One of the most lauded artists to emerge from Ireland’s unparalleled folk music scene, Niamh Bury will release her debut album Yellow Roses via Claddagh Records on Friday 29th March 2024. Produced by Brían Mac Gloinn (Ye Vagabonds), Yellow Roses features 10 exquisitely-crafted songs, including the tracks Beehive, Who Am I To Tell Him?, Discovery and the most recent single Budapest.
Niamh Bury
Bury says of the single: “Budapest was written during a cold February in Dublin. It’s about the places we escape to in our imaginations – outer space or a city we’re dreaming of packing up and leaving to. It’s about the yearning to step outside of your own story to chase that feeling of being a small part of a bigger picture.”
Ever since Niamh Bury debuted her first single – the mesmerising Beehive – in July 2023, listeners have been entranced. Her vocals and songwriting prowess are rightfully lauded, but the technically-skilled musicianship she possesses is so evident on Yellow Roses that it cannot be overlooked – this is an incredibly accomplished debut record.
In her music, listeners can hear a diverse range of influences from artists as varied as Fiona Apple, Bright Eyes and Paul Simon, as well as the amalgam of folk, classical and alt-rock music that formed such an integral part of her childhood. Niamh grew up in a musical household on Dublin’s northside; her mother is a classically-trained pianist and her father is a guitarist and singer. “My mum is the classical side of my brain; she’s an amazing piano player. She plays Rachmaninov, Chopin… There was always a lot of classical music in the house, and my mum would often take me to the National Concert Hall,” says Bury. “My dad is more like the folk side of me; he’s an amazing guitarist and singer. He’s a great showman and a storyteller – and he has the most beautiful voice.”
Check out the dreamlike Ellius Grace-directed official music video for Budapest below:
This intricate mix of influences are apparent on Yellow Roses, from the sublime piano intro on album opener Discovery to the closing bars of Budapest, with its delicate piano and cello sounds continuing to swirl like leaves in the wind long after the richness of the vocals and guitar have settled. Her lyrics and subject matter display a mature but wondrous world view couched in hope and appreciating the beauty and complexity of the world around us.
Debut single Beehive is a song about the overlapping of myth, folk wisdom and science; Who Am I To Tell Him cautions against judging people by their circumstances; Simmering Pots looks at the tension between the comfort of domesticity and the freedom of being untethered to a place. Bury’s love for her family makes its way into songs like Pianos In The Snow and the title track Yellow Roses, songs about her mother and grandmother, respectively. Her deep understanding of the storytelling elements of folk music (honed over years as one of the chief organisers of the renowned traditional singing session The Night Before Larry Got Stretched at The Cobblestone Pub in Dublin) are evident on her rendition of the traditional Lovely Adam and the original Ballad Of Margaret Reed, a song about a widow who was accused of being a witch and was subsequently burned at the stake. Of this song, which displays incredible songwriting talent, Bury says: “The witch trials are a subject of fascination for me and the ripples of their implications are very much present today with the ostracisation of anyone who threatens the power of the patriarchy.”
Of her impending debut album release, shey says: “I’m so excited to be releasing this collection of songs I’ve had with me for some time. I’m very proud of it and the wonderful people who worked on it with me. I learned so much making it, and feel very lucky to be letting it out into the world.”
Niamh Bury has been hailed as one of Irish folk’s most exciting new talents and was invited to perform at The London Irish Centre and added to the incredible Tradition Now line-up at the National Concert Hall in Dublin.
April will see Bury embark upon a live tour of Ireland and the UK, with a hometown date at Whelan’s Main Room in Dublin on the 28th April.
Upcoming UK & Ireland Tour Dates:
APRIL
12th – Belfast, American Bar
16th – Brighton, Folklore Rooms
17th – London, The Slaughtered Lamb
18th – Bristol, Crofters Room 2
21st – Galway, Róisín Dubh
24th – Limerick, Dolans
25th – Kilkenny, Cleeres
26th – Cork, Winthrop Ave
28th – Dublin, Whelan’s
Share Thing