We Banjo 3 is an award winning band from Galway, Ireland, featuring two sets of siblings: brothers Enda Scahill (tenor banjo, vocals) and Fergal Scahill (fiddle, viola, dobro, percussion, guitar, mandolin, and vocals) and brothers Martin Howley (tenor banjo, mandolin, vocals) and David Howley (lead vocals, guitar). Martin is a 7-all time Ireland banjo champion and the first Irish musician to perform at the Grand Ole Opry while David has been cited as a solo artist with excellent skill. Enda has recorded with Ricky Scaggs, The Chieftains and many others. In addition to being considered one of the world’s leading authorities on Irish banjo techniques, Fergal has performed with multiple artists in Ireland and abroad and is widely known as an Irish champion of both fiddle and bodhran.
The quartet found common ground between old word tradition and authentic Americana by combining the sounds of the two genres in what the group has dubbed “celtgrass”. With four albums under their belts and planned tours in the U.S. and Canada, We Banjo 3 has just released their latest, Haven, an excellent mix of Irish, Bluegrass, and a bit of Pop all rolled into one.
The track list includes songs containing both vocals and instrumentals, and songs that are solely to showcase the groups powerhouse, their ever impressive instrumentation and the creativity in which they’ve used them. All the songs are written by the four members with additional lyrics and melodies by Kiana Howley on “Haven” and Ruth Smith on “War of Love”.
Below are a few selections from the album to depict what will be heard:
Marry Me Monday is a slower instrumental tune infused with lots of fiddle sweetly played throughout along with an acoustic guitar.
Dawn Breaks, with its musical buffet of a Celtic sounding flare of fiddles, mandolins and steady drums, takes you on a trip to the Emerald Isle in the beginning, have you traveling back to Dixieland by mid-song, then kicks up for some backwoods barn stomping by afternoon, ending with stand and salute flare.
Light in the Sky is fast pace, yet picture perfect storytelling through creative songwriting, excellent vocals, and a massive array of instruments from strings, to percussion, to brass.
War of Love is one of two slower tunes featuring fiddle acoustic guitar, mandolin and the subtle female harmonies of a background singer. A lover watches an old flame marry another, and remembrance of the past brings regret “but times they change, you needed more/ the battle was won, when I lost the war”.
A stellar album from start to finish, Haven has something for everyone and is bound to be a great crowd pleaser. And it will make you want to drink a pint of Guinness while wearing your flannel shirts.
Haven was released on July 27 and is available on all music sites.
If you’d like information on the band, their past albums or the upcoming U.S/Canadian Tours, please visit their website: www.webanjo3.com
Haven Track List
1. Haven (additional lyrics/melody by Kiana Howley)
2. Light in the Sky
3. Sugar House
4. War of Love (additional lyrics/melody by Ruth Smith)
5. Annabelle’s Cannon
6. Pack it Up
7. Marry Me Monday
8. Sunflower
9. Don’t Let Me Down
10. Dawn Breaks
11. Hold onto your Soul