Genre: Irish and contemporary folk, bluegrass and country
Members: Dee McIlroy, Eugene Glenn, Barry Skeff
Hometown: Belfast
It’s hard for me to listen to The Folkalists without giggling. From afar, the music maybe pleasant, warm and even inviting because of the efforts placed in the arrangements. Up near you get the lyrical wit and sarcasm that’s original. Listen to ” I Used To Hate Someone” with lines like ” I never liked a single hair on his head, I never liked one thing that he said.” My personal favorite is Friends Must because the melody reminds me of a cross between BJ Thomas and Travis.
These are not your run-of-the-mill band members. We are talking about musicians who are known in their own respective fields and just decided one day to form a musical project together. It is great to see them exploring another musical style to showcase their versatility.
I know some of them from Clanu which I enjoyed featuring. With The Folkalist, the band incites everyone into the sunny side of life and yes to appreciate humor in every form. This is where music and lyrics come together to draw a reaction. Dee McIlroy’s lyrical talent is really at work in every track on top of his smooth and pleasant vocal delivery.
For the now the members are still the in the process of putting tracks together and developing a full-length album which will be out before we know it. So enjoy the tracks and also say hi to the band via their facebook site.
This July they’re running “Rag and Bone Workshop,” their own 4-day music camp at the Full Moon Resort in the Catskills, NY. The week will be filled with classes teaching classes fiddle, percussion, guitar, songwriting, Gaelic swearing and more. It will be a week of learning, performing, and of course…drinking.
There’s even a possibly running a CD giveaway from the band promoting the camp. I will keep you updated about this Rag and Bone Workshop.
Members: Damien McCarron – Vocals, Guitar
Mike Nile – Vocals, Guitars, Mandolin, Harmonica and Electronic Bagpipe
Renee Fine – Fiddle/Violin
Aaron Haywood – Bass
Francesco(Cheech) Mannone – Drums
Guesting on occasion:
Neale Heywood – Guitar
Ryan Bunnell – Guitar
Tracks
1. Whiskey Tonight/2. Ceili Mor /3. It’s You /4. Hold On to You /5. Story Rory /6. Lady Jane /7. New Lease On Life /8. Man of All Seasons /9. Doin’ Fine/10. Roll This Stone/11. The Cure/12. Dreaming of You/13. Big Storm Rising/14. Dublin Day
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Work is the curse of the drinking class according to Oscar Wilde. For a moment The Indulgers, a band of Irish rockers based in Colorado treat us to songs that span generations, styles and yes drinking tables. Fine musicianship, witty lyrics and the lead singer’s beautiful vocals are among the things that you will encounter when you listen to the band. Whiskey Tonight is the band’s best effort to date. It’s also their seventh studio album.
The album begins with Whiskey Tonight. Notice the aural-stitching- fiddle- extravaganza courtesy of Renee Fine. The foot stomping beat is one of the band’s signature sound along with the rocking chorus of instruments that will rock your socks off. Ceili Mor has tight harmonies and amazing bagpiping there. This reminds me of a Celtic war music. It’s You insures to draw a smile with its playful melodies and catchy chorus. As lead singer Damien McCarron croons ” It’s you” makes you visualize the smile in the song.
Hold On to You has an echo of the Dubliners which combines the Celtic warlike atmosphere of the second track. Rockin’ sweetness greets us with Story Rory in the vein of Thin Lizzy. I kind of like the sound effect of the crowd shouting “Rory” as if in an arena. Very glam. Lady Jane is one of those narrative ballads which calls to mind the reinterpretation of The Highwayman by Loreena McKennitt. It has that Spaghetti Western Feel.
New Lease On Life is a straight ahead Celtic rocker. The talents of Aaron Haywood on bass and Francesco (Cheech) Mannone on drums really shine. Man of All Seasons charms its way into your debonair heart. Mike Nile played around five instruments in this recording. The guitars in this track are lovely! It’s fiddling heaven once again with Doin’ Fine (which is the only instrumental track in the album). Drums, bass and guitars do their wonderful stuff here. Adventure and soliloquy inhabit the ocean of Roll This Stone. I love the use of vocal effects where Damien’s voice sounds like it’s coming from an old AM radio broadcast. The Cure takes us into the subject of legalizing the use of marijuana for medical purposes. I’ve seen a video of this a few months back but I had no idea it would be part of Whiskey Tonight. I love the tight vocal harmonies and harmonica.
Dreaming of You is easy to sing along with. Big Storm Rising recalls the Celtic warlike atmosphere of the second track. The use of power chords and minor scales give this track a somewhat metallic edge. Dublin Day closes this amazing album. The soaring string parts and fast but steady rhythm makes this one of the most unforgettable closing track for an album. I love closing tracks and this one satisfies to the max. Here’s an interesting trivia: Neale Heywood, who has occasionally joined them on stage, is also in Fleetwood Mac and Lindsey Buckingham’s band. He plays on all seven of their CDs. Ryan Bunnell also joins them on stage/studio on guitar as guest musician on occasion.
Whiskey Tonight channels the energy of Celtic rock with smart pop appeal. The album is so infectious it is tragic not to own it.
The band’s bio:
Add up well over a thousand shows, tours across the U.S. and Ireland, numerous festivals, town concerts, fairs, pubs and theatres, and you have fourteen years in the life of Colorado’s Celtic rock pioneers, The Indulgers.
The Indulgers, a Celtic rock band with a unique western/americana twist, hail from Boulder and Golden, Colorado USA, but their musical roots and influences can be found in Ireland.
It began with The Indulger’s first song “In Like Flynn”, written and recorded thirteen years ago – which garnished awards from “Just Plain Folks” for best celtic song of the year as well as the CD receiving best celtic album of the year. Now over a decade later The Indulgers continue to push forward with new and exciting original celtic rock music. The Indulgers are working on their upcoming 7th CD “Whiskey Tonight” releasing the first single and video… “Whiskey Tonight” soon followed by the second single and video “Ceili Mor” (The Big Dance), a song written in Gaelic with a video that was inspired by Th’ Gatherin’ Festival in Wakeeny, Kansas where clan warriors gather to compete each year.
“Whiskey Tonight” follows The Indulgers 6th CD “Out In The West”, (nominated for best celtic album in 2009 by Just Plain Folks) featuring songs inspired by the western legends, culture, and experiences of the Irish/Scottish immigrants, who came to America bound for a new life in the west.
The Indulgers continue to create and develop an exciting blend of celtic rock/western/folk rhythms that move and inspire, delivering energetic live shows from San Francisco to New York City and abroad, including a successful tour of Ireland making arrangements with a professional travel agency to bring along friends and fans interested in touring with the band. Flights, hotels, bus, food, and a site-seeing tour guide was included in the package trip. The band perfomed in Ennis with Johnny Fean guitarist and vocalist of Horslips, a band considered to be one of the true pioneers of celtic rock music, and after a live radio broadcast in Kilkenny performed at the famed Cleere’s Theater, ending with a livley night in Damien’s hometown Howth, a beautiful fishing village just outside of Dublin. Damien’s family, friends, and locals joined the “Ireland Tour” crew for a memorable final night performance in Ireland. The band made many new friends and contacts on the journey and look forward to returning to Ireland as soon as possible bringing along another bus full of adventure seekers.
When not touring The Indulgers can always be found playing in their home pub Conor Oneill’s in Boulder, or at Scruffy Murphy’s Irish Pub in Denver, along with several other wonderful Irish pubs and venues along the rocky mountain front range.
For BOOKING INFORMATION contact THE INDULGERS at 303 949-7784 or dmccarro@comcast.net or visit www.shamrocker.com
World Music Award Winners
(Westword 1999, 2008 & 2010)
Irish Music Association Nominee 2009
Five times JPfolk Music Awards Nominees
(Winners Ethnic CD 2000 – In Like Flynn)
(Winners Celtic Song 2000 – In Like Flynn)
(Nominated Celtic CD 2005 High Road to Heaven)
(Nominated Celtic CD 2009 Out In The West)
(Nominated Celtic Song 2009 When We Were Young)
“World Class Music” – KBCO Radio
“Everyone’s favorite Irish band”
– Rocky Mountain News
“Denver’s Shamrockingest band”
– The Denver Post
It’s almost weekend. I hope you are all fine and not feeling sick like me. Ok now, I have links that are posted on the facebook fanpage of The Celtic Music Fan and I think they are worth a mention here:
Here’ s a shout out from Trudy Carroll: Today lets help support mental health services for young people and #WalkInMyShoes day @WIMS2013
This one was mentioned by Jeremy Poitin : “More great music from the English folk revival scene – Arlet”
Here is one band from Belgium playing Celtic music. They call themselves: Celtiquez-vous
Kevin O’Donnell Photo courtesy of Noah Smulkis (Ceolwind Productions)
For years, singer/songwriter Kevin O’Donnell devoted his artistry on the stage and writing. The past fifteen years have been productive so far, spawning books called Fado and prior to that, he founded the Irish-American folk group Arranmore. He also played leading roles in several plays including Twelve Angry Men, The Sensuous Senator, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged), Flowers for Algernon, and Neil Simon’s, I Ought To Be In Picturestook off and life happened.
Deep is the Well is the return of Kevin O’Donnell to the musical spotlight. The Celtic Music Fan convinced Kevin to do this interview because this is an important project in terms of spreading the Irish-American experience out there. Those who love history will appreciate the richness of artistry that the project has brought to the fore. It also a snapshot of past lives. History is precious and it is a source of inspiration, a deep well of passion in which we drink to face the future. The Celtic Music Fan presents our featured artist Kevin O’Donnell.
Now that Deep is the Well has finally got its official release, what’s the personal impact of the experience recording and then releasing this album?
The concept of this album has been gestating for a long time. So, it’s like giving birth! I am relieved, excited and a little bit nervous. It’s my first solo album and marks my public re-entry into music after being away from it for 15 years.
You have worked with amazing talents in this album, especially with Maurice Lennon and the gang. How was the experience working with them?
I have this theory: surround yourself with the best musicians you can find – they can only make you sound better and elevate your compositions. There are so many talented performers on this album. I feel very fortunate that they thought enough of my songs and believed in the project so strongly as to want to be a part of it. Maurice was personally responsible for getting his friends Finbar Furey in from Ireland and Jessica Willis up from Nashville to participate.
Maurice is an amazingly creative person to work with and we connected right away with a similar musical vision. That’s really important. He was, as producer, able to commit to the tracks how I hear, as the writer, my own songs in my head. That’s what a good producer does. He is a consummate professional and gentleman. He possesses a keen and rare sense of what works and what doesn’t before it’s even recorded. He pulled things out of me musically that I didn’t even know I was capable of and I’ve been at this for nearly 40 years. He has all these musical ideas floating around in his head at once that he doesn’t tell you about, you just wait to hear them fly off of his finger tips in the studio. We had a great time together over the 11 months it took to record this album. He’s a phenomenal talent and the best producer I have ever worked with – bar none.
I’ve known and performed with Kathleen Keane over the years and always admired her trove of talent. I actually wrote the song “She” several years ago specifically with her in mind to sing. It’s the first and only time I wrote a song intended for someone else to perform.
John Williams first recorded with me back in 1989 – I think he had just become old enough to get his driver’s license. A master of the “less is more” philosophy, he has an uncanny sense of knowing what to play and what not to play rather than thinking he gets paid by the note. He also takes direction well in the studio. When Maurice told him he wanted a “Flaco Jimenez feel” on the accordion track for the song “Girl From Durango,” John responded, “Got it. Just enough taco sauce to make the listener want to go out to a Mexican restaurant for dinner afterwards.”
Deep is the Well calls to the fore the distilled experiences of Irish immigrants to the United States.
(One specific family, to be more precise)
The songs are very intimate.
Thank you.
Was choosing every material to record a hard task for you?
Yes. There were three additional tracks planned but we did not record them. After careful consideration and much debate, Maurice and I agreed that the additional 3 songs would make the album too long and detract from the general melancholy theme of the album.
This album celebrates the deep connection between Ireland and the United States. What’s the significance of the title Deep is the Well for you?
I would like to turn the tables: what does it mean to you? In the context of the project, it has many meanings on many levels for me. When I began this endeavor in 2010 I just referred to it as t”he concept album”. Even in the studio, we had no title for the project for the first 6 or 7 months . Then, one day Maurice and I were engaged in a discussion about, whatever, and he used the expression “the well from which we all come from is very deep, Kev.” As soon as he said it I said, “that’s it Maurice. We’re putting that into the track “A Letter Home”, and that’s the title of the album right there – Deep is the Well.”
What are your top 5 albums this month?
Frankly, I haven’t had time lately to listen to much music.
These songs are sad. In The Ballad of Jackie Ryan Fagan, tells about a musician who passed away. Most of the songs seem like a lament. They are sad but the melodies are beautiful and hopeful. In a way this is very Irish to me. Was it your intention to make it this way?
Absolutely, it is thematic of Irish folk songs. And it pleases me to know that you picked up on that.My natural musical inclination is deeply rooted in both Irish and Americana/Folk music. The album is a compilation of one Irish family’s experience in America over several generations. I wanted to I wanted to capture that aurally – make sure that each song conveyed elements of Irish and American influence in their content, arrangements, and instruments; countering tin whistle with dobro, for example, concertina with cello, electric tremolo guitar with Spanish guitar, and so on. It was also important to me that within the context of the album to have a cross-section of musical performers from both sides of the Atlantic, bringing with them their unique and wide variety of musical styles. For instance, in addition to including 4 all-Ireland performers (Maurice Lennon, Finbar Furey, John Williams, and Jessica Willis), I reached out to:
Larry Gray, (double bass) who was born in Chicago and is considered by many to be one of the work’s foremost Jazz bassists. He’s also an Assistant Professor of Jazz Studies at the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana;
John Rice is a true Chicago legend – master of just about any musical idiom or instrument with strings attached to it;
Another Chicagoan, Bill Lanphier, toured with Madonna, performed with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and now lives in L.A. playing and writing books on Bulgarian and Macedonian Folk music;
And Haley O’Donnell, my daughter, a classically trained pianist.
It’s been fifteen years before you got back to the studio. How was the rest of those years prior to Deep is the Well?
Not just in the studio. With few exceptions (getting called up to the stage to perform a song or two every once in a while) , it’s been 15 years since I performed in front of an audience. I spent 22 years trying to become an “overnight success” as a songwriter, and the last 15 trying to forget it. After leading my own band for 14 years and playing on my own and in various groups for eight years before that, I grew increasingly disenchanted with that prospect. The last year or two had become sheer drudgery. I was miserable and I could see no point continuing. So I just stopped playing music altogether.
It was a chance encounter with Maurice Lennon about 4 years ago that began to turn the tide. We became friends (although we were acquainted with each other prior to that from playing festivals around the US in the 80’s and 90’s).
Could this be the start of more albums from you?
Hard to say at this point. We’ll see.
I see this album as something that Chicagoans can be proud of.
That’s very kind of you to say.
This really shows the kind of great things that can come out of your area. How’s the overall Irish-American music culture over there?
A couple of years ago, my wife and I were in Ireland on a book tour promoting Fado. We were in Donegal town for the evening and I asked a local gentleman where could we go to hear some good traditional Irish music. He thought about if for a few seconds and said “Chicago, great music there, so there is,” and he walked on. Very lively music scene here with plenty of great talent. The Irish American Cultural Center on the Chicago’s north side and Gaelic Park in the south suburbs are flourishing with cultural, literary, music and sporting events. There are many smaller Irish festivals throughout the suburbs during the summer months and nearby Milwaukee hosts the largest Irish music/cultural event in the world. It has been running for more than 30 years. And of course, there is no shortage of Irish pubs/music/sesiuns.
Live shows are coming soon. Are you nervous?
Extremely.
What do you expect as Deep is the Well is going to take a life of its own? I learned from releasing my book, Fado: if you set your expectation very low, you won’t be disappointed. Then, the book took on a life of its own with little meddling on my part, and it has become quite successful. I poured the money I made from that into the album, Deep Is The Well. I’m at a much different place in my life now than I was when I was younger and what drives me as an artist and a writer is different too. I’ve learned not to try too hard, and to expect nothing. Let it run its own course and be happy with that. With Deep Is The Well I just wanted to tell a story and engage the listener with some history, hopefully in an interesting way, that they might listen to it and enjoy the journey and be encouraged to explore their own family’s place in the vast American fabric. That is why the CD comes with a 20 page booklet and an interactive website with the Fagan family tree, history, character backstories, photos, lyrics, guitar chords, blog, videos and other interactive content.
Where can listeners buy your albums and your books?
Since we are celebrating the Irish-American experience with our featured artist Kevin O’Donnell, why not take a listen to this track? It’s a song originally done by American artist Belinda Carlisle, now covered and performed (with a new arrangement) by Northern Irish singer/songwriter and coloratura soprano Eve Williams.
“I don’t record a lot of covers but I really love this song.” Eve Williams.
Players: Jim DeWan, Finbar Furey, Larry Gray, Kathleen Keane, Bill Lanphier, Maurice Lennon, Haley O’Donnell, John Rice, John William, and Jessica Willis
Style: Irish Country, Americana
Tracks:
A Letter Home
When I Was Young
Factory Girl
Downtowner Motel
Girl from Durango
Illinois & Michigan Canal
Camp-Farm Road
Rusted Dreams
She
The Ballad of Jackie Ryan Fagan
Saint Malachy’s Waltz
There are recordings that accomplish the purpose of entertaining. There are those that serve to tell. Deep is the Well by Kevin O’Donell accomplishes both of these aspects. The album reads like a biographical book as it explores the lives of Irish immigrants to the United States. Those who are fascinated by Irish history and the American Antebellum period will take this album close to heart as any jewels uncovered from the treasure chest.
The album starts with A Letter Home . The spoken letter takes us back to the sentiments of someone sending a message to those close to the heart more than a century ago. There is something poignant and also I sometimes feel the hair on my skin stand as I realize that that the owner has been dead a long time ago. To uncover these intimate details about another person’s life long after he or she is dead is such a fascinating thing.
Factory Girl is the promotional single which is available online. It’s a story of Mary Helen Dougherty (1879-1918)
Born a blue-collar daughter in an old river town,
where the slow-rolling water from the prairie run down
the bend of the river is the edge of her world,
there’s no place it seems for the modest of dreams of a Factory Girl…
Makes you want to find out more right? There are more vibrant lives through the liner notes of Deep is the Well.
The rest of the album play like old pages with the breath of freshness. Something like old pages smelling of tobacco, dust and the lives exposed to it. The music is lush, vibrant but unhurried. It is a story teller’s album. The intention is to tell you something with the accompaniment of music. The spotlight is on the lyrics, although the musical depth and richness are always present. Cellos, viola, acoustic guitar, dobro and other beautiful sounds embellish this album.
Kevin O’Donnell has a resonant and expressive voice that can appeal to any genre. The production is crisp, clear and bright. Appreciation also goes to the album packaging. That cover artwork is a piece of eye candy.
Inspiration (at least the great ones) always comes from something deep. Something that’s steeped in history and the passionate lives led by people who handed out their legacy to us through books and songs. This is what I found in Deep is the Well. It’s an album that’s focused on something that is lasting. It speaks of feelings across time, and the wisdom comes with age and experiences.
Do you recall how older relatives tell us how life was harder and how they struggled to make ends meet. I realize how everything comes easy now, in this age of instant gratification. How we get spoiled and would like everything to happen when we want it. They struggled and fought just to get us where we are now. It isn’t hard to acknowledge all the sweat and blood that paved way for something like a generation of the free. It’s the very sentiment that’s found in Deep is the Well. Just acknowledging and not forgetting , I think is enough for those who came before us.
I recommend this album to people who are fond of history and ballads. You will get so much out of Deep is the Well, not just musically but something to feel your soul.
Singer, songwriter, musician, actor, and published author: these are the distinctive hallmarks of Kevin O’Donnell’s public career. He is affectionately called “uncle tunes” among his family and close circle of musician friends, and is more broadly recognized in Chicago music circles as the founder and front man for the Irish-American folk group Arranmore.
Kevin’s commercial success as a songwriter dates back to the 1986 release of Island Home. He has frequently been compared to such writers as Gordon Lightfoot, Cheryl Wheeler, and Bill Staines. Americana and folk artists have recorded his early works and his historically based compositions have been featured in television documentaries both in the USA and Ireland. Under Kevin’s leadership and direction Arranmore attained musical success in the 1980’s and 1990’s.
Kevin traded concert stages for theatrical stages in 2000, performing with the prestigious Racine Theatre Guild, playing leading roles in several plays including Twelve Angry Men, The Sensuous Senator, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged), Flowers for Algernon, and Neil Simon’s, I Ought To Be In Pictures.
Hi friends. Sunday edition comes too soon. That’s because this week is really hectic for me. And this is a good kind of busy because it’s all about music and writing projects. I hope your Sunday is being spent wisely: more naps and music. Yes those are good things. Anyway what you will meet below are links to what’s hot today. At least these are the things that people are talking about. So let me start:
An event for Battlefield Band:
“A warm welcome back to Scotland’s BATTLEFIELD BAND Thursday April 11th. This a a fundraiser for NC Chapter of Leukemia and Lymphoma. We hope you will come out and support the event . Local Celtic Musician James Olin starts of the evening at 7pm with a 45 minute set of Celtic Music, Award Winning Wake & District Pipes & Drums open for ” The Battlefield band. Tickets are $8 in advance on ticketleap.com. or $10 at Door. Great Raffle Prizes plus brilliant Scottish Dinner special will make this salute to Tartan Day a great Celtic event. Please call 919 833-7795 to reserve seats stage side for dinner.”-Tir Na NOg Annie
Wow if you are in the area better check this out. It’s filled with amazing artists. According to Corrina Hewat:
“A good day! And tomorrow will be even better as the CH Band are playing. Me and Fraser FifieldAlyn CoskerTom LyneDave Milligan Woop. I suppose the sensible thing to do would be to create an event and invite you all, but on the other hand, I could just catch up with friends, hear harpy goings on and not be in front of the computer. I choose the latter!”
Photo from Wild Irish Poet
Spring has Sprung in Ireland: Our featured artist Alan Cooke, The Wild IrishPoet this week has posted this photo of the sunny Ireland today. It looks like the sun is finally here to stay!
Recording for Síocháin na Tuaithe: Black Rose Studio
Enda Seery(Éanna Ó Saoraí) is releasing his sophomore album Síocháin na Tuaithe which means Peace of the Countryside in English. The album is traditional but with added ingredients that incorporate a bigger “Celtic” sound. We can take this interview as a sort of a closer look into the process of creating an album. And there are many challenges when one is doing it independently. So it is quite interesting to learn something from someone who spent a great deal of time polishing the album and working with the best musicians in the field.
Your new album is going to be released this April. Are you nervous, happy…excited?
I suppose I’m nervous, happy, excited all of those. In all honesty, I’m very satisfied with how the album turned out. It’s a much more varied and detailed album than the first album “The Winding Clock”. I’m a little bit nervous of how people will react to my vocals and flute playing but I think if one wasn’t nervous there would be something wrong! I’m really excited about the launches that will take place around Ireland with three planned and maybe one more.
You laboured with the tracks for months. You even sang vocals. What are other new things that listeners can expect on Peace of the Countryside?
Yes I did labor with the tracks for months. I like to get things right and the way I want it. As I stated “Síocháin na Tuaithe” is a little different than “The Winding Clock” whistle album. As well as the vocal tracks, listeners can expect flute tracks too. Also there are some duet tracks on the album. One track is a flute/fiddle duet with myself and James Hughes from Co. Offaly and another is a whistle duet with myself and Eoghan MacAogáin from Limerick accompanied by Tom Delany on guitar with a French/Irish family background.
What were the challenges in conceiving the second album that was not present in the first?
Well the challenges were taking the feedback on board from the first album and trying to put them in place for the second. I took the constructive criticism on board with the duet tracks, flute tracks and vocal tracks. Not to sound big-headed, but my repertoire of tunes has greatly increased in the last few years, so it was a major challenge trying to pick out suitable tunes for certain tracks. I got some brilliant tunes on the Masters course in Traditional Irish Music Performance at the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance, University of Limerick.
Any expectation upon the release?
My expectations would be higher this time round. I’m now a full-time traditional Irish musician, composer and teacher so as I said in the sleeve notes introduction, “music is now my life”. That’s why I’m a having a mini-tour of launches this summer. I want to promote the album to as wide an audience as possible. I also have the expectation and hope that my compositions will gain further recognition. I love composing and I especially love mixing my own tunes with older tunes and other recent compositions of others.
What are the memorable moments in the studio working with other artists in this one?
Yeh a few funny and happy memories alright. As well as recording most of the album again with Rob Laird at Black Rose Studios, Kilcock, Co. Kildare, I also recorded two tracks at the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance, University of Limerick. I had great fun recording with James Hughes, Eoghan MacAogáin and Tom Delany. James and I were surprised how well the flute/fiddle track came out considering we had been out late the night before! We also had a quite unusual set-up for the microphones in the studio which I won’t go into too much detail about!I enjoyed working with John Byrne on guitar again. He was calling me “one take Seery” after getting a recording take in one go! Some really accomplished and intricate guitar playing from John on the album.
What instruments and brands did you use in recording Peace of the Countryside?
Well I rarely record and perform without my trusted John Sindt whistles these days. I absolutely love them. I have four: D, Eb, C, Bb. They are really hard to get with the long waiting list so I consider myself lucky to have them. I play a Martin Doyle D flute on the album along with a Yamaha keyboard.
Why the title?
The title “Síocháin na Tuaithe” (Peace of the Countryside) is a reference and celebration of the beautiful countryside of Ireland, particularly that of Co. Westmeath where I live. It is also the title of a slow waltz I composed last year which is on the album. I was delighted to play the tune at my brother Ciarán’s wedding to Margaret last July. I am a fluent Irish speaker so Ireland’s language, culture and heritage, is very important to me. I like to name some of compositions in the Irish (Gaeilge) language.
What’s the list of things you will be doing this year in promoting the album?
As I already stated I will be having three launches, one in my home county of Westmeath on April 26th in Áras an Mhuilinn, Mullingar. Another launch will take place at the Fleadh Nua festival in Ennis, Co. Clare on May 25th or May 26th. In August, I will be having a launch at the All-Ireland Fleadh Cheoil in Derry, Northern Ireland. The venues and times of the launches in Ennis and Derry will be confirmed soon. In July, the new album will feature as part of the Joe Mooney Summer School in Drumshambo, Co. Leitrim where I will be teaching an advanced whistle class for the week. Irish Music Magazine will have a feature article and interview with me during the summer too. Finally, tracks from the album will hopefully get some air play on radio stations in Ireland and abroad too.
After the completion of “Síocháin na Tuaithe” , what have you learned so far in the whole experience. What thought would you impart to readers who are trying to gather materials for their own solo albums?
I have learned that variety is important. You have to try broaden the horizon a bit. My experience in Limerick has certainly broadened my mind and outlook on music a bit. I am still very much into pure trad music but I now am open to variety. There is a wide range of material on this new album, ranging from the regular jigs, reels, hornpipes to polkas, slip jigs, slow pieces and of course the songs! My advice is those trying to gather material for new albums is to take time and do it right. No point rushing it just for the sake of releasing an album.
Where can we buy “Síocháin na Tuaithe” ?
At the moment “Síocháin na Tuaithe” is only available directly from my website at www.endaseery.com. Go to the buy albums link. After the release on April 1st, the album will be available from the regular distribution outlets for traditional Irish music which I’m working on at the moment. Of course people in Ireland can buy the album also by going to the launches too!
Video:
Síocháin na Tuaithe ..fresh ready for delivery.
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Huzzah!
Yes we are up to date with our artist of the week. Yes that’s Enda Seery above. A review of Síocháin na Tuaithe will be out soon but I feel that doing an interview is a great intro to his album. So what do we have on the menu? I will tell you:
Welsh musician Derek Smithrecommended Ta Fechu from Chile. According to him: ” I had the privilege of meeting Ta Fechu from Chile at Lorient in 2011. They’re great people and they deserve to be heard.” Here is the video of the song called Añoranza. You got to admire the sound of pipes in this track. I also love the use of Latin flavour: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tz9c5aSvQ3s&feature=share
Deep Is The Well
Here is the second part of our teaser for the Kevin O’Donnell upcoming release
More Than an Album
As the acclaimed author of Fadó: A Memoir of Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness,Kevin is known as more than a singer-songwriter but also an author and historian. DEEP IS THE WELL is a work of historical fiction drawing extensively from real-life events. Kevin has penned a novel-worthy history of the Fagan family, from 1837 through today, steeped in a real American past.
Upon purchase of the album, we invite you unlock interactive multimedia content at www.deepisthewell.com. From there, as you listen to the album you can become acquainted with each of the songs’ characters as you read their complex backstories , view their family photographs, and explore their family tree. Watch videos, listen to the author read a chapter from his book, Fadó, download a bootleg bonus track, and gain access to the lyrics, chords, and the author’s personal notes from the album. Those curious about the evolution of writing and recording a song, from the first lilt of the melody to the last day in the studio, will be especially interested in a short documentary on the making of one of Kevin’s most intriguing songs.
If you love harp music check out this upcoming special Galway performance hosted by Galway Early Music, the Historical Harp Society of Ireland and others.
March 21 is the first European Day of Early Music, and under the aegis of the European Early Music Network (REMA), events happening all over Europe are being live-streamed via U-Sophia.com. Galway Early Music takes this opportunity to introduce all of Europe to Ireland’s medieval harp and its music in a live-streamed talk and concert by historical harpist Siobhán Armstrong. So, even if you can’t make it to the Moore Institute, NUI Galway, you can watch this event live via U-Sophia.com. Siobhan will start with a short talk on the construction of the instrument and the sources for its music. This will be followed by a concert, with an opportunity for questions and answers at the end. The event is organised by Galway Early Music in co-operation with the M.A. Medieval Studies, NUI Galway, and the Historical Harp Society of Ireland.
The duo of Phil Holland: Clarsach (Irish Harp,Celtic Harp), Fiddle, Vocals and Dave Palmley: Guitar, Vocals have their website redesigned to give you more access to graphics and music. Have a listen and also check the goodies in their music store. Support your independent Celtic musicians.http://hollandandpalmley.wix.com/html_celtictwist
Celtic Music Fan 