Galway artist Niamh Regan is one of Ireland’s most promising folk talents, and she’s about to prove just that with the release of her debut album Hemet. coming on 10th August.
Our first taste of the record is out today. Speaking about the release of her song Save the Day, Niamh says:
“Musically this single is a little different from my previous songs. It’s heavily influenced by the indie folk/rock genre. I decided, along with my producer Alex Borwick, that we wanted a full band/‘indie chug’ to lead the motion of the song to convey, hopefully, a sense of relentlessness, steadiness.
Stream/Buy: https://niamhregan2.bandcamp.com/track/save-the-day
The Irish Times described Niamh’s teenage demos as “bursting with potential”, and at 17 this precocious folk singer won a Paul Brady scholarship to study flute and guitar in the University of Limerick. Here, she formed the trad/bluegrass band Juhn Echo, and once again drew plaudits from The Irish Times who highlighted her “stunning vocals”.
After completing a degree in music, Niamh released her debut solo EP Tried To in 2017 and follow-up single What To Do in 2018, earning gushing praise from the likes of Hot Press and Nialler9 . Extensive airplay from RTE Radio 1 and Folk Radio UK soon followed along with high profile slots at Electric Picnic, Body & Soul and Knockanstockan.
But who is Niamh Regan now? Comparisons with contemporary artists such as Laura Marling, Lisa Hannigan, This Is the Kit and Sarah Jarosz have popped up regularly in the UK and Irish press, while discerning critics detect the influence of Nick Drake, Bert Jansch, Richard Thompson, Tom Waits, Paul Brady, and Karen Dalton.
One thing is for sure: with the release of debut album, Hemet, Niamh Regan is about to carve out her own niche in the world of contemporary folk music and fulfil the potential she showed as a teenager.
