CALIFORNIA IRISH, featuring Cormac Neeson, release their wonderful new single ‘Julie Ann’
CALIFORNIA IRISH, featuring Cormac Neeson, release their wonderful new single ‘Julie Ann’, out now, 27th June, new album ‘The Mountains Are My Friends’ release date moves to 18th July on 7hz Productions.
Album release date moved due to manufacturing issues.
Cormac states:
“Release news!! Some not so good news and then some good news: we’ve had to put the release date of the record back by three weeks due to damaged stock. Sorry folks. Rest assured there’s no one more looking forward to having this album out in the world than us. So on 18th July “The Mountains Are My Friends” will come out in digital and CD form. The Vinyl is going to take a few weeks longer than that because it’s vinyls, so apologies for the further delay on that but we of course want your record to be in impeccable condition so you can kick back and enjoy the full California Irish Experience. Now! on to the good news…we have a new single coming out this Friday called Julie Ann featuring lush harmonies, 12 strings guitars and a psychedelic cow bell. You’re gonna love it and will hopefully scratch that Laurel Canyon itch until the full album can be listened to on 18th July. Thank you all for your patience and love. Peace agus love. California Irish.”
CALIFORNIA IRISH is the new band featuring The Answer’s Cormac Neeson. The band tips its hat to the wonderfully melodic and free-spirited sound from 60s America, a sound that reaches back into a gentler, more empathetic time, and now releases its fourth single, the fabulous ‘Julie Ann’, out now.
Cormac comments:
“We wanted ‘Julie Ann’ to sound like The Byrds hence the jangly 12 string guitar and the thick four-part harmonies. Listen out for the psychedelic cow bell solo in middle, and if you’ve been looking for your new soundtrack of the summer then congratulations to you! Peace agus love x”
Preorder the album here: https://ada.lnk.to/
Summoning the beguiling spirit of Laurel Canyon, employing analogue recording techniques, and recording songs in one or two takes to achieve something with a real human touch, California Irish are a new seven piece group hailing from Belfast that working their own niche within the world of folk and Americana, and everything in between.
This new group showcase a unique sound formed from a combination of players that initially came together briefly to perform a Neil Young-inspired theatre show production called “Re-Harvest”, in which the musicians who now make up California Irish very successfully performed the classic albums ‘Harvest Moon’ and ‘Harvest’ back to back.
The brainchild of the group is lead singer and chief songwriter Cormac Neeson. The band were hand-picked by Neeson based on long standing friendships, as well as experiences with numerous musical projects within the thriving Belfast music scene.
Cormac states his reason for starting the band, and wanting to harness this fabulous sound: “This album is the opposite of boring AI generated no soul perfection. We recorded this album in a room together over four days allowing the music to breathe when it needed to, looking at each other for our cues and feeding off each other’s energy. It felt like a dream…but it’s the most real thing I’ve ever done in music.
That Laurel Canyon sound of the late 60s, epitomised by the early Crosby Stills Nash and Young stuff, and the first few Joni Mitchell records, has always felt otherworldly and magical. On our album we’ve tried to access some of that beauty and create our own magic by combining brand new music with an old school recording process.”
The Laurel Canyon influence also extends to the band’s recording technique, adhering rigidly to the analogue 16 track recording method circa 1969; namely recording live straight to tape at the world famous Middle Farm Studios under the watchful eyes and ears of producer Pete Miles. The resulting sound of California Irish flies in the face of modern techniques that often lose the warmth of the original compositions. Instead, the group opted for a one off and unique shared human experience with musicians who feed off each other’s energy, and create compelling four-part vocal blends around one single microphone in a warm alt-folk celebration. The creative process in turn led to an album’s worth of songs titled ‘The Mountains Are My Friends’, out on 27th June..
Preorder physical copies of the album here: https://eyesoremerch.
Preorder the album here: https://ada.lnk.to/
Introducing the band:
Cormac Neeson (vocals, acoustic guitar, psychedelic cowbell)
Susy Coyle (vocals and percussion)
Donal Scullion (acoustic, electric guitar, vocals)
Chris Kelly (lap steel, mandolin, acoustic, electric guitar, vocals)
James Doone (bass)
Simon Templeton (piano, hammond, Wurlitzer)
Conor McCauley (drums)
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