with Ultan Conlan | Sam Wickens |Grainne Hunt
With a powerful yet melancholy voice that critics have likened to the great Roy Orbison acclaimed Galway song writer Ultan Conlon has a rare ability to capture the fragility of the human spirit. His 3rd studio album Last Days of the Night Owl was chosen Album of the Week by RTE Radio 1 last year with two singles from the album The Measure and A Weak Heart Like Mine – a duet with Mary Coughlan – each hitting the No.1 spot on the stations Airplay chart. His current single In the Blink of an Eye was mixed in the US by the six time Grammy Award winning producer Vance Powell who has worked with The White Stripes and Chris Stapleton.
2018 was a very successful year for Ultan Conlon with a series of big shows as a guest of the legendary John Fogerty of Creedence Clearwater Revival and at the Trinity College Summer Series at the invitation of Roxy Music ’s Bryan Ferry in addition to Irish tours with Eddi Reader and The Stunning.
Ultan Conlon’s album ‘Last Days of the Night Owl’ has a timeless quality reminiscent of Richard Hawley combining lyrical expressions of fragility within a sumptuous musical setting – R2 magazine
Compared to Jeff Buckley, Tom Waits and John Martyn, Sam Wickens is a mesmerising solo performer gifted with the talent to arouse the soul. His haunting melodies laced with poignant lyrics convey a personal blend of Soul, Blues, Gospel, Folk and Indie.
In 2017 his work with David Bowies producer Tony Visconti on a Sky Arts documentary culminated in his working closely with music icons including Stuart Copeland, Nitin Sawhney, and Imelda May, and performing live at Union Chapel, London supported by legendary saxophonist Howey Casey (Paul McCartney/ Wings).
“His voice is just sublime.. Phenomenal” – Imelda May
Monaghan folk singer Grainne Hunt has shared stages with Glen Hansard and Mark Geary and drawn comparisons to vocal icons Tracy Chapman and Nathalie Merchant. She’s just returned from Nashville, with a new record entitled This Secret in her pocket. Recorded with Thomm Jutz (Nanci Griffith, Maura O’Connell) and featuring the skills of Mark Fain (Ry Cooder) on bass and Lynn Williams (John Hiatt) on drums, it is already gaining attention in the US.
