Gaelic songs burn bright on Joy's album
Gaelic songstress Joy Dunlop is about to release her latest album, Caoir
Caoir means blaze of fire and this is the Connel-born singer’s first solo material to be released in a decade, featuring contemporary recordings of traditional Gaelic songs.
With its upbeat rhythms and captivating melodies and riffs, Joy hopes her third album will burn bright in listeners’ hearts.
Having grown up immersed in the traditional music scene of Argyll, Joy was inspired by contemporary folk acts such as Peatbog Faeries, Sian and Elephant Sessions, and Gaelic singers Julie Fowlis and Arthur Cormack.
With an eclectic taste and love of a good beat and catchy lyrics, Joy has combined her musical passions on her latest album, which sees her go for a bigger and bolder sound.
Accompanying Joy are Ron Jappy on guitar, Mhairi Marwick on fiddle, Gus Stirrat on bass, Ifedade Thomas on drums, and Euan Malloch on electric guitar, with Joy bringing in drum and bass to the mix for the first time.
Joy said: “I’ve always loved music that pushed the boundaries of what was considered ‘trad’, without losing the soul of the songs. As a Gaelic singer, I’m always trying to make my music accessible to those who don’t speak the language. With this recording I wanted to capture the sentiment of the songs, whether the listener understands Gaelic or not, while adding new engaging elements to the music.
“Caoir started as a jam session with four fantastic musicians and soon grew into something more – a selection of music that we all loved and a real friendship and bond between us all. I think that sense of joy really comes across in the recording. That mix of trust, creativity and drive for exploration eventually emerged as an album that will hopefully resonate with both trad fans and those who love music.”
Joy handpicked the 10 traditional songs on the album. The first single, Mo Nighean Donn Hò Gù (My Brown Haired Girl Hò Gù) is a traditional Gaelic waulking song with a twist, set to be released Friday March 10. The track leans into the rhythmic aspects of the tradition and plays around with the accompaniment, with the backing vocals also imitating and exaggerating the beat-driven feel of a waulking song, which would have been sung during the tweed or tartan making process.
Other stand out tracks include Bàs Na Cailliche Bèire, The Death Of The Cailleach Bheur, inspired by the legend of the one-eyed giantess who is said to have lived on the tiny island of Erraid near Mull.
Am Bràighe, The Braes, was written at the beginning of the 20th century, influenced by the beautiful Cape Breton Island. Joy, who spent six months living and working just in the small village of Mabou on the island, felt it was only fitting she sang in praise of the special corner of Nova Scotia.
Her coveted singing career has led her all over the world, from Canada to Japan. She has been nominated as Gaelic Singer of the Year no less than four times and has a Royal National Mòd Gold Medal to her name.
As a broadcaster, Joy is also well-known for her television and radio work, including as a host of SpeakGaelic, a BBC Scotland and BBC ALBA weather presenter, and BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year presenter.
Caoir was recorded at Solas Sound in Glasgow by Gus Stirrat, and mastered by Peter Beckmann at Technology Works. You can buy it on CD and to stream and download on all major digital platforms from Friday March 24. Joy will also be playing a launch gig at Cottiers, Glasgow, on Thursday March 30.