The Gloaming— Martin Hayes, Dennis Cahill, Iarla Ó Lionáird, Caoimhin Ó Raghallaigh and Thomas Bartlett— have had a hugely successful year of touring in 2015, performing at some of the most prestigious venues in the world and much of the material that will make up the band’s second album has been honed and refined throughout this year of touring.
With their live reputation well-established, artistic expectations for future recordings are riding high. Their debut was widely acclaimed as one of the finest recordings of 2014, featuring on many year-end best lists including Mojo, NPR Music, and the Irish Times; was picked by The Guardian as The One Album You Should Hear This Week; won a BBC Radio 2 Folk Award; and the Meteor Choice Music Prize for Album of the Year.
But, in many ways, it was merely a stylistic consolidation of what this band is capable of. While Ireland is a small nation, the diversity in styles between traditional music players from different counties and parishes a few dozen miles apart is a thing of no small wonder. The band’s self-titled debut fused & transformed these regional traditions, in the process re-defining what Irish music could be. But having pushed the music this far, one suspects their second album will take them deeper into uncharted territory.
Iarla Ó Lionáird, Thomas Bartlett, Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh, Martin Hayes and Dennis Cahill discuss the process of working together as The Gloaming and the making of their new album. The interviews took place at Real World Studios in December 2015, during the recording of the album.
Reviews
A pivotal influence in the history of Irish culture
★★★★★ Sydney Morning Herald (Australia)
They astonished with the space, dexterity, lightness and sureness of their group interplay
★★★★★ The Arts Desk (UK)
An exquisite album from a virtuoso band
★★★★ The Guardian (UK)
The Gloaming makes music of such an extraordinary level that deserves deep respect.
★★★★★ Written In Music (The Netherlands)
Free, unforced and deeply moving in every sense
★★★★★ Irish Times
The Gloaming's second album is a tour de force of this unique and fascinating combination.
Paste (USA)
The Irish context provided by fiddle players Martin Hayes and Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh and sean-nós singer Iarla Ó Lionaird acquires its all-important subversion courtesy of New York pianist Thomas Bartlett, who gives a doomy, sinister, thrilling subtext to the joyous musicality of an album of dark beauty and unnerving enchantment.
★★★★ MOJO (UK)
Iarla Ó Lionáird Voice, Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh Hardanger d’Amore, Dennis Cahill Guitar, Martin Hayes Fiddle, Thomas Bartlett Piano.
Produced by Thomas Bartlett Engineered & Mixed by Patrick Dillett Assisted by Patrick Phillips Recorded at Real World Studios Mastered by UE Nastasi at Sterling Sound (NYC)
The Gloaming carves new paths connecting the rich Irish folk tradition and the New York contemporary music scene. From haunting sean-nós songs to raucous folk explosions, they make music that is both ancient and utterly new: respecting traditions whilst bringing an unconventional energy into the mix.
With Welcome Joy and Welcome Sorrow, the title of a Keats poem, Spiro take us through the "extremes of human experience. It's an album about being alive. Keats' line 'Dancing music, music sad, both together, sane and mad' is pretty much a musical mission statement for us."
