23
David Murphy takes the pedal steel guitar outside its traditional roots with frequent ventures into a range of genres, spanning Americana and folk to ambient, experimental music and film soundtracks and is best known for his work with artists such as The Lost Brothers, John Blek, Arborist, The Delines, Willy Vlautin, M.Ward and Jolie Holland amongst others. His debut album ‘Cuimhne Ghlinn: Explorations in Irish Music for Pedal Steel Guitar’ (Rollercoaster Records), released in April 2024, took it from the well-worn roads of the dusty American south to a new place in contemporary Irish music, recasting ancient Irish harp tunes and historic airs into the 21st century with the swelling, expressive and mournful sounds of the pedal steel guitar alongside cello, violin, piano, harp and lush electronic textures and synths. This continued Murphy’s quest to expand the vocabulary of the instrument, taking it deeper into a world much closer to home and, for the very first time, presented it in a modern Irish framework.
“an incredibly confident debut album. Balanced against its elegance and the dreamlike sound of his pedal steel is a quietly adventurous spirit that is beautifully judged and unpretentious – an extraordinarily great album.”
Glenn Kimpton (reviewing Cuimhne Ghlinn)
With his newly-named band – Ether Ensemble – Murphy announces the follow-up to his critically acclaimed debut album with live EP Quay Session and shares its accompanying short film directed by west Cork film-maker Sean Vincent Phair:
Performing on Pedal Steel Guitar and Electronics alongside collaborators Niamh Dalton (Fiddle), Ultan Lavery (Piano) and Michael Riordan (Double Bass), Murphy and his band share their dreamlike and cinematic live interpretations of traditional Irish harp tunes and slow-airs alongside an instrumental cover of the melancholic and timeless Elliott Smith ballad Between The Bars.
David explains:
“Producing the album Cuimhne Ghlinn was for me a thrilling dive into Irish music with pedal steel guitar, aided by a masterful group of collaborators in the studio. I felt though I was still only scratching the surface of what is possible with the instrument and these forms of traditional music. Taking this into the live realm and onto concert and festival stages with my companions in Ether Ensemble has been the most enjoyable musical adventure I could have imagined. Ultan, Niamh and Michael have pushed these tunes with me to an even more exciting place and I’m pleased to document and share this in the form of a short-film directed by Sean Phair and accompanying EP – we hope you enjoy it.”
Quay Session EP is out Friday, 8th November 2024, on all streaming platforms and Limited Edition, Tour-Only CD.
Bandcamp (Digital): https://davidmurphymusic.bandcamp.com/album/quay-session-ep
Ireland Winter Tour with The Unthanks
A busy summer tour on the Irish festival circuit saw the band taking to stages from Kilkenny Arts Festival to Electric Picnic, Another Love Story to Cork Opera House, Galway and Doolin Folk Festivals and a live TG4 television performance at Fleadh Cheoil.
Now, they will take their unique blend of modern-classical and cosmic Irish music on the road with their Winter Tour across Ireland, including dates as special guests of Northumberland folk greats The Unthanks:
13 Nov :: Sea Church, Ballycotton (SOLO)
22 Nov :: Quiet Lights, Triskel Arts Centre, Cork
26 Nov :: Roisin Dubh, Galway +
27 Nov :: Empire Music Hall, Belfast +
28 Nov :: Liberty Hall Theatre, Dublin +
29 Nov :: Live at St Lukes, Cork +
01 Dec :: Other Voices, Dingle
06 Dec :: Subterranean Sounds, Waterford
+ with The Unthanks
Tickets and more information at: https://www.davidmurphymusic.com/live-shows
