Gaelic Storm Reveal Deep Musical Layers On 'Cabbage'

Gaelic Storm are a "whirlwind ruckus" (Village Voice) who tour worldwide for at least two hundred days out of every year. On their new album 'Cabbage' (August 3, Lost Again), the band brings influences from rock, bluegrass, Jamaican, African and Middle Eastern music that may surprise those expecting traditional Celtic music.

As many tens of thousands of enthusiastic record buyers and festival-goers know, the quintet plays high-energy, foot-stomping, rock-tinged Celtic music. Not only does their instrumentation include fiddle, accordion and pipes, but also the bouzouki, mandolin and an array of drums including the Malian djembe, the Middle Eastern doumbek, the Brazilian surdo, and the Cuban cajón, as well as the Irish bodhrán.

According to front man Patrick Murphy, the infectiously catchy first single "Raised on Black and Tans" is about Irish-Americans who have never been to Ireland but feel it's in their blood. Murphy himself was born in Cork, Ireland, while Steve Twigger, his Gaelic Storm co-founder, is a native of Coventry, England. Growing up in the UK, Twigger listened to the Specials and Madness, which can be heard in the syncopated ska beat of the album's Americana gem "Green Eyes, Red Hair."

Gaelic Storm's 2008 'What's the Rumpus?' hit #1 on both the Billboard and iTunes World Album charts. That same year, Hallmark released a special St. Patrick's Day "soundcard" in the US and the UK featuring the original Gaelic Storm song "Kiss Me I'm Irish." The group also recorded a version of their "Scalliwag" in Simlish, the official language of the Sims video game world, which appeared in two EA Sports Sims games. Gaelic Storm is likely the most-seen Irish-influenced band in the world, given their performance as the steerage band in the film 'Titanic.'

Their summer touring schedule is likely to deliver full houses across the country and includes headlining slots on major festivals in addition to a "Pub of the Month" after-party series to connect and hang out with their fans. They have previously toured alongside artists including Emmylou Harris, Lyle Lovett, and The Barenaked Ladies, and will perform on the Sailing Southern Ground Cruise with Zac Brown Band this fall.

Gaelic Storm are:
o Patrick Murphy (accordion, spoons, bodhrán, lead vocals)
o Steve Twigger (guitar, bouzouki, mandolin, bodhrán, lead vocals)
o Ryan Lacey (djembe, doumbek, surdo, cajón, vocals, various percussion)
o Peter Purvis (Highland bagpipes, Uillean pipes, DegerPipes, whistle, vocals)
o Jessie Burns (fiddle, vocals)

Listen to "Raised on Black and Tans" here: http://www.myspace.com/gaelicstorm