In The Willows – Irish Band Of The Week

This week’s Irish band of the week is the extremely interesting Waterford six-piece, In The Willows, which is a charming as the book it derives its name from. Formed almost six years ago, they began as an acoustic trio before eventually developing to a six-piece. Initially they released their debut EP, Vantage Point, before eventually releasing their debut album Before Everybody Disappears in September of 2014. The album was well-received with many acknowledging it in a lesson on how to seamlessly blur the lines between genre, from alternative to folk to pop. In the Willows’ sound is enchanting with heart-warming lyrics and richly woven melodies. 

Their music has an atmospheric quality to it, with an earthy feel to it proving that regardless of what genre they play with, their sound will always return to folk based elements. There’s a sense of serenity to their sound, even on the more melancholic tracks there’s a sense of calm that just prevails, creeps in upon you and manages to engross you in the ethereal elements of this band. Admittedly, six members may seem a lot to manage but the band draw on the specific qualities that each musician brings, independently. Songs have transitions within them, moving from the beautifully haunting vocals of Tara to the harsher, more gritty tones of Daithi’s voice. The interplay within songs allows them to create songs that have certain, undeniable depth to them. Perhaps this can also be a pitfall for them, explaining why it took almost two years to release a follow-up album, in the form of Fallen Bird, they simply had so much to choose from in terms of talents and musicality.

The group has recently been chosen out of 1000s of applicants for the final ten of the Le Crunch Apple of My Eye Song contest with their mash-up/cover of ‘Lighthouse’ and ‘Wicked Games’. It really emphasises the musical variance of this band and their undeniable talents as performers to not only weave such contrasting songs together but also make them their own.

Check out this amazing tune here: