The Gloaming (group)

Background

Hayes, Bartlett, Ó Lionaird, Cahill, and Ó Raghallaigh first met in 2011 to explore their collaboration at Grouse Lodge Studios in Ireland's County Westmeath. In August 2011—newly christened The Gloaming—they went on their first Irish tour, including a sold out debut show at the National Concert Hall, Dublin.

Their debut album, titled The Gloaming, was produced by Thomas Bartlett and mixed by Patrick Dillett. It was finished in the summer of 2013 during the build up to a series of sold out concerts in London, Amsterdam, Paris and New York. In January 2014, the album was released via Brassland in North America and Real World in the rest of the world.

First album

The Gloaming's self-titled debut album was recorded at Grouse Lodge in Westmeath, Ireland. It was produced by Thomas Bartlett and The Gloaming and mixed by Pat Dillett. Critical reaction to the record was strong. Highlights include: The Guardian, which called it "Exquisite" in a 4-star review, Mojo Magazine, which gave it 5 stars and named it "One of the Best Albums of the Year", The Irish Times, which gave it 5 stars and named it the "Album of the Year" and NPR Music, which named it "One of the Year's Best Albums" and called it "an astonishingly beautiful album." The album won the Meteor Choice Music Prize for Album of the Year and a track from the album, Samhradh Samhradh, was named "Best Traditional Track" at the 2015 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards.

Musical style

Most of The Gloaming's work takes traditional Irish forms, the basic grammar of which is known as a reel, and revives them in a contemporary context. The New Yorker has remarked that "[The Gloaming] moves the music of Ireland in captivating new directions", and The Irish Times has called their live performances "revelatory" and "likely to cement them as one of the great forces in Irish music".

Discography