiring listen from beginning to end. And the notes, from these experienced ballad singers and scholars are fascinating and helpful."
( Professor Kirsteen McCue Professor of Scottish Literature & Song Culture, University of Glasgow )

http://www.alisonmcmorland.com/

https://www.jomiller.scot/
https://www.facebook.com/jo.miller.7311

As I could not find a page about Kirsty here's a write up on a Kirsty Potts Album.
https://brightyoungfolk.com/records/the-seeds-of-life-kirsty-potts

https://open.spotify.com/album/7l0d3VA09eWpVBh62P4Xh2

Released October 2024.

SOLSTICE – Music for the holidays from The Tannahill Weavers.

This extraordinary collection of seasonal music was created by The Tannahill Weavers, a band who have been a stalwart of the Scottish traditional scene since the 1970s. This recording displays the exceptional depth of their talents in creating imaginative ways to treat well known melodies. According to the band:

Our inspiration for making this album was the urge to explore and create connections between well-known centuries old seasonal melodies and our own Scottish traditional music. While many of the compositions we encountered had changed throughout the years, the feel to most of them has kept a folky/trad approach.

We have tried to enhance that traditional feel by composing extra parts to some of the tunes, which we feel adds to the flow of the melodies. In many cases, this involved changing the timing into jig, march, waltz and reel time, which suits our array of traditional instruments. This is the first time that we have created a predominantly instrumental album, which we felt that the melodies richly deserved. We have also included two songs from sublime Gaelic singer Annia MacGillivray.

The result is an exceptional collection of melodies and songs performed by some of the most talented Scottish musicians on the scene. The album was arranged and produced by Phil Smillie.

The Tannahill Weavers:
Roy Gullane banjo
Phil Smillie flute, whistles, bodhrán, percussion, vocals
Iain MacGillivray highland bagpipes, fiddle, whistles, vocals
Malcolm Bushby fiddle, bouzouki

With guests:
Aaron Jones guitar, cittern, bass
Annia MacGillivray vocals
Richard Werner percussion

https://tannahillweavers.com/
https://www.facebook.com/tannahillweavers

You can find their Album on Spotify.
https://open.spotify.com/album/4YoJDq9RLwLbqG3QsNj83R

Released October 2024.

Dúo El Mar - Acoustic Celtic Folk

Sometimes calm and wistful, sometimes stormy and spirited - as versatile as the sea: Dúo El Mar interprets instrumental pieces and songs from Ireland, Scotland, Galicia and Brittany in a fresh way. In their acoustic duo concerts, Ella Zlotos (flutes, vocals, harmonium) and Maria Nikola (harp, vocals) take the audience on a musical journey to distant worlds and bygone times.

Their debut album ‘Tunes of Tide and Time’ was released in October 2024 with a selection of traditional tunes and songs that the two musicians have collected, arranged and recorded over the course of their travels through various Celtic-influenced regions of Europe.

Maria Nikola - harp, vocals

Maria Nikola is active both with a harp solo programme and as a folk musician in various ensembles . Her musical career began on the piano, with classical lessons followed by a degree in music education at the University of Würzburg. At the same time, she studied Celtic harp, focusing on folk music and improvisation. She gained stage and studio experience in various folk, medieval and rock bands. During her semester abroad in Barcelona and while travelling in Spain, she got to know the local culture, which flows into the music of Dúo El Mar.

Ella Zlotos - flutes, vocals, harmonium

The flautist and singer has been active as a live and studio musician for many years, specialising in tin and low whistles, among other things. During a year-long stay in Ireland, she familiarised herself with Irish and Scottish folk music and traditional playing techniques, which she now incorporates into her various musical projects, including cross-genre projects.

In addition to Dúo El Mar, Ella tours internationally with the bands Saor and Ephemeral and gives lessons and workshops for tin and low whistles.

https://duoelmar.de/
www.maria-nikola.de
https://www.facebook.com/maria.nikola.music/
www.ellazlotos.de
https://www.facebook.com/ellazlotos

You can find their Album on Bandcamp.
https://duoelmar.bandcamp.com/

Released September 2024.

Crankie Island Songs

An on going collaboration with illustrators that began with Peter Crann bringing songs alive visually through a specially made Crankie Box (a vintage illuminated story-telling device) to unfold the imagery of the song in a theatrical and evocative way.

A Crankie Box is what it sounds like – a box cranked in order to work, hence ‘crankie’. Originating in Europe in the late 18 th century, they were referred to as moving-panoramas during the 19th century.

An illustrated scroll is wound on two spools and cranked by hand while a story is told, or a tune played. Or, as is the case with Cathy and Peter’s Crankie Song Project, while a song is sung, allowing a spool of images to play out in time with the music or song. A crankie box acts as a kind of animation, and is the oldest form of movie-making. With what it may lack in sophistication, it more than makes up for in charm and immediacy. As it begins to work a kind of magic draws you into the unfolding story resulting in an intimate, almost dream-like form of storytelling, brought wonderfully to life in this project.

With these Crankie Island Songs, Cathy - with the support of the Arts Council of Ireland - has married in sight and sound some of Ireland’s oldest story-songs via the portal of a custom-made crankie box. Nine videos are already available on YouTube ( at Crankie Island Songs ) with more to follow.

Ireland’s music and storytelling is cherished and celebrated worldwide. Traditional songs have captured the heartbreak, treachery, eviction, rebellion, emigration, murder, loss, longing, as well as drinking, revelry and hilarity and spaces of the otherworld deeply connected to identity, place and history in Ireland. Many of these songs have never been recorded and survive as they are passed from generation to generation. In the Crankie Island Project, Irish singer Cathy Jordan has made it her mission to preserve songs from every county on the island.

Renowned for her stirring performances and expressive voice, Cathy is lead singer and percussion player with traditional powerhouse Dervish. Her deep understanding and love of traditional Irish songs and singing has inspired her over the years to collect hundreds of songs which may have been otherwise forgotten.

“Our songs are a part of our folklore; they ignite our memory and give us a sense of place. They are messages from our ancestors that evoke powerful imagery of landscape, mythology and connect us with the strife and struggles of generations who have walked our common paths.” Cathy.

During Lockdown, Cathy began researching and recording songs from her native Roscommon. Wanting to use the Crankie box to illustrate the songs, she collaborated with artist Peter Crann.

https://www.cathyjordan.ie/
https://www.crankieisland.com/
https://www.facebook.com/CathyJordanMusic

You can find the Album on Bandcamp and Spotify.
https://cathyjordan.bandcamp.com/.../the-crankie-island...
https://open.spotify.com/album/73faZbSJMW2phOP4Gmf1Uq

Released November 2024.

Beth says - 'FOLKMOSIS' is my story, of a lost bairn, and her journey back to the carrying stream'.

Beth Malcolm is a songwriter, piano player and singer of stories from Perth. Beth’s music is folk-inspired, and she sings an eclectic mix of traditional Scots songs, alongside her own writing. Beth was named BBC MG ALBA Scots Singer of the Year in 2022.

Thanks to a sustained indoctrination from kin, Beth has been performing since she was old enough to stand on stage. After a brief hiatus from folk music in her teenage years, (read Girls Aloud), Beth fell in love with the old songs and music she had grown up with. She found a home, singing regular floor spots at the Glasgow Star Folk club. Beth has been singing, arranging, playing and writing ever since.

Beth had a ‘breakout’ moment when she won a coveted ‘Danny’ award at Celtic Connections 2019. Beth’s love of music is not confined to folk, and she has collaborated with a number of Scotland’s finest outfits including Fat-Suit, Adam Holmes and Lewis McLaughlin. In 2022, Beth featured on ‘Gaelictronica’ sensation Niteworks’ album with hit track ‘John Riley’. Well suited to Beth’s love for reimagining traditional song, she has performed with Niteworks at several shows including the Glasgow Royal Concert hall with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra.

Since being named BBC Scots Singer of the Year, Beth released her debut album ‘Kissed and Cried’ in Spring, 2023 which received a 5 star review from The Scostman: “Beth Malcolm brings passionate commitment to whatever she sings, her own compositions or otherwise… Judging by this debut, a glowing future beckons.”

Now officially in her ‘quarter-life crisis’ era, Beth has written her next album, ‘FOLKMOSIS’. Working with producer and musician Dorian Cloudsley, she has written her ‘musical coming of age’ story into a show. FOLKMOSIS is woven together, track by track, by song and spoken word. It explores what is means to belong, the heartaches and hilarities of life in the big bad world, and celebrates the connections we have to land and language through our shared music. This story reminds audiences that music will always be there to bring us home when we feel a little lost.

https://www.bethmalcolm.com/
https://www.facebook.com/BethMalcolmMusic

You can find her Album on Bandcamp.
https://bethmalcolm.bandcamp.com/album/folkmosis-2
https://open.spotify.com/album/4hJ0oTRIK0RTKzikr7Zr3e

Released October 2024.

One of the most talked-about folk bands of the 21st century, Talisk have been tearing apart stereotypes and redefining the genre for almost a decade.

With over 15 million streams and 10,000 albums sold worldwide, and sell out shows across five continents - from Paris to New York, London to Tokyo, Glasgow to Vancouver - alongside headline appearances at festivals across the world, the Scottish trio have amassed a global, die-hard following.

Wielding instruments that have rarely seen the likes of their music, Mohsen Amini (concertina), Benedict Morris (violin) and Charlie Galloway (guitar) have stacked up major awards for their explosively energetic sound - including five between BBC Radio 2 and BBC Radio Scotland, and two highly coveted BBC Alba Scots Trad Music Awards.

At New Year 2022 they played BBC One’s Hogmanay show to a television audience in excess of one million, and - as the only folk act alongside pop headliners - quickly amassed a vast, mainstream audience that continues to propel the group to some of their largest live shows to date.

Headlining Glasgow’s iconic Barrowland Ballroom in 2024 - during Europe’s largest winter festival, the legendary Celtic Connections - Talisk’s star remains firmly on a rapid ascent, and then some. Never afraid to push musical boundaries, or test the live production capabilities of just three people (yes, it’s all live), there’s captivating a crowd, and then there’s Talisk.

https://www.talisk.co.uk/
https://www.facebook.com/TaliskMusic/

You can find their Album on Bandcamp and Spotify.
https://talisk.bandcamp.com/album/live-at-the-barrowlands
https://open.spotify.com/album/6hQPRbnzKEkAoUNzpzMr52

Released October 2024.

Rachel Newton and Mairearad Green are both well-known and highly respected members of the Scottish folk music scene and have moved in similar circles for the last decade or so, both creating distinctive and often boundary-pushing folk music which often touches on their shared Gaelic heritage. The fact that they are also cousins made it all the more likely that they would, at some point, come together to make an album as a duo. But the familial bond which underpins Anna Bhàn is more than just a partnership of convenience: the album is dedicated to (and, in part, based on the life of) their shared great-great-grandmother. Anna lived on the highland peninsula of Coigach at a time when the landscape and people’s relationship to it was changing at an unprecedented rate. This was particularly true of Scotland, where the Highland Clearances forced many rural working people – mainly tenant farmers and their families – away from their land in the name of agricultural improvement.

This alone would make Anna Bhàn’s life worth documenting, but on top of this, she had a very specific and frankly astonishing part to play in the story of the Clearances. In 1852/53, the Coigach area was earmarked for clearance, and a sheriff was sent with an eviction notice. Anna Bhàn, along with a group of other Coigach residents – mostly women – stripped the official and burned his paperwork before sending him packing on his boat. The Coigach resistance was one of a small handful of successful attempts to fight back against landlords and has only recently gained wider recognition for its social and historical importance.

Green and Newton are the ideal custodians of this heritage, not only because of their genealogical links to the area but also because of their deep connection with Gaelic musical traditions. Green plays accordion, Highland pipes, small pipes and piano, while Newton is an accomplished harpist (and plays viola here). They piece together historical tidbits of tune and spoken word combined with an experimental approach to songcraft that rests on the evocative and sometimes uneasy drone of Green’s pipes and Newton’s adroit, expressive harp playing. The tracks range from biographical studies to wild, impressionistic landscape pieces. In the former camp are the title track – a seemingly simple lyric that recounts events from Anna’s daily life with plainspoken joy and an irresistible melody – and Lady Stafford, which kindles with a quiet, justified resentment against the landowning classes and features beautiful passages of harp and piano.
( Thomas Blake - Klofmag )

http://www.rachelnewtonmusic.com/
https://www.facebook.com/rachelnewtonmusic

https://www.mairearadgreen.co.uk/
https://www.facebook.com/mairearadgreen

You can find their Album on Bandcamp and Spotify.
https://annabhan.bandcamp.com/album/anna-bh-n
https://open.spotify.com/album/5av5I56XBHX3ahHX2ORnYa

Released September 2024.

It’s not often that a new voice arises out of an ancient tradition, managing to fuse the richness of the past with the promise of the future. Forged out of the centuries-old traditions of her native Donegal, Diane Cannon is a singer who brings the songs and the music played by the hearth fire of a long gone Ceilí house, to the sophisticated tastes of a 21st century audience.

From Meenlaragh, which nestles between spectacular Errigal and the Islands of Tory and Inisboffin in the heart of the Donegal Gaeltacht, Diane inherited her musical talents from both sides of her family; all four grandparents were accomplished musicians and singers. As a youngster Diane frequently won competitions and she competes successfully to this day, most recently winning first place in the prestigious Comortas Cuimhneacháin Shéain Óig Uí Thuama at Oireachtas na Gaeilge.

Her long anticipated debut album Idir Mhuir agus Sliabh follows hard on the heels of her single ‘Séan Ó Duibhir a’ Ghleanna’ which was released last year to great critical acclaim.

Some of the leading lights in Celtic music perform on the album; Donald Shaw, Michael McGoldrick, Neil Martin, Charlie McKerron amongst many others. There are a few beautiful duets with friend, mentor and renowned sean-nós singer Lillis Ó Laoire. Diane says “For a number of years, I have been working and researching, with Lillis, forgotten songs of my native area, great songs, although they have never been recorded,” she says “I would love to breathe new life into these old songs, rejuvenating them with modern arrangements while still remaining true to the core tradition.”

Diane is extremely proud that Mairead Ní Mhaonaigh of Altan features on the album, playing a tune she learned from Diane’s grandfather and good friend of the Mooney family; Manus Cannon. The record includes songs that are specific and personal to Diane’s homeplace - An Droighnean Donn and Toraigh Álainn from Tory Island and Cnoc na Naomh & Bainín Mhín a Leagh have been revived and given new life by the emotion, love and understanding of Diane’s richly expressive voice. There are a few songs in English which have been favourites of the family for years which she interprets equally as well as the sean nós songs; Broom of the Cowdenowes and Lough Erne’s Shore, these are songs which she learned from the singing of Oriel singers Garrett Doran and Eithne Ní Uallacháín.

Maintaining the tradition of family unison singing,
Diane is joined on on Níl sé na Lá and Mhaithrín Dhilís by her daughter Kelly Ní Chanainn who she proudly raised, mentoring and steeping her in traditional Irish music and the Irish language. The album also succeeds in taking some of the old songs in the tradition and breathing a fresh new life into them with great understanding and empathy by producer Manus Lunny.

Diane adds “I wanted to record an album that reflects all that is important and special to me. Songs and tunes from home, staying true to my local traditional style while adding some magic with new arrangements, breathing new life into the songs.”

https://www.dianecannonmusic.com/
https://www.facebook.com/dianecannonmusic

You can find her Album on Bandcamp and Spotify.
https://dianecannon.bandcamp.com/album/diane-n-chanainn-idir-muir-agus-sliabh
https://open.spotify.com/album/4aArGyH7h2YwNcMRxhmjZR

Released September 2024.

Open the Door for Three is fiddle player Liz Knowles, uilleann piper Kieran O’Hare, and Dublin-born singer and bouzouki player Pat Broaders. Their music is a rare combination of unearthed tunes from centuries-old collections, newly composed melodies, fresh arrangements of songs old and new, homages to the musicians and bands they grew up listening to, and the unmatched energy of a trio of good friends playing great Irish music together.

Liz, Kieran, and Pat have been mainstays of the Irish music scene around the world, having distinguished themselves over the last two decades as soloists with Riverdance, Cherish the Ladies, String Sisters, Secret Garden, Anúna, and The New York Pops. As a trio, they have played to a wide range of audiences in venues large and small, from Irish festivals, to concert halls, house concerts, and pubs.

They have performed around the world: on Broadway and at Carnegie Hall, at L'Olympia and the Palais des Congrès in Paris, in Malaysian rainforest festivals, in theatres from Shanghai to São Paulo, and even in a bullring in Mallorca. Most recently, they have been featured at The Kennedy Center’s Ireland 100 festival, the Celtic Colours festival in Cape Breton, at The Milwaukee Irish Festival, and in The Masters of Tradition series in Bantry, County Cork, Ireland.

Irish music is a living, breathing part of Irish and Irish-American culture, and there is no single story that can sum up its history, its charm, grace, and drive. The soul of Open the Door for Three’s music is filled with connections: the connections to people and places, to teachers and heritage and audiences, and to the stories and humor that bring us all together. From these connections comes inspiration, which fills a bottomless well that keeps the trio coming back again and again – to refill, refuel, reinvent, and share.

https://www.openthedoorforthree.com/
https://www.facebook.com/OpenTheDoorForThree/

You can find their Album on Bandcamp and Spotify.
https://openthedoorforthree.bandcamp.com/.../a-prosperous...
https://open.spotify.com/album/0JG3Yfh2qhqbNYS5dGFQZw

Released September 2024.

This album is Olivia's first solo venture, weaving the influence of her Irish roots into her own West Coast Canadian fiddle style. The 10-track instrumental album highlights many of her original compositions, as well as favourite traditional tunes, and features harpist Ellen Gibling, guitarists Adam Dobres, and multi-instrumentalist Adrian Dolan.

Olivia Barrett spins enchanting fiddle melodies, weaving together the traditions of her Irish roots with the intricate sounds of the Pacific Northwest. Striking a masterful balance between gentle elegance and daring vibrance, Olivia’s playing shimmers with precision and joyful colour.

Summoning a wave of modern nostalgia, Olivia’s masterful fiddle playing flows seamlessly between the old and the new, breathing life into traditional tunes through the rhythms of contemporary folk. Elegant, playful, and precise, Olivia’s music is defined by her gift for crafting new melodies from the threads of the traditions of Ireland, Scotland, and Scandinavia.

Based in Victoria BC, Olivia's playing has become known for its elegance and fluidity, and has brought her to stages across Canada, the US, and Europe, with recent performances at Celtic Connections and Milwaukee Irish Fest.

Olivia's debut solo album, Elsewhere (September 2024), gracefully blends her own enchanting melodies with the sounds of her favourite traditional tunes. Drawing on a lifetime's obsession with Irish traditional music, Elsewhere weaves Olivia's fiddle with accordion, guitar, and harp in tunes that journey effortlessly from the delicate to the driving.

https://www.oliviabarrettmusic.com/
https://www.facebook.com/oliviabarrettmusic

You can find her Album on Bandcamp and Spotify.
https://oliviabarrett.bandcamp.com/album/elsewhere
https://open.spotify.com/album/2pKV8dJgeqUKNcKt8LamDN

Release Dates: 21st August 2024 (UK), 8th November 2024 (USA).

Hydra - The new Album from Nuala Kennedy and Eamon O'Leary.

Following the hand of fate which guided them from a remote village in the Austrian Alps to a tiny island in Greece, long time musical collaborators and world wanderers, Irish traditional singer and musician Nuala Kennedy and Dubliner / New Yorker singer songwriter Eamon O’ Leary have created an atmospheric new album of songs entitled ‘Hydra’.

Hydra is an island where cars are prohibited and the main mode of transport is by donkey or by foot. Recorded in an eighteenth century carpet factory whose large open windows overlook the port, the album vibrates with the unhurried bohemian charm and luscious simplicity that made this place so attractive to past luminaries such as Henry Miller, Patrick Leigh Fermor, Lawrence Durrell, Leonard Cohen and his love Marianne Ihlen…

Indeed Leigh Fermor’s book cover for ‘Mani’, illustrated by the artist John Craxton, inspired the cover for ‘Hydra’ which depicts a melusine or two-tailed mermaid.

The cover was carved by hand, for wood block print by the renowned old-school printing artist Peter Nevins. Nevins has also produced cover work for Gillian Welch and David Rawlings, and Anais Mitchell who sings backing vocals here on ‘Liffeyside’ alongside Will Oldham (Bonnie Prince Billy) and Cathal McConnell of the Boys of the Lough.

Other special guests include fiddler Liz Knowles who provides string arrangements on the album, and Brian MacGloinn (Ye Vagabonds) on mandolin.

Nuala and Eamon have collaborated with luminaries from across the folk world and beyond including Bonnie Prince Billy, Mike Scott, Beth Orton, Sam Amidon, Anaïs Mitchell, Liz Carroll, Kevin Burke and in the Alt alongside their friend John Doyle.

Noted for their instrumental skills and songwriting as well as a rich tapestry of traditional song; Nuala and Eamon recorded Hydra live together in a spacious open room inside the old carpet factory, with windows opening onto the Aegean Sea. Here they present a timeless selection of stories of the sea, of love and courtship, of work and ritual, of emigration, of war… Hydra reverberates with a sense of space, and a palpable delight in place and storytelling.

https://www.nualakennedy.com/nuala-kennedy-eamon-o-leary/
https://www.facebook.com/nualakennedymusic

You can find their Album on Bandcamp and Spotify.
https://nualakennedyandeamonoleary.bandcamp.com/album/hydra
https://open.spotify.com/album/24RQrcjFDBD7u6XzsYSPGa

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