WE BANJO 3, a virtuosic, innovative quartet from Galway, Ireland, will release their fourth album, String Theory, on July 30, 2016, to coincide with their late summer/early fall tour of the U.S. that will kick off at the Dayton Celtic Festival in Ohio the weekend of July 29th.
We Banjo 3 blend traditional Irish Music with Americana and Bluegrass affectionately described as “Celtgrass.” Featuring banjo, fiddle, mandolin, guitar, vocals and percussion, We Banjo 3 includes two sets of brothers, Enda & Fergal Scahill and Martin & David Howley. Collectively they are among the most celebrated and distinguished musicians in Ireland today and considered one of the best live bands in the country. Martin Howley is a 7-time “All Ireland” Banjo champion while Enda Scahill, who is also an author on Irish banjo techniques, holds 4. Multi-instrumentalist Fergal Scahill is one of the most acclaimed fiddlers in Irish music and an “All Ireland” champion on fiddle and bodhran. Multi-instrumentalist David Howley, with All-Ireland titles on guitar and banjo, is the group’s vocalist known for his deep, muscular voice.
In March of 2016, We Banjo 3 was selected to perform at the annual “Friends of Ireland” Luncheon on Capital Hill. Hosted by House Speaker Paul Ryan, both President Barack Obama and Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny were in attendance at this intimate, annual luncheon that dates back to 1983.
String Theory was recorded by Tony O’Flaherty at Sonas Recording on the side of a mountain in the County Kerry and mastered by Eric Boulanger at The Bakery in Los Angeles. The 12 tracks, half of them instrumentals, seamlessly blend traditional and original songs-some new and some ancient-redefining the boundaries of tradition and in the process, transcending genre and showcasing the technical talent of these players. From the deliciously infectious “Happiness,” to the pyrotechnical mastery of “Kentucky Grind” and the powerful emotive “This is Home,” String Theoryis an exploration of the timeless interaction of Irish and American music; Ireland entwined with the Applachian Hills. Specials guests include Grammy Award winner Alison Brown, Aoife Scott, Trevor Hutchinson and a brass section from Ohio.
The upcoming tour is sponsored in part by Culture Ireland’s Centenary Programme, which commemorates the centenary of the 1916 Easter Rising and is a global project dedicated to bringing the best of the Irish arts, including music, dance, film, theater and more, to an international audience.
The tour dates are as follows with all dates subject to change:
–
