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Celtic CD Releases

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

The CDs are in order of the date they were added which is near to the release

date starting with the top CD Cover.

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all my pages are on Linktree as well

https://linktr.ee/Celtic_CD_Releases

www.celtic-cd-releases.com

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Released September 2023

Clann An Drumma are a tribal band from Glasgow, Scotland. Their music involves Highland Bagpipes with a twist of tribal drumming to get the blood stirrin'.

WHO ARE WE?
"We're far from your typical Scottish drum and pipe band sound. With an unconventional approach that combines traditional music with a modern edge, we have created a sound that is both powerful and raw. Our music will take you on an emotional journey that is both moving and exhilarating.

Our band's music is perfect for anyone who is looking to experience something new and exciting; from our raw drumming to our hauntingly beautiful pipe melodies.
Our performances are always high-energy and full of surprises, with each live show guaranteed to leave you breathless.

So, whether you're a fan of traditional Scottish music or simply someone who loves discovering new sounds, our band is not to be missed. We promise to deliver a unique and unforgettable experience that will leave you wanting more."

http://www.clannandrumma.co.uk/
https://www.facebook.com/ClannAnDrumma

You can find their CD on Bandcamp.
https://clannandrumma.bandcamp.com/album/boudicas-revenge

Released July 2023

The 12-track collaboration is a mix of Irish traditional and electronic music, featuring beautiful offering 'Fill a Rún Ó'.
Irish group Plúirín na mBan have released their exciting debut album "Female Rambling Sailor".

The supergroup features a collaboration between Irish traditional singer, composer, and bodhrán player Cathy Jordan, Austrian singer, composer, and fiddle-player Claudia Schwab and the contemporary Irish composer Irene Buckley. Meshing atmospheric drones with ancient song lyrics, their wide-reaching backgrounds combine in a unique mix of traditional Irish and ambient/electronic music.

The 12 songs centre around a female narrator as layers of fiddle-delays, heavy bodhrán rhythms, and intricate three-part vocal harmonies mark the story of a dreadful ghost and a boatsman trying to convince his love to marry him.
The artists' first collaboration was through the Cairde Sligo Arts Festival, in which the three women were commissioned to create new music that blended both traditional and contemporary. As a result, they premiered their work as a part of the festival's online edition, 'Cairde Connected', in July 2020.

The trio were inspired to work together again and set out to record their debut album in 2021 and 2022. They explored more deeply their growing repertoire of ancient melodies reappearing in the context of ambient electronics and delayed fiddle-loops, additionally drawing in elements of diverse music traditions such as Indian Classical music or jazz, the three-piece recorded their debut album over the last two years.

Cathy Jordan: vocals, guitarlele, bouzouki, bodhrán, guitar
Claudia Schwab: violins, vocals, harmonium, keys, thumb harp
Irene Buckley: electronics, vocals, keys

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

Released September 2023

Tina is a multi-instrumentalist that lives in Glasgow these days. She plays piano, flute, and whistles, and is also a qualified Irish dance teacher.

As an avid composer, Tina takes her influences from many places, including the Irish dance music tradition, where she is a household name.

Originally from Lancashire, where her initial enthusiasm for music stemmed from piano lessons given by her father, Tina joined a local Comhaltas group, took up the tin whistle and began her love affair with Irish dancing. Eventually, this led to her beginning a degree in Irish Music and Dance at the University of Limerick. In 2009 she moved to Glasgow, initially on a one-year Erasmus student exchange, but chose to stay and complete her degree at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. With this background, she has roots planted firmly in both the Irish and Scottish traditions, and this amalgam does much to define the style of her compositions.

Féistastic 5 is the fifth Irish dance music album by Tina Jordan Rees. Featuring tracks with speeds for dancers of all levels plus new compositions by her.

http://tinajordanrees.com/
https://www.facebook.com/tinajordanreesmusic

You can find her music on Bandcamp and Spotify.
https://tinajordanrees.bandcamp.com/
https://open.spotify.com/album/5lQpieQqKoD5xWaZWBFDQj

Released August 2023.

The Sailor on the Rock is a very common reel in Irish traditional music sessions worldwide but there is nothing common about the tasty trio who feature on this recording who have performed as The Sailors on the Rocks aboard the floating festival at sea known as the Joanie Madden Folk’N Irish Cruise.

The group was spawned on one of the annual cruises by the very creative Madden who wanted to welcome her passengers aboard with music from three of her most seasoned musicians whose laid-back approach and their collective musical mastery and skills would immediately set the tone for a memorable week at sea.

The veteran musicians are all native New Yorkers with fiddler John Reynolds and button accordionist John Nolan hailing from New York City and singer and guitarist Bruce Foley from Buffalo and upstate New York who blended their extensive individual musical careers and experiences into a new solid musical ensemble that has established its own reputation aboard the popular cruises every year since. Blending songs from the velvet voice of Foley and the dynamic and effervescent fiddle and box-duet of Reynolds and Nolan, they immediately transform you to an earlier era where the Irish enjoyed dancehalls and ballad rooms where they mixed and mingled and saw them come to life again throughout the week in varied venues aboard the ship.

Both Reynolds and Nolan began their traditional training with John Glynn from Roscommon before Reynolds moved onto Pete Kelly and the Shannonaires. Both participated in Fleadhs in New York and Ireland with John Nolan winning a Senior All-Ireland in 1982. Each went on to collaborate and accompany many of the finest ballad singers around New York for many years while still maintaining a stronghold in trad music as well. Foley’s musical foray brought him to Massachusetts, Washington D.C., Chicago and Pittsburgh where similar collaborations honed his skill sets as a vocalist, uilleann piper and accompanist in the Irish scene that dovetailed well when he came to New York permanently and into the musical cauldron that regularly bubbles up around Joanie Madden and her Folk’N Irish Cruise.
(Paul Keating)

https://www.facebook.com/brucefoleymusic

You can find the CD on Bandcamp and Spotify.
https://brucefoleymusic.bandcamp.com/.../sailors-on-the-rock
https://open.spotify.com/album/2UV5EQ1LmYgcfXATmGnpYx

Released September 2023

Much has happened since Dréos recorded their debut album, The Clearing. Among the things that have changed little, however, are the majestic mountains, surging rivers, ancient forests, and rugged coastlines of the Pacific Northwest. Cascade Mountain Aire invites you into musical moments of adventure and uncertainty, energy and reflection, peace and tranquility, inspired by the place we call home.

Dréos is a Celtic ensemble of performing composers who create new music and reimagine old music using a traditional vocabulary. Combining the blazing piping of Eliot Grasso, virtuosic fiddling of Brandon Vance, and powerhouse accompaniment of Glen Waddell, Dréos offers listeners exciting, handcrafted music in a living tradition, and brings audiences and students into a centuries-old cultural-artistic dialogue. Dréos has been engaging listeners in North America and in Europe since its inception.

The word “Dréos” comes from Scottish Gaelic, and translates into the English word “blaze” with the idea that it is light that helps us see the past, present, and future, and that it is the warmth of musical performance around which we gather for community and dialogue.

https://www.dreosmusic.com/
https://www.facebook.com/dreosmusic

You can find their Albums on Bandcamp and Spotify.
https://dreos.bandcamp.com/
https://open.spotify.com/album/42zrWKY3gtyZy4rhOP4njD

Released September 2023

Acclaimed Uilleann piper and flautist Calum Stewart released his new album True North on Friday 1 September 2023.

A testament to the Speyside native’s exceptional talent and strong connection to his heritage in the north of Scotland, the record intertwines traditional Celtic influences with self-penned, heartfelt compositions, delivering an authentic musical experience which is sure to resonate with audiences worldwide.

True North brings together a trio of masterful musicians which Calum leads, showcasing his unrivalled skill on the Uilleann pipes and wooden flute. He is joined by Sylvain Quéré on the bouzouki and Yann Le Bozec on the double bass, whose combined musical voices and styles create an enchanting and evocative sound.

Drawing inspiration from the north of Scotland, its music, legends, people and landscapes, True North follows the theme of Calum's previous album, Tales from the North (2017). His latest body of work and fourth studio album continues to breathe life into the stories and places close to his heart, while also incorporating new versions of previously recorded pieces, reimagined through years of live performance.

The album features a balanced mix of traditional Scottish tunes, some of which have never been played or recorded on Uilleann pipes, or are rarely heard on the instrument, alongside five original compositions from Calum, including two pieces he has been eager to re-record for years, Schottishe Kerlou and Looking at a Rainbow through a dirty Window.

Calum Stewart said:
“This album is a result of my long-standing desire to record my own interpretations of some classic traditional tunes – something I've wanted to do for years. In a way, it continues the theme of my previous work, Tales from the North, as it draws heavily from the north of Scotland – its music, its scenic beauty, and the strong emotions it evokes within me."

https://www.calum-stewart.com/
https://www.facebook.com/CalumStewartMUSIC/

You can find his Album on Bandcamp and Spotify.
https://calumstewartmusic.bandcamp.com/album/true-north
https://open.spotify.com/album/1drxAb8vzqFvLd2biGQNUw

Released July 2023.

Who Are We?

TULUA are a traditional Irish fusion band hailing from the southeast of Ireland. Meaning ‘Becoming More‘, TULUA have been deeply exploring and sharing their music which has achieved them national and international success. Since their EP release in 2020 they have played around the world, at festivals such as Milwaukee Irish Fest, La Crosse Irish Fest, Temple Bar Tradfest, Kilkenny Tradfest, Phil Murphy Weekend, and supporting renown acts such as Atlantic Arc, Fergal Scahill & Ryan Molloy, Cormac Begley, and many more, whilst also exclusively performing to their sold out concerts in the National Opera House. They have been on shows such as the internatinally successful ‘Ireland with Michael’ which premiers on PBS and also appear regulary on radio stations across the country and have been shortlisted in Hot Press’ ‘Irish Music of the Month’ in 2021.

Through their involvement within the tradtional Irish music world, TULUA discovered a strong passion for bringing traditional tunes and songs to the forefront of fusion and to explore the possibilities within their roots. They carefully blend this with other genres to create a sound unique to them with many describing their music as ‘beautifully mystical‘ and ‘full of driving energy‘. They look foreward to sharing their musical journey with everyone as they explore and express the possibilities within Irish traditional music.

https://tuluamusic.com/
https://www.facebook.com/tuluamusic

You can find their CD on Bandcamp.
https://tulua.bandcamp.com/

Released July 2023

Alfi, a traditional Irish band with strong Louth connections, have released their debut album ‘Say Old Man’.

The trio features Dundalk musician Ryan McAuley and Fiachra Meek, who grew up in Bellurgan, and Alannah Thornburgh.
Featuring an unusual line-up of harp, five string banjo and uilleann pipes, Alfi explores a combination of traditional Irish and Appalachian old-time music and song, putting their own distinctive stamp on the tunes.

Fiachra Meek (uilleann pipes, whistles, bodhran, guitar, vocals), Alannah Thornburgh (harp, vocals)
Ryan McAuley (five-string banjo).

https://www.facebook.com/alfimusicireland/

You can find their CD on Bandcamp and Spotify.
https://alfi.bandcamp.com/
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4XopMEGbEQRmc2c6ijWFtv

Released July 2023.

Driven by a passion for exploring the colors and complexities of Irish music, The Consequences are a new Irish traditional band founded by Lexie Boatright (concertina & harp), Jake James (fiddle), Cara Wildman (bodhrán & dance), and Ryan Ward (piano & accordion). The quartet comes together to create a dynamic and enthralling sound with a combination of traditional and original tunes.

The Consequences debut album “When You Weren’t Looking” is the product of months of work from four lifelong musicians steeped in the culture of Irish traditional music, who have a passion for the evolution of Irish music as a living tradition. The album brings new life to beloved traditional tunes with tasteful arrangement and dynamic performances, juxtaposed with a variety of several newly composed tunes.

This album captures the energy and fun of a live performance and brings it straight into your home.

https://theconsequencesband.com/
https://www.facebook.com/TheConsequencesMusic/

You can find their CD on Bandcamp and Spotify.
https://theconsequencesband.bandcamp.com/
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0r1Q1BDBMOa306poALcGYS

Released July 2023.

World renowned traditional singer and flute player Nuala Kennedy grew up playing Irish music in Dundalk, County Louth and now lives in Ennis, County Clare with her Appalachian singer husband A. J. Roach and their two young children. Her newest solo album ‘Shorelines’ (2023 Under the Arch Records) was recorded in and inspired by the rugged coastline of Clare. It features a powerhouse combination in Clare fiddle maestro Tara Breen (Chieftains) and Dublin guitarist of note Tony Byrne (Danu) with whom Nuala tours in trio. Also playing on the record are some of Ireland and America’s most beloved performers in singers Muireann NicAmhlaoibh and Moira Smiley, pianist Caoimhin Vallely and Grammy winning bassist Todd Sickafoose.

https://www.nualakennedy.com/
https://www.facebook.com/nualakennedymusic

You can find her CD on Bandcamp and Spotify.
https://nualakennedy.bandcamp.com/album/shorelines
https://open.spotify.com/album/5PaDUhChHpcUVbabhOsvBm

Released July 2023.

The Steam Quartet is a powerful combo of traditional Irish music. Chicago artists John Williams, Katie Grennan, Steve Morrow and Jeff Lindblade have thrilled audiences from Shanghai to Chicago and from Paris to Pittsburgh.
Appearances on BBC, PBS, Dreamworks, and with the Chieftains round out their various backgrounds and their versatility embraces dance, wit, and road-tested musical integrity.

John Williams is internationally regarded as one of the foremost players of Irish music today. With five All-Ireland titles to his credit, John is the only American-born competitor ever to win first place in the Senior Concertina category. His additional talents on flute, button accordion, bodhran, and piano distinguish him as a much sought after multi-instrumentalist in the acoustic scene around the world. Forming the groundbreaking Solas in 1995 with Seamus Egan, Winifred Horan, Karan Casey and John Doyle, Williams received wider recognition playing to sold out audiences internationally and earning two NAIRD awards and Grammy nominations.

Katie Grennan’s traditional fiddle playing carries the articulation of a gifted classical musician tempered by the soul of an Irish dancer. Her wide ranging experience as an international touring performer in both live stage productions and television have given her a unique platform as an ambassador for the music of her heart.

Steve Morrow brings genre bending, multi-instrumental experience to the bodhrán as he blends modern and traditional rhythms into the heartbeat and backbone of his music. He has performed at national festivals and events with STEAM, BackWest, and áthas, and is a regular in the rich Chicago Irish session scene.

Jeff Lindblade is a multi-instrumental performer, passionate about making Irish traditional music accessible to listeners with modern musical sensibilities. In addition to being a welcomed player at local music sessions, he has performed across the US and internationally with several Irish stage and dance productions.

https://steamirishmusic.com/
https://www.facebook.com/IrishBandSTEAM/

You can find the CD on Bandcamp and Spotify.
https://steamirishquartet.bandcamp.com/
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0fb8NkHhmA2lcVqINFDwGV

Released June 2023.

Out the Gap is a dynamic, energetic traditional music group comprising five young musicians all steeped in traditional music and strongly influenced by the music of their localities. They bring energy and vibrancy to their performances while remaining true to the tradition. The band has a very strong East Clare influence with Amy and Gearóid McNamara from Tulla, Kevin Carey from Sixmilebridge, Pamela Queally from Kilmaley who is a very strong exponent of the East Clare style and from across the Shannon, Colm Slattery from Ballywilliam, Nenagh who brings a North Tipperary influence to the group.

Amy McNamara was born and raised in the East Clare village of Tulla, an area steeped in traditional Irish music. She comes from a very musical family and grew up surrounded by the local East Clare style of playing. Amy started playing the fiddle at the early age of eight and was naturally influenced by the local style.

Gearóid McNamara hails from Tulla, Co. Clare, an area steeped in Irish music. He started learning music at a very young age and is heavily influenced by the local East Clare style. Gearóid plays multiple instruments in the band including piano, whistle, accordion and concertina and has had much success in many national competitions over the years, most notably winning the coveted Senior Céilí Band competition with the Cnoc na Gaoithe Céilí Band at Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann, Drogheda 2019.

Pamela Queally from Kilmaley in Co.Clare has had a huge interest in music from a young age. She started the classical fiddle at the age of four for one year with Clare Music Makers. She proceeded to follow her sister’s footsteps in the traditional music scene and started with Majella Shannon at the age of five. She remembers buying her first CD in ‘Custy’s’ music shop of the Kane sisters and has been hugely influenced by their music.

Kevin Carey a native of Chicago, IL grew up in a family immersed in Irish music. He began playing Irish music at a very young age, influenced by his father Ger Carey. Kevin plays multiple instruments including the drums, tin whistle, and flute in the band. He has won numerous titles at both the national and international level for bands and solo competitions he has participated in, most notably winning the Senior Céilí Band competition with the Cnoc na Gaoithe Céilí Band at Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann, Drogheda 2019.

Colm Slattery was born in the parish of Burgess in Co. Tipperary, a place synonymous with the late Paddy O’ Brien of traditional music button accordion fame. Colm was tutored by Ned Kelly on the accordion and Billy Greenall R.I.P. on the piano and has many All-Ireland Fleadh titles attained at both underage and senior levels. He has toured with Comhaltas in Ireland, England, China and most recently Cairo in Egypt performing on button accordion, melodeon and piano.

https://outthegapmusic.com/
https://www.facebook.com/OutTheGap

You can find their Debut EP on Bandcamp.
https://outthegap.bandcamp.com/

Released June 2023

"It’s been 13 years since we released Five Gears, but we haven’t ever stopping making music. We are so proud of our new album, which shows the progression of the band over the past decade." - Syncopaths

From dance floors to concert halls, the Syncopaths bring a fresh, contemporary spin to tunes and songs rooted in the Scottish, Irish, and American folk traditions. Evolving through their contradance origins, they are creating a “chamber folk” sound, characterized by the compelling rhythmic interplay of fiddle and mandolin, rich vocals, and unexpected colors and rhythms of the piano and bodhrån. The exuberant joy they derive from the music and each other is palpable and contagious.

Founded in 2002 as a backup band for bluegrass fiddler Richard Greene, the Syncopaths stepped out on their own shortly thereafter to rave reviews from audiences who delighted in the band’s improvisational and playful style. At the heart of the band’s sound are the twin engines of Ryan McKasson’s dynamic Scottish-based fiddling, and the understated-but-monster picking of mandolinist Ashley Hoyer. Jeffrey Spero provides wonderfully inventive and surprising piano accompaniment, anchored by the driving power of Christa Burch’s inventive bodhrån. Christa also lends her singular voice as lead singer – warm, supple, expressive, and intimate – to the band’s songs.

Each member of the band is also an accomplished tunesmith, with recordings of original compositions on each of the band’s CDs. All in all, the Syncopaths are equally at home with pulsing, high-energy dance tunes, and beautiful, contemplative songs. They ably stretch melodic boundaries while keeping a steady, compelling, danceable beat.

https://www.syncopaths.com/
https://www.facebook.com/syncopaths/

You can find their CDs on Bandcamp.
https://syncopaths.bandcamp.com/

Released June 2023.

Lauren MacColl is considered one of Scotland’s most expressive fiddle players. From the Black Isle, she studied music in Glasgow before returning home to the Highlands where she draws much of her musical inspiration.

Her new album ‘Haar’ - the 5th solo release on her own label - marks 15 years since she embarked on a solo career, and follows on from the 2020 album ‘Landskein’, lauded for its raw simplicity. ‘Haar’ is a self-penned collection of music drawn on coastal stories and happenings from around the eastern firths of the Scottish Highlands, showcasing Lauren’s writing and signature darkly-toned playing.

Lauren is a founder member of both chamber-folk quartet RANT and song-trio Salt House, with whom she continues to tour regularly, alongside her recent multi-disciplinary project ‘Heal & Harrow’ with Rachel Newton. H&H were awarded ‘Composer of the Year’ at the Scots Trad Music Awards, and played live on Radio 4’s Front Row.

Lauren was fiddle tutor for RCS Junior Conservatoire for over a decade, continues to teach her own students and community groups, and ran the Black Isle Fiddle Weekend for 9 years. Her work as a session musician on viola and fiddle has seen her record for a wide variety of artists across the Scottish music scene including Julie Fowlis, Blue Rose Code, Ewan MacLennan and Siobhan Miller. In 2019 she released a book of her own tunes titled ‘To The North…’ and toured her commissioned work ‘The Seer’ across major Scottish venues.

https://www.laurenmaccoll.co.uk/
https://www.facebook.com/lmaccoll

You can find her music on Bandcamp and Spotify.
https://laurenmaccoll.bandcamp.com/album/haar
https://open.spotify.com/album/5oXkZLqWZqq2UsZIbYj4z3

Released June 2023.

Adrienne’s musicality reveals a transcontinental experience, seeped in old-world style but infused with a young, modern energy. Born in Dublin to a family steeped in Irish culture, and immigrating young to a unique Irish pocket in St. Paul, MN, Adrienne has feverishly sought and soaked up her traditional roots.

This is Adrienne O'Shea's debut album of Irish traditional songs, arranged and accompanied by Brian Miller and Dáithí Sproule. It is a compilation of songs centered on women's stories, told through the voice of an emerging young artist.

https://www.facebook.com/adrienne.oshea.33

You can find her Debut CD is on Bandcamp and Spotify.
https://adrienneoshea.bandcamp.com/album/threads-of-gold
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4znPFrPvPdS29Y1FByu9V7

Released June 2023.

Hailing from the occupied territories of the Songhees, Esquimalt and WSÁNEĆ nations (Victoria, BC in Canada), Clanna Morna brings their take on the Celtic Traditional genre to the west coast. Their sound is rooted in the traditional Irish, Scottish and English music that many love, and features carefully crafted arrangements, rhythmic spirited energy and captivating storytelling. Comprised of an ensemble of multi-instrumentalists, their collective musicianship and attention to detail contribute to a unique audience experience featuring both familiar and lesser known folk ballads and tunes.

Members of Clanna Morna have been arranging and performing traditional Celtic and original music for 3 years together and for over a decade in other projects, sharing their melodic arrangements and stories both locally and internationally. Since their formation in the fall of 2020 Clanna Morna has toured the North-Western USA, and British Columbia and Alberta unceasingly, delivering over 200 performances in their first two years together as an ensemble. Notable performances include the 2022 Vancouver Celtic Festival, the 2022 BC Highland Games, the 2021 & 2022 Victoria Highland Games, 2022 Woodstove Music Festival, the Oceanside Folk/Roots club in Qualicum Beach (2021 and 2022 seasons), and the Pender Harbour Music Society (2022/23 season).

The band is comprised of Cody Baresich (guitar, mandolins, Irish bouzouki, tin whistle, percussion, vocals), Finn Letourneau (fiddle, banjo, vocals), and Mark Leigh (accordion, tin whistles, vocals). With the combination of traditional instruments featuring strong melodic leads, rhythmic guitar accompaniment and foot percussion, the band covers a wide swath of musical ground. From high-energy instrumentals to slow ballads, drinking songs to sea shanties, Clanna Morna brings a unique west coast influence to Celtic & English folk. The band pays tribute to and takes inspiration from legendary predecessors including The Dubliners, The Pogues, the Bothy Band, Planxty, and The Clancy Brothers.

Their debut album “From the Lowlands to the High Seas” was released on CD and all streaming services in June 2023.

https://clannamorna.ca/
https://www.facebook.com/ClannaMorna/

You can find their Debut CD on Bandcamp and Spotify.
https://clannamorna.bandcamp.com/
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6IUgXS10XrAl17YcczyX2o

Released June 2023.

Jo Miller is a singer and fiddler based in Stirling. She enjoys making music in intimate environments like homes and small halls. Jo has also had a long career in music education and as an academic researcher. This is her first album, celebrating the music of her home area of SW Scotland. Jo is accompanied by Amy Geddes, Robyn Stapleton, Neil Sutcliffe & Steve Sutcliffe.

This is a collection of songs and tunes from Galloway, an area of SW Scotland whose traditional music deserves wider recognition. Most tracks have a connection to the uplands of the Glenkens, having been learned directly from individuals, or drawn from historical sources. There are also my own settings of two local poems, and two tunes recently composed for notable inhabitants of the district.

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

You can find her debut CD on Bandcamp.
https://jomiller.bandcamp.com/album/a-the-way-to-galloway-2

Released June 2023

Claire Hastings is a Scottish folksinger, songwriter and ukulele player originally from Dumfries, SW Scotland. In 2015 she earned the prestigious title of BBC Radio Scotland's Young Traditional Musician of the Year, and has since made a name for herself on the folk scene with her 'natural, effortless Scots voice.' (FRUK)

An honours graduate of the Scottish Music degree at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Claire specialised in Scots Song with expert tuition from Gordeanna McCulloch (The Clutha) and Rod Paterson (Jock Tamson’s Bairns). Since then she has toured extensively both as a solo artist and with her band, and appeared at internationally renowned folk festivals such as Celtic Connections and Festival Interceltique de Lorient. Standout performances include BBC’s Friday Night is Music Night alongside Lulu and Jamie Cullum, on BBC’s Hogmanay 2021 performing ‘Auld Lang Syne’ and as a soloist with the Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Randers Chamber Orchestra and Aarhus Jazz Orchestra.

Claire has a strong ability to portray a story through song, and is known for her varied repertoire of traditional, contemporary and original songs as demonstrated in highly regarded albums ‘Between River and Railway’ (Exquisite Songlines) and ‘Those Who Roam’ (Highly engaging The Scotsman). Tracks from both albums have had airplay on radio shows including The Folk Show (BBC Radio 2), The Afternoon Show, Travelling Folk and Take the Floor (BBC Radio Scotland). Her highly anticipated third studio album 'Lullabies from Scotland' was released on the 30th June.

With an HNC in Acting and Performance, Claire is also a talented actor and has featured in several theatrical productions. She played Clarinda in 5-star reviewed 2018 Edinburgh Festival Fringe show ‘A Man’s a Man’ about the life of Robert Burns. (Oozed brilliance BROADWAY BABY).

Claire also shares her passion for music and songwriting through various teaching projects and has worked with Fèis Rois, Survivor Arts, Nevis Ensemble, Blackford Sings, Live Music Now Scotland and Scottish Culture and Traditions amongst others. It is Claire's experience and qualification in Colourstrings for early years that led her to start 'Claire's Music Club' in May 2020; providing music workshops for under 5s and their families initially online and now in person in Glasgow.

https://www.clairehastings.com/
https://www.facebook.com/clairehastingsmusic

You can find her music on Bandcamp and Spotify.
https://clairehastings.bandcamp.com/
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0ltE1SzUhTas1A2QLlaZSM

Released June 2023.

Gaelic Supergroup and un-challenged champions of straight in the eye Highland music based around West Lochaber and the Isle of Skye have released their new CD.
Sula is the old Norse name for the Gannet, the largest seabird in Northern Europe. As graceful soaring above the waves as they are swimming far beneath them, Gannets find strength by gathering together in close knit communities on isolated windswept outposts and perfectly embody Dàimh’s enduring connection to the Hebrides and their surrounding waters.

Recorded on the island of Bernera off the wild west coast of Lewis during a dark and stormy December, Sula captures the Gaelic supergroup Dàimh doing what they do best in their natural environment.

With songs covering the full Gaelic gamut from lullabies to murder; epic storms at sea and the compulsory ration of love, loss and heartache, Ellen MacDonald’s captivating vocals epitomise the elegance of a bird in flight while the twin fiddle and bagpipe led instrumentals harness all the power and exhilaration of entering icy cold water head first at 100mph.

https://www.daimh.net/
https://www.facebook.com/daimhmusic

You can find their music on Bandcamp and Spotify.
https://daimh.bandcamp.com/album/sula
https://open.spotify.com/album/6qW5TAbuQzTTWpd3dBvLQm

Released May 2023

Conor Mallon from Keady, Co.Armagh started his musical career with the Armagh Pipers Club where he attended Uilleann Pipe lessons. He has progressed through ranks to become one of the senior teachers at the club before touring in a full time capacity. He has been taught by many pipers over the years and they include Tiarnan O Duinnchinn and Jarlath Henderson. Conor has been categorised as the one leading pipers in his generation as described by folking.com, “In the week that we learned of the passing of Liam O’Flynn it was apposite to hear Conor Mallon leading the next generation of Uilleann pipe players.”

Conor was the first recipient of the ACNI/BBC NI Young Traditional Musicians Platform award and subsequently was a guest musician with the Ulster Orchestra and with the award winning Foden’s Brass Band. Conor is a Senior County, Ulster and All-Ireland Champion on Uilleann Pipes in the Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann and has won many other awards including the Uilleann Piping Scholarship by the Na Píobairí Uilleann Dublin in 2008 and was the first recipient of the Mark Donnelly Bursary for Uilleann Piping Award in 2010.

https://conormallon.com/
https://www.facebook.com/ConorMallonMusic

You can find his debut CD on Spotify.
https://open.spotify.com/album/6vbIwJUl6z6xKACg31NHw6

Released June 2023.

Corey Purcell is an award winning multi-instrumentalist and step-dancer currently residing in Allentown, PA. He has toured extensively with his band ‘Poor Man’s Gambit’ since its inception in 2015, and with ‘Undaunted’, offers his first solo project in nearly a decade.

Having been introduced to Irish culture at a very young age, Corey quickly grew to love the Irish music and dance which surrounded him. Advancing rapidly through the ranks of the competitive Irish dancing scene, Corey soon found himself on the National, then World stage of competition. After competing for 14 years, and discovering that he preferred his own artistic and rhythmic approach to the strict form required by the judges, Corey transitioned from competitions to stage productions and performance. He now dances with several notable bands including the esteemed Irish group Danú.

The majority of the tracks on his CD "Unduanted" were recorded in 2021 during a solo five day retreat to a friend’s cabin in the forests of central Pennsylvania during the Covid-19 pandemic. Inspired by the hummingbirds that frequented the cabin during his afternoon recording sessions, Purcell commissioned a painting of a hummingbird by Irish artist Mary Burke (now residing in Connecticut, USA), which he then had digitized and modeled into the artwork for the project.

The album draws its name from the lyrics of the first track ‘The Banks of Sweet Dundee’, which recounts a young girl’s stand against her uncle and ultimate triumph in the face of adversity. ‘Undaunted’ also aptly applies to hummingbirds, who will fly up to 500 miles non-stop during their annual migration over the Gulf of Mexico.

https://www.coreypurcellmusic.com/
https://www.facebook.com/coreypurcellmusic

You can find his CD on Bandcamp and Spotify.
https://coreypurcell.bandcamp.com/album/undaunted
https://open.spotify.com/album/0juqOUOMNwpQvJjpJdWGwa

Released May 2023

It is seven years since Edel Vaughan launched her first solo album, Spreagtha. Matching the quality and breadth of that wonderful recording was always going to be a challenge. Her second album, Chapter 22, is definitely as worthy as it is stunning, with songs, old and contemporary, dating from the late eighteenth century to a few short years ago with the songs, in Irish and English, all delivered beautifully by her distinctive, strong voice.

It is wonderful that the album features a number of songs, written by her fellow Kilfenora Céilí Band member, Tim Collins. Her rendition of Tim’s song Clare My Heart, My Home is inspirational and has ensured that this song is now sung with pride by Clare people, far and wide. There are eleven tracks on this album, each one to be savoured for its lyrics and music. The more you listen to it, the better you will enjoy it.

Recently Edel has been very busy touring extensively at home and abroad on a solo basis and with the renowned ‘Kilfenora Céilí Band’.

https://www.facebook.com/edel.vaughan
You can find her CD on Bandcamp.
https://edelvaughan.bandcamp.com/album/chapter-22

Released May 2023.

Lainey is from Glasgow and has specialised in independent interactive arts and theatre for over 20 years. She is a singer and songwriter and frequently works collaboratively with musicians and artists as a vocalist and visual artist.

Since 2020 Lainey has been involved in researching traditional songs and stories as well as developing her long held interest in unaccompanied singing. Over this time she has been invited to share songs at Scottish and Irish traditional singing festivals.

Her first album 'Letle Telt' is the result of inspiration found through meeting and listening to other traditional singers from across Ireland and the UK.

The aim behind Letle Telt was to produce a collection of songs and stories that are not widely known. Half have been composed and the other half have been dug out of antique songbooks. Hopefully there will be at least one or two old songs that the listener has never heard (and might even enjoy singing) or one or two old stories that are thought worth sharing.

Though not exclusively, the focus of Letle Telt is on female voices and characters. There is some truth in the trope that historical songs reflect the reality of life for women at the time of writing but even considering the duress under which women often existed, there was still a huge diversity of female personalities and experiences that seem under reported.

https://www.laineyd.org/

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

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