Browsing Tag

Folk Singer

Grainne Eve paid a poignant homage to Sam Henry with her cover of ‘Maid of Culmore’

Posted on 31 October 2023

Taken from Grainne Eve’s debut album, The Songs of Sam Henry, the standout orchestral folk single, Maid of Culmore, is so much more than a narrative tale; the inexplicably anachronistic arrangement conjures panoramic imagery to ensure you’re not solely looking at a portrait of the lyrical protagonist, you are in the landscape within her, completely abstracted from the 21st century.

The debut LP is just a scratch on the surface of the Portstewart, Northern Ireland-hailing folk singer-songwriter’s lifelong mission to understand and pay homage to the legacy of the folklorist and ballad crafter Sam Henry, who was integral to the preservation of Northern Irish folk tradition. Grainne Eve is currently in the final stages of writing her PhD, which focuses on Henry’s vast folk collection after completing a BA and MA in Music at Newcastle University.

‘The Songs of Sam Henry’ made its official debut on July 8th, 2022, at the Riverside Theatre in Coleraine. The album launch event was graciously introduced by the renowned TV presenter Joe Mahon. It was also presented live on Raidio Failte as part of the Belfast TradFest 2022 and received airplay on BBC Radio Ulster. Notably, ‘The Songs of Sam Henry’ earned a nomination for the NI Music Prize in 2022. Here’s to hoping we hear plenty more from Eve in the not-too-distant future.

Stream Maid of Culmore on Spotify and find out more about the exemplary artist and aural academic by visiting her official website.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Traveling the world to achieve his goals: Harrisen Larner-Main shows us exquisite singing on ‘Come Along’ EP

Posted on 29 November 2020

Somerset-born and world travelling singer-songwriter Harrisen Larner-Main has been patiently waiting to drop his highly anticipated 5 track EP called ‘Come Along’ and this is now his time to shine.

His voice draws you in so close and you drift away in a glorious daydream with a tone that is so tremendous on our battered ears which are cold from the winter wind. A man that has traveled around Europe and many other countries to push his music to as many people as possible; his vision is worldly and you can feel his self-awareness wrapped around your heart.

The whole EP is a waterfall of crisp water-tinged and luscious vocals that will have you singing along at the top of your lungs. This is the type of artist that sings about his previous experiences and love is at the core of his creations. His trusty acoustic guitar is played like a seasoned professional and you can tell that he has been performing since he was barely 13 years old. The music bug bit hard and he can’t stop doing what he is passionate about.

The whole EP is so classy and sung with such pureness and particular favorites have to be ‘Impossible To Feel The Cold’, ‘Happier’ and ‘Curtains’. He has the ability to raise his voice without sounding like he is putting too much strain on his vocal cords. The natural energy has you transfixed and the songs about love and reminiscing of what transpired in the past will have you remembering those regret-filled moments in your life, when love was there for the taking but something happened to end things so abruptly.

The soulful English singer-songwriter is a musician who you can tell is honest and humble; all he wants to do is perform on stage and make music that moves you, inspires you and makes you love harder.

Harrisen Larner-Main sings from the bottom of his heart on the excellent EP ‘Come Along’. This is the story of a man who has built his community of fans from years of travelling around the world and making life-lasting friends. He bet on himself to succeed, put in the hard work, and is using all of his wide-array of talents to do what he loves and does best.

Hear this fine EP on his Spotify and find out more about what makes Harrisen tick on his YouTube and Facebook.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen