Sharon Shannon - Home Sharon Shannon
Black Vinyl LP
Sharon Shannon returns to the source with new traditional album 'HOME'.
Sharon Shannon, one of Ireland's most celebrated and gifted traditional musicians, will release "HOME" on November 13th, a return to the pure traditional sound that first established her as one of the genre's defining voices.
Sharon is joined throughout by her nephew, Killian Shannon, on bouzouki, banjo and guitar. Paul McClure on bodhrán and Cormac Moore on bass complete the core lineup, with fiddler Seán Smyth guesting on the Charlie Lennon waltz "Christmas in Spiddal".
The album was produced by Sharon Shannon, Killian Shannon and Alan Connor. Initial recording and pre-production took place at Sharon's home in Galway.
Speaking about the album, Sharon says:
"I've been wanting to do an album like this for many years, and it has been requested a lot by all you great music lovers, so I'm thrilled that it's finally here. It started with the idea that it would be an album of traditional tunes only, but it evolved with time because I decided to include some of my own traditional-style compositions that I felt would sit in nicely with the old music."
On working with Killian Shannon, she added:
"We had great fun selecting the tunes for this album, lashing into tunes old and new while drinking gallons of tea around the kitchen table. I'm incredibly proud of him, and really excited to introduce his music and musicianship to you all."
After decades of genre-crossing collaborations that carried her music across the world, this record strips things back to the tunes, the players and the pulse of the tradition. Sharon is one of the tradition's defining modern voices. This album arrives at a moment when traditional and folk music are enjoying a real resurgence, with acts like The Mary Wallopers, Kingfishr and Amble drawing in new audiences. With 35 years at the top of Irish traditional and folk music, Sharon has received a second honorary doctorate, this time from Trinity College Dublin, a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Concert Hall, and has a body of work that has reached far beyond the trad scene. Sharon Shannon returns here to the sound that built her reputation in the first place. This is not a departure; it is a reaffirmation.