Rough Trade

River Lea (a division of Rough Trade) releases Fire Draw Near - an album of Irish traditional songs and music from the archives, compiled by Ian Lynch of Dublin band Lankum.

“This LP is a collection of 13 rare, strange and wonderful gems from the Irish tradition. Recorded in various parts of the country over a period of over 60 years between 1947 and 2013. They show us a strong, multi-faceted and vibrant musical tradition in the country; one that still exists in the present day. The settings are varied – bars, living rooms, campsites, recording studios – as are the backgrounds of those who perform. The music of the Travellers, who tended to the flame of tradition while the rest of society began to lose interest is well-represented, as are styles ranging from sean-nós singing in Connemara, Donegal fiddle-playing, uilleann piping from Dublin and English language singing of ballads both bawdy and beautiful from across Ireland.”

• Ian Lynch

Fire Draw Near - An Anthology of Traditional Irish Song and Music is the fifth album to be released by River Lea, following records by Lisa O’Neill, Brìghde Chaimbeul, Ye Vagabonds and John Francis Flynn. Fire Draw Near is also a monthly podcast and radio show, hosted by Ian Lynch which investigates Irish traditional music in all its myriad forms.