Celtica

All about Celtica(Interview)

/ mrbaxteria2008 / 3 Comments

Please visit http://www.celtica.ie for more information and recordings. Photos are taken from the band’s website.

Traditional Irish band with hints of funk is happy to announce that they are recording new tracks and are being booked on venues to play their brand of music. Composed of Gary Smyth – Guitar and vocals, Eamonn Walsh – Drums, Sean Hynes – Guitar and Bass, Ciara Walsh – Fiddle, Bass and Vocals, and Stephen Doherty – Bass and Accordion, the band has a different approach to traditional tunes with their brand of Celtic fusion. From Foxford, Co Mayo, Celtica brings a fresh sound to live band music, with up beat classic rock songs mixed with the best of Irish songs and pumping trad tunes!! according to their site.

Wah Wah Reels,  is a sophisticated track with nice funky style that appeals to both lovers of rock and jazz music. The band has a maturity of style  seldom found in band composed of their age group. The song starts with a slow easy style then lunches into a frantic second part. You better hear it to know what i am talking about.

I had an exclusive interview with Eamonn Walsh, the band’s drummer and contact person. It was fun!

Eamonn Walsh -Drums

Eamonn Walsh -Drums

How did you join Celtica?

Celtica was originally formed to do a one off gig with no real intention of keeping the band together after it, we were asked to put together a pure trad band so being who we are we done the opposite and put together a trad fusion band for the gig. No one really joined the band as such, the band is made up of members from bands we had been involved in before, Gary and myself had been in no logo together, Sean and myself had been in DYL together and Ciara and Stephen played in a ceili band together, so when we were asked to do this one gig we all just got together and started playing around with a few ideas. We played the gig and the crowd went wild for our original material which was trad music fused with classic rock, heavy rock, blues, funk and everything in between. The next day our facebook pages were filled with post asking when we would be playing again. So four years later we are still here getting bigger and better with every gig.

You currently have one track up(Wah Wah Reels). Any plans of releasing an EP?

You never know there could be an EP in the pipe line. We are currently putting together a press pack so maybe as part of that. Id like to get one done. we’l see.

For that one track, how did you guys approach composition? Do you all set down together and jam until you make a song or is it an individual thing and then the group just add the ideas until it builds up?

Generally our best stuff is composed on the spot jamin and then someone might have a brain way at home and bring it to the band to see how it sounds so a mix of both i suppose

You are playing the drums. Who do you think is the ‘brain’ of the band and who is the ‘heart?’

Haha that’s a hard question, I couldnt say that anyone is the brain or the heart of the band everyone brings all they have to the band so its hard to say.

That is a good answer… enough for me;) Parkour and music..how do you reconcile the two?

Actually they are much the same, well for me anyway when a string of moves are put together in parkour you call it a flow and when that happens you get lost in your flow you dont thing you just move, your truly liberated and its the same with music you stop thinking and just play again you are liberated.

Give us the band itinerary for this month …gigs…recordings..those stuff.

For June we have loads of gigs lined up festivals, 3 in the Salmon festival in Ballina alone. We are revising our set this month as well and of course getting ready for our gig on the European stage in July.

Catching Up with Stephen Doherty(Grada and Celtica instrumentalist)

/ mrbaxteria2008 / 2 Comments

Artist profile:

Name : Stephen Doherty

Instruments: Flutes, whistles, melodeon, bodhran, cajon

Plays for: Grada and Celtica

Website: http://www.stephendoherty.ie/, http://www.gradamusic.com/ and http://www.myspace.com/stephendoherty/music

Stephen Doherty (Flute), David Doocey (Fiddle) and Patrick Doocey (Guitar) performing a selection of jigs ‘The Hag’s Purse’ at the Pub ‘An Trá Buí’ in Dumha Thuama’, Co. Mayo, where the program ‘Geantrai’ has been presented by Box Player Fiachna Ó Mongáin.

This interview has an interesting background. It took me weeks to finally get something out of Stephen due to his rigorous schedules. Last time he talked to me, he was in London. I was finally able to catch up with him while playing in Switzerland.

Stephen is a down to earth fellow. He actually apologized for not being able to answer the questions due to his commitments. It think it’s funny because while I was reminding him( yes I am a very aggressive music reporter) he was all over Europe!

I discovered Stephen Doherty through the Irish band Grada.  His flute and melodeon sound gave the band their bright, exquisite signature. Listening to the music reminds me of picking up a bunch of fresh mint leaves in the morning. There is that undeniable sweetness + optimism + poignant atmosphere whenever you listen to each of the track from the band.

Celtica

Celtica

Celtica are:

Gary Smyth – Guitar and vocals
Eamonn Walsh – Drums
Sean Hynes – Guitar and Bass
Ciara Walsh – Fiddle, Bass and Vocals
Stephen Doherty – Bass and Accordion

  1. Being a multi-instrumentalist, what’s your most favorite instrument .I find it hard to decide between accordion and flute, but i think flute is my most natural instrument,

    2. Tell us about the style of traditional music you make.

    I’m involved in various shows and bands, buts it all mainly based around Traditional Irish music, in the ceili bands, we play a straight fast traditional style, while when Playing with Grada, its more Contemporary and original twist on irish music, with some of our own compositions and some improvisation, and whilst playing with shows, the music can be slightly more commercial at times, i enjoy all these styles, but like to fall back to traditional music of the heart,

    3. List at three musicians who influenced you.
    Michael McGoldrick, Mairtin O Connor, Frankie Gavin

    4. You started early, and while people your age dig pop artists; why traditional Irish music?

    Traditional music was strong in my family and area, so I was surrounded by it growing up!

    5. What’s the trend in Irish music today?

    There are many trends! I think festivals are a great meeting point for sessions and craic and meeting other musicians. Many people  are still sticking to traditional styles whilst others trying to progress the tradition to new things, all are great in their own way.

    6. Where did you learn playing the box?
    I learned box from brother, in the C#D old melodeon style, and developed my playing listening to people like Mairtin O Connor, Dermot Byrne, David Munnelly.

    7. Tell us where we can catch you next in performance.
    I’m currently in Switzerland Playing Ceilis for the weekend, Back in Ireland Next Weekend playing at Beofest in Connamara with Fuaim Connamara, and then a 10 day tour of Denmark with Grada kicks off on April 28th

  2. Grada in Folk Up, Germany

    Grada in Folk Up, Germany

Catch more of Stephen Doherty through Grada and Celtica(LIKE them in facebook).