FOURWINDS have released their new album, Allta. We asked the band's uilleann piper and whistle player Tom Delany the BIG questions . . .
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The album, meaning "wild" in Irish, features original compositions such as The Road to Cul Ros with traditional tunes like The Rakes of Clonmel.
Allta was produced by the band and features guest talents like Alan Murray (guitar/bouzouki), Laura Kerr (fiddle), and Barry Kerr (flute).
FOURWINDS play 29 November - Áras Chrónain, Dublin, 8pm, 1 December - St Peter's GFC, Lurgan, 4pm.
Tell us three things about yourself . . .
I grew up playing Irish trad music in France, which is a bit mad. I moved to Ireland in 2011, and that's when the band FOURWINDS first got together when Caroline Keane and I were studying music in UL. As a band, I suppose it all started through friendship first and the music made us closer. We all knew each other before but hadn't played together as a unit. and that's when we realised we had something a bit different. Here's a thought - when I come to think of it - I never thought that the band would have such success and now I just want to keep pushing and pushing, to play for more people and travel further and further! Just to push the whole thing to its absolute limits!
How would you describe your music?
FOURWINDS music is deeply rooted in that 70s folk revival sound, which is energetic and fiery. We also love to pair some of our own compositions with some of the traditional pieces and see if they gel. The music we play is full of energy and also has a strong meaning culturally speaking. It means the world to us. It's our hearts on our sleeve. All the band members are highly energetic players and bring different things to the table: Robbie Walsh is a virtuoso bodhran player who is part of a generation of players who have reinvented the instrument. Caroline's playing is so creative and full of life. Her unique approach to the concertina, it ensures that music is never the same, it keeps the audience on the edge of their seats. She's also a prolific composer of tunes so she's always bringing in new material and fresh ideas. I grew up listening to the music of the 70s, the bands that shaped Irish music as we know it today, So, I suppose I try to ensure that the tunes maintain that edge, that rock 'n' roll energy.
Who are your musical inspirations?
Personally, acts like The Bothy Band, Planxty, DeDannan, Moving Hearts, Paul Brady . . . all that stuff, that's the stuff for me. The music of the mid 70s had a rock ‘n' roll attitude, and a wildness to it that was just the perfect balance. Paddy Keenan, Matt Molloy, Frankie Gavin, and Tommy Peoples all knew they were creating something exciting while having the utmost respect for the music. The focus was always on the music, not the player, not the money. Just on the power of music.
What was the first gig you ever went to?
Probably Breton legend Tri Yann, I was about 12 years old. Before that, it would have been pub sessions and gigs to hear my dad play.
What was the first record you ever bought?
The Long Grazing Acre by Paddy Keenan and Tommy O'Sullivan. That album just blew my mind: I had heard albums from Paddy from back in the 70s/80s and I loved them but I was 14 years old when The Long Grazing Acre came out and the playing was so fresh, and the production was so complementary to the tunes. I loved the fact that it's moody and lively, that whenever I listen to it I hear something new. The songs on that album are just on the money - there's the perfect mix of modernity with a whiff of nostalgia. It's still one of my favourite albums of all time.
What’s your favourite song right now?
That's a hard one... I feel like I should be coming up with something new and obscure... but I've nothing! I've been listening to Dick Gaughan singing Erin Go Bragh on repeat lately... or Valentine of Yarrow by John Faulkner.... again, nothing new!
Favourite lyric of all time?
"If I could save time in a bottle, The first thing that I'd like to do, Is to save every day every day, 'Til eternity passes away, Just to spend them with you" - Jim Croce.
If you could only listen to one song for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Roisin Dubh by Paddy Keenan from Dublin (1979).
Where can people find your music/more information?
Our website, Facebook, and Bandcamp.
Alan Corr
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