Looking forward to playing in Dublin with Finbarr Doherty and the rest of his band. The gig will be a double bill with The Henry Girls, also from Co. Donegal. Both groups will be playing music from their new albums.

Skyscrapers

“…It fuses elements of folk and indie rock from both sides of the Atlantic, on introspective songs that embrace brevity as a rule of thumb except on the bluesy Don’t break up. One song even bizarrely namechecks English soccer team West Bromwich Albion in its title.”

– The Irish Daily Star August, 2011

Launched this summer as part of the Galway Arts Festival and the Earagail Arts Festival Finbarr Doherty’s new album ‘Skyscrapers’ was performed alongside Boston-based band Session Americana. The songs cover topics from selling skyscrapers to leaving behind a broken heart on a cheap Spanish holiday. Musicians on the album Campbell Owens, Liam Bradley, Seamus Devenny, Jennifer Kimball, Ry Cavanaugh, Kate O’Callaghan and Karen & Lorna McLaughlin.

His earlier music career saw him as lead singer/composer with the 33rd Hurricane (See Fanning Sessions). CDs included ‘Shotgun Blast’, distributed by EMI.

The Finbarr Doherty band features Billy Robinson, Seamus Devenny, Kate O’Callaghan and Gary Raymond.

The gigs are in Derry (Masons) and Belfast (Black Box) and details can be found here

Singer songwriters Kate O’Callaghan and Finbarr Doherty (Saddler), and percussionist Seamus Devenny, are travelling to Boston with support from Culture Ireland.

They’ll perform on Monday, September 20 at a reception hosted by Boston College for a group of Donegal people who are visiting Boston under a leadership programme organised by the Irish Immigration Centre in Boston.

Later that same night, they will perform at the Druid bar in Cambridge, in a session-style performance.

Over the next two nights, the trio will perform with Boston-based musicians Ry Cavanaugh and Session Americana (who are well-known here for their series of sessions at McGrory’s Culdaff) at the Lizard Lounge in Cambridge.

The musicians are funded by Culture Ireland http://www.cultureireland.gov.ie/

Article originally posted on http://www.derryjournal.com/inishowen/Donegal-trio-of-musicians-Bound.6510281.jp

I would like to extend a big thanks to everyone who made it out to McGrorys on Friday night for the EP Launch, you all made the night a very special one for me! all the very best, Kate x

“Kate O’ Callaghan is that rare bird that manages to combine evocative melodies with intelligent considered lyrics. They cover a gamut of emotions from the sublime to the cathartic always imbued by a personal sadness that lingers constantly in the background. But this is the sadness of humanity that has the power to be uplifting” – Peter Doherty, Musician.

“Kate relates stories of life, feelings of heartache and the passion most people conceal. Her self penned songs are distinctive, thoughtful, heartfelt, provocative, humorous and most definitely all her own. They are unique. She is unique. With her distinctive lyric blend and the bands offbeat instrumentation, this EP is well worth adding to any collection. Descriptive words layered upon unusual melodies blend together to create a totally original sound. Kate O’Callaghan is someone to watch. She surely has the talent to make her mark in the music world. Observe and enjoy.” Dianes, Fanrealm.

Creating music is a very recently discovered adventure for me so no long list of accolades and achievements to date I’m afraid (although I’m assuming, with blind confidence, that I’ll be updating this site with wonderful news on a regular basis!).

I began singing for the first time 5 years ago when I joined a local choir founded by two friends of mine. This helped me to find my voice and gain some of the much needed confidence to perform in front of people. I then started gigging in local bars and venues with my own band and also began backing singing with a number of different artists (which I love to do when I get the opportunity).

After a short while of singing I felt a big itch to create my own music and songs but, as I didn’t play an instrument, I wasn’t quite sure how to get started. Without a vehicle through which to express my ideas and very poor telepathic skills to transfer them to others I found this quite a difficult task at the start!! Observing my frustrated dilemma and useless telepathy my wonderful beloved had a stroke of genius and presented me with my first guitar. Hence I began learning how to play and mastered enough chords to pen my first songs and release them from inside my head.

With incredible support and faith from the musicians playing with me I’ve had the amazing opportunity to get these first songs recorded  and catapulted out into the big bad world.  This terrifies and thrills me at the same time.

But, here they are and I hope you like them. I’m thoroughly enjoying (with regular bouts of excitement and anxiety all rolled in to one) developing my writing, playing and performing and hope to bring you much much more in the future.

All the best for now, Kate