Sumptous folk songs Folk Album of the Month, The Guardian
‘Dazzling’ —MOJO
‘Album of the Week’ —RTE Radio1 Ireland
‘It doesn’t get much better’ —KLOF
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 Irish traditional singer – musician Nuala Kennedy (County Louth, Ireland) and Dubliner / New Yorker singer-songwriter Eamon O’ Leary have created an atmospheric new album of songs entitled ‘HYDRA’ (2024) featuring guest appearances by Will Oldham, Anais Mitchell, Cathal McConnell, Liz Knowles and Brian MacGloinn.
Hydra is an island where cars are prohibited and the main mode of transport is by donkey or by foot. Recorded in ‘The Old Carpet Factory’ an eighteenth century mansion whose large open windows overlook the Aegean sea, 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…
Kennedy and O Leary’s sound is rich and deep, imbued with their shared knowledge and passion for ancient Irish traditional song, but modern in sensibility. They have honed their craft in tandem over two decades of touring every conceivable type of venue; from Carnegie Hall and huge folk festivals, to a hand hewn village hall north of the Arctic Circle. Their matching harmonies and gentle virtuosity has been described as ‘compatibility personified’ (KLOF 2024) and belies a formidable musical strength, which is palpable at shows. Combining bouzouki and guitar with whistle, flute and harmony vocals, while Nuala pedals the drone or Shruti box, together they create a unique and textured duo sound.
As well as writing songs, Kennedy and O’ Leary share a life-long interest in collecting lesser-known ancient ballads and breathing new life into them – re-working and re-imagining them for audiences today. Sometimes creating a new chorus, adapting lyrics or melodies… These old melodies are hypnotic and wandering… much as the musicians themselves…
Nominated for an RTE Radio 1 folk award in 2022, the textural sound this duo creates is formed through an organic and experienced approach to their traditional instruments; Kennedy’s tone on the flute is rich and varied, while O’ Leary’s warm, minimalist approach to the guitar has been noted by critics for each note being placed in exactly the right place at the right time, never cluttering or dominating the lyrics. At its heart their organic way with the music serves each song, intentionally bringing out inner meaning and, to paraphrase Dublin singer Liam Weldon, allowing the song to sing them rather than vice versa.
Join veteran performers Nuala Kennedy and Eamon O’ Leary for an engaging night of deep and soulful Irish ballads and entertaining banter…. as they present a timeless selection of stories of the sea, of love and courtship, of work and ritual, of emigration, of war and peace…
