The Cork-born, Belfast-based sixth generation fiddler, bilingual singer, and multi-instrumentalist Clare Sands has carefully crafted new macaronic works to be released throughout this year.
Following on from her ‘Tírdhreacha & Fuaimdhreacha’ (Landscapes & Soundscapes) collaborative EP and her ‘bold and beautiful’ self-titled album released in September 2022, the contemporary folk artist is back with four new songs, delivered in Irish and English, alongside four new collaborators.
The four-part music and film project, ‘Gormacha’, [pronounced GUR-MA-KA] treads a musical path between the four most extreme geographical points in Ireland. Tracing the line between rugged land and stormy seas, Gormacha interweaves Irish folklore, language, and personal responses to our natural world.
The first release ‘Teasgal’ [pronounced [CHAS-GAL] (a singing wind in a storm) features Mayo based alt-folk songwriter Patrick O’Laoghaire, AKA I Have A Tribe. Written completely in the Irish language, ‘Teasgal’ is a mystical incantation that breathes new life into ancient words and worlds. It is a song of love and longing, and a call to protect the natural world and seas that we are fast destroying. With gentle piano, Cohen-esque vocals, and fervent fiddle playing all building from the stillness of a deep, dark sea to the cinematic crashing of the west Cork waves.
The mesmerizing accompanying video, directed and shot by visual artists and twin sisters Liadain and Kasia Kaminska, captures the calm and tumult of Teasgal. Wanting to find a location where the land and sea meet, the duo explain: ‘The way we filmed this video reminded us of the race against time we currently face as a planet. The wind and waves picked up as we shot, with water coming over the pier, we literally raced against the rising tide.”
Stream/Watch ‘Teasgal’ here: https://youtu.be/eWcmunffDvU
‘Teasgal’ is the first in a series of four songs that are deeply personal and universal, sensual and spiritual, ancient and new. Navigating music, film, and photography, ‘Gormacha’ journeys into the darkness, but seeks to find solace and celebration ‘between the devil and the deep blue sea.’
