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Celtic CD Releases

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

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

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www.celtic-cd-releases.com

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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

Released August 2024.

Niall was immersed in traditional singing at a very young age when he began to learn from the singing of his late Grandfather, Geordie Hanna. Since then Niall has combined the traditional style of singing with his guitar playing and has performed on many stages in across Ireland, the UK, Europe and Australia.

Niall is a traditional folk singer and songwriter from Derrytresk in Co. Tyrone. In early 2018 he burst on to the Irish folk scene with the release of his first solo album of songs ‘Autumn Winds’. Featuring some well-known Ulster ballads, the album also displayed Niall’s ability as a young songwriter. The title track ‘Autumn Winds’ was nominated for ‘Best Original Track’ at the RTE Folk Awards in October 2018. He also received a nomination for ‘Best Emerging Folk Artist’.

2024 - Niall has now released his second solo album titled ‘The Roving Journeyman’ features 5 newly-penned songs and 6 traditional ballads. This eagerly awaited album features contributions from well known Ulster musicians including Damian McKee, Liam Bradley, Rachel McGarrity and Niall’s brother Ciaran Hanna. Niall began writing new songs in the year 2020 and since then has been recording and gathering material for this album. The songs tell of war, work, love and local history.

https://niallhanna.com/
https://www.facebook.com/niallhannamusic

You can find his Album on Spotify.
https://open.spotify.com/album/1sPF1x90SQhyAxXwSdruzS

Released August 2024.

Tom Campbell Trio was formed in 2018 and was a finalist in the BBC Folk Awards 2019 and winner of the Battle of the Folk Bands in 2021.

Tom Campbell-Paine - Flute
Gillie O'Flaherty - Guitar
Callum Convoy - Bodhran

Tom Campbell was raised immersed in music and creativity. He moved to the Isle of Lismore at the age of seven, where he later spent some years competing in the Oban High School Pipe Band. At age fourteen, Tom studied whistle, flute, pipes, and bodhran at Plockton Music School before spending time on the Isle of South Uist, completing an HNC in traditional music. He then moved to Glasgow, where he has been a part of the traditional music scene for several years.

He is also a passionate composer and enjoys writing original music. Artists such as Kevin Meehan, 3 on the Bund and Tiernan Courell have recorded some of Tom's recent compositions. Tom is a dynamic player and composer who strives to contribute original and exciting works to the evergrowing repertoire of fresh music produced by Scotland's current artists.

Multi-instrumentalist Gillie O’Flaherty comes from Ullapool in the Northwest Highlands of Scotland. His involvement in Scottish traditional music started early with Feis Rois, with whom he works closely to this day.
Gillie thrives on small ensemble playing. He honed his skills at the National Centre of Excellence in Traditional Music in Plockton, played at the Cambridge Folk Festival with the Feis Rois Ceilidh Trail and performed solo at the prestigious Ullapool Guitar Festival in 2018 where he met Rodger Bucknell of Fylde Guitars, who has supported him over the years. Gillie is currently studying Traditional Music at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in Glasgow.

Callum Convoy is a celebrated emerging percussionist. A recent first-class graduate from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Callum was the first student on the course to study Bodrhan as a first instrument. Callum's knowledge of traditional percussion has earned his place as one of the most sought-after percussionists on the Scottish music scene, both live and in the studio. Aside from his work touring in The Canny Band, in the past year Callum has taken part in many projects including playing with Project Smok, playing as part of Young Traditional Musician of the Year 2023 Amy Laurenson’s band, and recording sampling work for traditional percussion musical libraries.

More recently, Callum has expanded his live work to include accompanying and arranging percussion with singers. Working with The Paul McKenna Band, and Beth Malcolm, Callum’s interest in working with song has led to his playing in more diverse lineups.

https://www.tomcampbelltrio.com/
https://www.facebook.com/TomCampbellTrio/

You can find the Album on Bandcamp and Spotify.
https://tomcampbelltrio.bandcamp.com/album/tom-campbell-trio
https://open.spotify.com/album/0H1yAZhstq5RgdS1fuHoe4

Released August 2024.

Trail West have released their fifth long-player, Thirsty Work. Showcasing their growth as a band, this 10-song album is sure to leave a lasting impression on fans leading up to their shows.

Formed on the Isle of Tiree in 2008, Trail West originally consisted of four members. However, after years in the industry and developing their sound, the band made two new additions in 2018. Now known as a six-piece Scottish trad band, members include Alain Campbell who plays guitar, Allan Nairn on electric guitar, Andrew Findlater on drums, Ian Smith on the accordion, Jonathan Gillespie on keyboard, and lead singer Seonaidh MacIntyre.

After touring around Scotland and England earlier this year, the band have been performing at many festivals throughout the summer in the lead-up to the album release, including Belladrum, The Gathering, The Reeling, EDF, and more. With a busy schedule ahead, the band are also set to perform in Campbeltown, Oban, and Inverness, along with their highly anticipated performance in Glasgow in September.

As Trail West gears up for their highly anticipated performance at the O2 Academy in Glasgow in September, ‘Thirsty Work’ serves as a testament to their evolution and dedication to their music. With a blend of heartfelt ballads and energetic anthems, the album not only reflects the band’s growth but also resonates deeply with their fans’ experiences of longing and connection. As they continue to captivate audiences across Scotland and beyond, it’s clear that Trail West’s commitment to their roots and their innovative spirit will keep them at the forefront of the Scottish music scene for years to come.
(Cara Macdonald - isthismusic)

https://www.trail-west.com/
https://www.facebook.com/trailwestband

You can find their Album on Spotify.
https://open.spotify.com/album/0xvN4tl3BJ4ajx79JZkRnd

Released August 2024.

Fidra is a folk music project based in Leith, Scotland, led by singer-songwriter Craig Salter. Fidra's music is inspired by the natural beauty of the Scottish landscape and the rich musical heritage of the country. Intricate guitar work, profound vocals and soaring fiddle create a unique sound that is both captivating and emotional.

Fidra brings together musicians from across Scotland, including Pedro Cameron (Man of the Minch), Sarah Gallagher, Fraser Hughes (Withered Hand), Adam Milne and Kev Dunne. Fidra’s music evokes elements of traditional Scottish folk music combined with a modern edge, blending a wide range of acoustic and electronic sounds.

Craig Salter said: “I started writing music for Fidra during lockdown, when collaborating was much harder. Once we were able to work together again we recorded our first EP, and ever since then I’ve been writing for The Running Wave. The album represents a continuation and development of Fidra as a musical project – bringing together different people from a variety of genres – while maintaining a focus on creating contemporary Scottish folk music that makes you think.

“Much of our music is influenced by stories of life in Scotland. Some of the tracks on the album explore the changing face of life on Scotland’s coasts and islands, partly inspired by and told through the stories of people, including my grandparents and other family members. Combining these lived experiences with our blend of traditional and modern music, the aim with our debut album is to connect with people across the country and beyond, who can relate to, reflect on, and enjoy these stories.”

https://www.fidramusic.com/
https://www.facebook.com/musicfidra

You can find their Album on Bandcamp and Spotify.
https://fidra.bandcamp.com/album/the-running-wave
https://open.spotify.com/album/33QbinDVku91O13hi30jkp

Released August 2024.

THE SORRIES are Douglas Kay (vocals, guitar, bodhran, mandolin) and Martin Philip (vocals, guitar, bodhran, tres). The duo sing, play and banter their way through a show which features a host of traditional tunes from the much-loved Scottish songbook, as well as some songs gathered from the oral tradition and a few original compositions.

The two formed The Sorries following a conversation during a tour of the Highlands where both Martin and Douglas were performing as part of separate projects. Coming from very different musical backgrounds, Kay and Philip discovered a shared love for the music of The Corries. Over a bottle of whisky they decided that the duo is still an ideal format in which to present so many of the sensational folk songs in which Scotland is so rich.

The Sorries made their live debut in Edinburgh during December 2006 and during the next three years moved from the pubs of Edinburgh to playing sell-out shows in locations as diverse as Lossiemouth’s Warehouse Theatre, Coldingham Village Hall, Aberdeen’s Lemon Tree and the Isle of Eigg Community Hall.

2009 saw the duo complete a successful three week run at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, during which they played to packed audiences and garnered attention from the national press. That first Fringe run was the start of an annual engagement which has continued ever since.

The band’s shows at the Edinburgh Fringe have garnered critical acclaim, helping to build a loyal fan base which stretches from Clapham to California, and from the Western Isles to Western Australia.

https://thesorries.wordpress.com/
https://www.facebook.com/TheSorries

You can find their Album on Bandcamp.
https://thesorriesmusic.bandcamp.com/album/i-will-work

Released July 2024.

We are The Next Generation.
We are Étáin and Máire Ní Churraoin also known as An Chéad Ghlúin Eile

We are sisters, native Irish speakers and Sean-Nós Irish traditional singers.

We were born and raised, immersed in music, in the Ráth Chairn Gaeltacht in County Meath after our grandparents [on our dad’s side] rocked up from Conamara in 1935 and 1937. Fun Fact: Mam’s side of the fam, from West Cork’s Castletownbere, were known as “The Singing O’Sullivans”!

Throughout our childhood, the affectionate question was often asked at home, “Cá’il an Bheirt?” [Where are the two?] when we’d be hiding, upstairs, or out in the garden, singing away together!

This question is now asked more often than ever as we perform on stages all over Ireland and the world!

We grew up learning songs orally from fabulous local singers and fellow Gaeltacht singers in our CD collection! We’re the next link in the chain of these songs! We always took great pride in our granduncle’s CD, Darach Ó Catháin! We’ve been listening to him and learning from him the longest!
We dreamt for the longest time of releasing our own album, like Darach, and FINALLY, here it is.

https://www.ancheadghluineile.com/
(their Web page is being updated - available in roughly 2-3 days)
https://www.facebook.com/theSingingSistersss

You can find their Album on Bandcamp.
https://acge.bandcamp.com/album/c-il-an-bheirt

Released May 2024.

Jill is the current harp tutor for Music Generation Waterford and Waterford City Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann. Jill is the director of two harp ensembles and the director of the Senior Irish Traditional Music Ensemble for Music Generation Waterford. She is also a director for Music Generation Ireland’s Harp Collective. The Collective is a national harp ensemble consisting of young harpers from Music Generation Laois, Louth, Mayo and Waterford.

Jill has performed for a number of noted guests including Prince Albert II of Monaco, King Charles and Queen Camilla, Paul Brady and Michael Flatley. Jill has recently performed in Edinburgh, Monte Carlo, Spain, Italy and also performed at the Milwaukee Irish Fest in the United States. Jill is a member of the Comhaltas National Folk Orchestra of Ireland and has performed across the country at various events. She has performed as part of PRISM for Waterford’s Spraoi Festival, which consisted of a large-scale, outdoor art installation structure and temporary performance space. Jill has recently performed with the Music Generation Waterford Senior Harp Ensemble under her own direction in conjunction with the MTU Cork School of Music Symphony Orchestra. This performance combined Irish traditional harp arrangements with orchestral accompaniment.

Jill began her journey on the harp at the age of 5. She completed her exams with the Royal Irish Academy of Music at the age of 17 and she soon attended the South East Technological University in Waterford Ireland where she completed her Bachelor of Arts degree in Music. Jill was awarded the Bridget Doolan Memorial Music Award for her contribution to music at SETU. She was also awarded a Diploma in Performance with the London College of Music. In 2023 she received her Masters degree in Irish Traditional Music Performance at the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance, University of Limerick. At UL, Jill received tuition from leading musicians Laoise Kelly, Gráinne Hambly, Michael Rooney and Donal Lunny. Jill completed the I Teach Trad Online Course for Harp Tutors under the tuition of Liz Doherty. This course focused on professional development for Irish traditional harp tutors. She received a diploma from University College Dublin in Digital Marketing.

https://www.jilldevlinharp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/jilldevlinharp/

You can find her CD on Spotify.
https://open.spotify.com/artist/7KjHzna0xGXU8qBmRh5bkd

Released July 2024.

Damian McKee was brought up in Dunloy Co.Antrim, and is a renowned accordion player who has performed on a myriad of stages across the world.

He has amassed a wealth of experience onstage playing with Beoga since 2002, in earlier years as part of Comhaltas tours, a brief spell stepping in to play with Solas, and more recently playing with folk singer, Niall Hanna.

For decades, he has taught music and remains dedicated to passing on traditional music to all generations.

Damian is a prolific composer with a wide repertoire of self penned tunes, many of which have been recorded during his time with Beoga. Together, over 22 years they have released several critically acclaimed albums, earning a shortlisting for a Grammy nomination, and touring globally with notable performances including the BBC Proms in the Park, the USA Billboard Awards and, in 2018, the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury with Ed Sheeran.

In July 2024 Damian released Moyola Cottage, his debut solo album of 10 original tracks. Moyola Cottage is written from the heart and inspired by home, family and memories, featuring tunes ranging from melodic slow pieces to moody marches and of course a plethora of reels, jigs and polkas, arranged with a bit of attitude.

The fantastic line-up of musicians on this CD are:
Damian McKee - Button Accordion
Liam Bradley - piano, keys, synths, drum / bass programming
Niall Hanna – voice, guitars
Rachel McGarrity – voice, fiddle, viola
Chris McGlone - bodhrán
Brona Graham - banjo, mandolin
Maureen McKee - whistles
Anthony Davis – guitar, piano, synths, drum / bass programming, guitars, bouzouki
Eamon Murray - bodhrán
Paul O’Donnell - piano

https://www.damianmckee.com/
https://www.facebook.com/damian.mckee

You can find his Album on Bandcamp.
https://damianmckee.bandcamp.com/album/moyola-cottage-2

Released August 2024

Rose Baldino and Brian Buchanan first found themselves onstage together in 2014.

Rose’s band Burning Bridget Cleary was scheduled to perform, but inclement weather prevented two of her bandmates from flying. Desperate to salvage the showcase, Rose approached Brian, who she knew fronted Canadian celtic rock band Enter the Haggis. She thrust a guitar into Brian’s hands, pulled him onstage, and the two just clicked.

Four years and hundreds of shows later, HoH was booked to play a closing slot at a Colorado festival. By the oddest of coincidences, their bandmates’ flights were canceled, and a frantic Facebook post introduced Brian and Rose to local multi-instrumentalist Caroline Browning, who joined them on bass. House of Hamill became a trio.

Today, the band is a fixture on festival stages across the US, and have shared their music on the country’s premier folk stages. Their version of “Pound a Week Rise” rose to #1 on the US Folk DJ charts, and the video for their all-violin cover of “Sweet Child O’ Mine” amassed over 16 million views on Facebook, where it was shared over 400,000 times.

The band's new release, “Wildfire,” marks House of Hamill's most compelling work to date. Featuring their strongest and most exciting songwriting, “Wildfire” is filled with lyrical depth, sophisticated vocal and instrumental arrangements, and hooks that are simply irresistible. This album captures the vibrant energy and creativity that have become the hallmarks of a House of Hamill live show.

Whether they’re ripping through a set of original jigs and reels, adding lush three-part harmonies into traditional folk ballads, or cracking up an audience with stories from the road, House of Hamill puts on a show that captivates audiences from the very first note.

https://www.houseofhamill.com/
https://www.facebook.com/HouseofHamill

You can find their Album on Spotify.
https://open.spotify.com/album/2h7Kha1fiIdVhwfETeqEvU

Released June 2024

Lucy MacNeil is one of the founding members of the band The Barra MacNeils, who are a Canadian institution. The family has been making music since they were children in Sydney Mines, Nova Scotia. However, in 1986 they went professional and released their debut album, The Barra MacNeils. They are known as primarily a trad/Celtic band but over the years they have developed into much more and as a band they have released 17 albums. They are also very influential and have created their own sound and path within the genre of Celtic music. After all those years, Lucy MacNeil has decided to strike out on her own, and after almost 40 years as a musician/singer/writer, she has made her solo debut album, Angels Whisper.

This album is a mixed bag of treats. MacNeil does not merely tap into Barra MacNeil territory. There are traditional instrumentals, such as the exquisite “Starlings On The Roof” and “The Amber Mandolin Set”, but on her debut solo, MacNeil tries her hand at country (the beautiful “Radio Sweethearts”), pop ballads (the title track “Angels Whisper”) and Canadiana folk (“Do You Love An Apple”). All these styles come together to produce a brilliantly cohesive album. At no time does the switch in genre sound jarring, in fact quite the opposite.

MacNeil has learned a lot over the years. The Barra MacNeils themselves have never stayed entirely in one genre. One of their biggest hits, “Darling Be Home Soon”, was a cover of a Lovin Spoonful song. She continues that love of all music on this album. Her cover of “Sally Gardens”, for example, has a beautiful and sparse arrangement, featuring her incredible harp playing. By maintaining an uncluttered sound, her voice and the beauty and sadness of the song come across perfectly.

MacNeil has always been an incredible fiddle and harp player, but not enough credit is given to her voice. She has an incredible expressive and emotional voice and here on Angels Whisper she demonstrates her remarkable ability. The title track, for example, a deeply personal song, features some of her best vocals ever. Set against another sparse but effective arrangement, the song and her vocals soar.

Angels Whisper is a personal album. The last track on the album is the moving “Moments We Remember”, which is an instrumental until the end, at which point we hear the voice of MacNeil’s mother who sings to end the album. The MacNeil’s lost their mother last year, and this song is a beautiful tribute. It is also a stark and bold statement about loss.
(written as a Spill Album Review)

https://lucymacneil.com/
https://www.facebook.com/LUCYMACNEILMUSIC

You can find her Album on Bandcamp and Spotify.
https://lucymacneil.bandcamp.com/album/angels-whisper
https://open.spotify.com/album/6XnxQi2sNJR5xifloluyhB

Released May 2024

Sealladh (pronounced ‘shall-ugh’), the latest album from singer, harpist, and composer Rachel Newton, originated as a commission for the National Galleries of Scotland. This project celebrated over eighty years of live music programming at the Gallery and coincided with the opening of the new Scottish Galleries, which house an extensive collection of Scottish artworks.

Each exquisitely made track on the album is inspired by a specific painting and reflects the mythology, language, history, culture, and landscapes depicted in these artworks. Rachel Newton presents a set of Celtic-infused pieces that are lovely, calming and mesmerizing and settled firmly in Scottish musical traditions.

The album features found sound recordings by Grant Anderson, cello by Alice Allen, production by Andy Bell, and contributions from Newton on vocals, harp, piano, and synthesizer. The Gaelic word ‘sealladh’, meaning a view, spectacle, vision, or supernatural sight, encapsulates the essence of the album.

William McTaggart (b. 1835), a Gaelic speaker from Kintyre, is a key inspiration for Newton. His paintings of Scottish seascapes, such as ‘Machrihanish Bay’ and ‘Quiet Sunset, Machrihanish’, influenced many tracks. Newton’s visits to McTaggart’s painting locations in Kintyre, accompanied by Anderson, who recorded natural sounds like waves and birdsongs, further enhanced the album’s connection to McTaggart’s work.

Another major influence is Phoebe Anna Traquair (b. 1852, Dublin), who moved to Edinburgh and became one of the first women artists to gain mainstream recognition in Scotland. Her series ‘The Progress of the Soul’ inspired Newton to create improvisational harp pieces that interpret the tapestries’ themes of ‘Entrance’, ‘Despair’, ‘Stress’, and ‘Victory’.

John Duncan (b. 1866, Dundee), a prominent figure in the Celtic Revival, also features on the album. Newton uses his paintings to explore Celtic mythology, intertwining traditional Gaelic songs with new compositions.

Rachel Newton expressed her gratitude to the National Galleries of Scotland for the commission, appreciating the access to the paintings and the insights provided by experts like Freya Spoor and Gráinne Rice. This collaboration enabled her to create an auditory companion to these stunning artworks.

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

You can find her Album on Bandcamp and Spotify.
https://rachelnewton.bandcamp.com/album/sealladh
https://open.spotify.com/album/6yDe3BJ9rc6rRUkSbusycw

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