#fiddle

Released June 2026. "OUR SHIP IS READY" - NEW ALBUM OUT JUNE 5TH.

There's a reason folk music has survived every storm humanity has thrown at it. It carries people through. And on their ninth album, Our Ship Is Ready, CARA do exactly what traditional music has always done - they look the hardest realities of our time squarely in the eye, and still see what's worth holding onto and celebrating.

Emigration. Love. Loss. Climate change. These aren't easy subjects, but CARA have experience of navigating choppy waters. With a repertoire spanning their own original compositions and finely crafted arrangements of songs and tunes from the Irish and Scottish traditions, the band weave the old and the new into something that feels both timeless and relevant.

"Singing the songs and playing the music of past generations can help us to engage with the realities of modern life in a different, and sometimes deeper, way." - Gudrun Walther.

Produced by Juergen Treyz at artes - Studio in Esslingen, Germany, Our Ship Is Ready also showcases an exceptional cast of collaborators - including award - winning musicians, Irish percussionist Cormac Byrne (Co. Waterford) and concertina player Susan Coleman (Co. Donegal), who bring a very special sense of pulse and colour to the album.

Cara have spent over two decades earning a reputation as one of Europe's finest folk acts, with two Irish Music Awards, a devoted international following, and critical acclaim.

"Music of the highest order" - Mike Harding

"They boldly go where others fear to tread" - Irish Times

"A musical force to be reckoned with...they can really fly" - The Scotsman

"Strong on emotion, story and poetry...impressive, dramatic and accomplished" - Folk Radio UK

"A world class band in top form" - Irish Music Magazine

Our Ship Is Ready is their most considered statement yet. It won't tell you everything will be fine. But it will remind you why it's worth trying.

Cara in profile:

Cara are a multi-national band with Scottish and German members, CARA tour worldwide with unique interpretations of Celtic music, firmly rooted in the Irish and Scottish tradition, presenting innovative arrangements of traditional material alongside critically acclaimed original compositions. Fronted by two female lead singers, CARA combine vocals, piano, fiddle, flute, guitar, uilleann pipes and accordion with a dry-witted and charismatic stage presence.

Gudrun Walther (fiddle, accordion, vocals),

Juergen Treyz (guitars, mandola, dobro, lap steel, electric bass, harmonium, rhodes, synth, vocals),

Simon Pfisterer (uilleann pipes, flute, whistles) and

Kim Edgar (piano, vocals).

https://cara-music.com/en/

https://www.facebook.com/caramusic

Released May 2026.

Dàna are a dynamic and lively, all-female four-piece traditional Scottish band based in Glasgow. Their name, derived from the Gaelic word meaning "bold" or "audacious", perfectly captures their vibrant sound and approach to performance. They have swiftly made a name for themselves in Scotland’s rich musical scene, winning Up and Coming Artist of the Year at the BBC Alba Scots Trad Music Awards, and a Danny Kyle award at Celtic Connections 2025.

Founded by a group of musicians who met and honed their craft at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Dàna features a traditional blend of fiddle, clarsach, whistle, and piano. Each member contributes their individual style and influences, drawn from their diverse regional backgrounds and dialects, creating a sound that is both rich and exciting.​

Dàna has quickly established a strong presence in the Scottish music scene. They have performed at venues and festivals across Scotland, including at Belladrum, Celtic Connections, The Reeling, Under Canvas, and MOKFest. They will be touring ahead of their debut album release in May 2026 at festivals such as Skye Live, Live in Loch Goil, The Gathering, and HebCelt. These appearances have showcased their ability to captivate and energise audiences, solidifying their reputation as one of Scotland’s most exciting new acts.

Dàna features:

Anna Robertson (Fiddle),

Eleanor Tout (Whistle),

Laura Penman (Clarsach) and Alex Wotherspoon (Piano).

https://www.dana-band.com/ https://www.facebook.com/danaceol https://www.youtube.com/@Danaceol/videos

Released May 2026

The LeBlanc family performs 19th-century tunes deeply rooted in Celtic and Acadian traditions, most of which are unknown to other Celtic nations such as Ireland, Brittany, and Scotland, to name a few. With their three daughters playing the concertina, whistle, and fiddle, the mother sings some of the oldest Acadian songs and ballads, accompanied on piano by Baroque, jazz, and traditional arrangements played by the father.

Amourette - the new Album:

"Acadian band La famille LeBlanc have released their new album Amourette, a vibrant musical memory book celebrating centuries of family stories, village legends, and ancestral resilience.

Blending traditional Acadian airs with original compositions, Amourette traces a living lineage through music. The opening trilogy — Trois jolies demoiselles, Perderais‑je mon temps…, and Amourette — follows a heart learning to trust itself, setting the tone for an album where personal and collective histories intertwine.

Each track opens a window onto the LeBlanc family’s past: the mischievous spirit of Snoro, the ancestral hope carried in Prison de Nantes, and the quiet strength of Anne “Nanette” LeBlanc, who belonged to the generation that rebuilt Acadia after the Great Upheaval. Sets like The Barking Dog Reel and Pisiguit honour the storytellers, fiddlers, and everyday heroes who kept music alive through exile, survival, and return.

Original suites such as Le départ de Charlotte and Antoine à Daniel celebrate sisterhood, family alliances, and the enduring threads that bind generations. The album closes with Les menteries à Donatien Gaudet, a playful nod to the oral traditions that shaped village life.

With Amourette, La famille LeBlanc offers a heartfelt tribute to Acadian memory — a soundscape where history, humour, and heritage meet." (courtesy of Irish Music Magazine)

https://www.lafamilleleblanc.com/ https://www.facebook.com/familleleblanc/ https://www.youtube.com/@lafamilleleblanc2294/videos

Released April 2026

YONDER - SALONFOLK

What does Salonfolk sound like?

Salonfolk is inspired by the rich tradition of European folk music.

Diverse and lively. Beautifully melancholic and comforting. Touching the soul and full of energy.

What’s on the album?

For Salonfolk, they recorded ten new tracks, all of which they wrote themselves and arranged for violin and guitar.

Where can you buy the Album?

You can order the Salonfolk CD directly or purchase it at their concerts. It costs €20 plus postage. To place an order, simply email them with your address. The CDs are usually sent in padded envelopes made from recycled paper and without any plastic.

Is Salonfolk also available as a download?

You can also order a download code from them, which allows you to download the album as MP3 files. The download costs €15. Simply send them an email to place your order.

Info and contact: https://yonder-online.de/salonfolk/

Where can I find Salonfolk on streaming platforms? Click here for the various streaming providers:

https://wonderl.ink/@salonfolk

They have not released the album on Spotify.

https://yonder-online.de/ ( in German ) https://www.facebook.com/yondermusik https://www.instagram.com/yondermusik/

About Yonder. folk music beyond borders.

Traditional melodies interpreted in a modern and unconventional way.

Yonder means ‘over there’ and represents what lies to be discovered beyond borders. The folk duo from northern Germany performs traditional melodies with a modern and unconventional twist. Swedish waltzes, Irish reels and Bulgarian horos alternate in creative arrangements. The richness of European folk music inspires the band to create their own compositions. With an acoustic line-up featuring violin, guitar and bodhran, Yonder blends the vast variety of musical styles into a distinctive, unique Yonder sound. Their sensitive interplay leaves room for improvisation.

Line-up: Angelika Rusche-Göllnitz – violin Olaf Wiesner – guitar, bodhran, tombak

Angelika (Gika) Rusche-Göllnitz. began playing the violin at the age of five, had 13 years of classical training and attended a music class in Hamburg. She has played in various chamber music groups and orchestras. She has been active in the North German folk scene for over 25 years and has been a member of various world music bands. She also enjoys venturing into other musical genres such as jazz, coffeehouse music and accompanying singer-songwriters, and helps out with bands run by friends. She performs solo using a loop machine, demonstrating just how versatile the violin can be. Yonder is her passion project.

Olaf Wiesner. has been teaching classical guitar since 1990. He was a percussionist with the Kiel-based folk band Red Herring, played Bal Folk, and performed Latin American music in the guitar-flute duo Lilyann. In addition to Yonder, he is a member of the medieval band Ditlumdei and has taken part in various masterclasses at the International Guitar Symposium in Iserlohn, with Giora Feidman and Reinhard Flatischler. Olaf is a founding member of Yonder.

Band history: Yonder was founded in Kiel in 1998.

It was here that the musicians of the quartet met at an Irish folk session. Together, they gradually began to expand their repertoire to include melodies from other parts of Europe. Alongside Celtic music, Yonder initially focused on quirky Bulgarian rhythms. From Ireland via the Balkans, they then moved on to France, Italy and finally northwards to Scandinavia. The musicians not only completely reworked traditional pieces, but also began to creatively develop their own compositions.

Released April 2026.

Siblings Eugene, Daniel, James, Sinéad, Peter, Ciarán and Catríona or The McKenna Family from Augher, Co. Tyrone are the 4th generation of musicians in a family steeped in Irish traditional music. With strong familial and musical north Monaghan roots, their sound reflects a deep innate musical bondage that only siblings with a shared musical upbringing can exhibit.

These 7 siblings are highly sought after and celebrated as both solo musicians and as a family band, performing and touring in Ireland, Japan, the UK, USA and Europe. They have made guest appearances on numerous TV and radio broadcasts such as RTÉ’s Late Late Show St Patrick’s Day Special, Geantraí (TG4), Fleadh Live (TG4) as part of Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann, and Céilí House. They have been privileged to play in venues such as the United Nations HQ, and New York Irish Centre, NYC where the siblings also performed on NBC St. Patrick’s Day coverage to millions across the US.

Released in April 2026, the McKenna’s debut album ‘The Boys Of Carrickroe’ is a tribute to their granduncles, the late revered fiddlers Pete and Pat McKenna of Carrickroe, Co. Monaghan. The album draws much from the brothers musical lives and through the collection of old cassette and radio recordings, stories and repertoire, the McKenna siblings breathe new life into old tunes and songs once played by their ancestors, as well as many of their own tunes learned along their musical journey this far.

Rooted in place and family, it bridges past and present through a distinctive sound — a new generation of raw fiery McKenna fiddling interwoven with pipes, harp, box and concertina, along with reimagined and unrecorded traditional songs from their local area and beyond.

https://www.facebook.com/Themckennafamily/ https://www.instagram.com/themckennafamily7/

You can find their Album on Bandcamp https://themckennafamily.bandcamp.com/album/the-boys-of-carrickroe

Check out more on their Linktree https://linktr.ee/mckennamusic

Here's a review from Joanie Madden. "The McKenna family from County Tyrone are one of the most gifted families of musicians I’ve ever come across. Individually, each of them is an outstanding master of their instrument, but when they play together, they are a force to be reckoned with — delivering music straight from the heart, performed with the unmatched tightness and understanding that only siblings can share..."