“From his stellar role as a member of Solas, Mick McAuley has truly emerged as a solo artist”
Mick McAuley is an Irish musician, composer and songwriter who has recorded and toured internationally for many years. While his music is rooted firmly in the Irish tradition, he has been part of a movement which continues to push the musical boundaries of that tradition to bring Irish music to a wider and more diverse audience around the world. As a long-time member of the Irish-American ensemble SOLAS, he has recorded and toured nine albums with them and received widespread international acclaim. The Boston Herald hailed SOLAS as "the best Irish traditional band in the world".
Mick grew up in Ireland in the embrace of a large musical family supported and nurtured by a community of older musicians who gave freely of their time, talent and music to ensure the passing down of that centuries-old cultural tradition. By his teens, he was also seeking out more contemporary singers and musicians. He played with Ron Kavana (Alias Band), Terry Woods (Sweeneys Men, The Pogues) and Paddy Keenan (The Bothy Band) while in London in the early '90's and began to tour at that time with the acclaimed Irish folk singer Niamh Parsons. Mick found the ideal balance of traditional and contemporary in the instrumentals and songs of the newly-formed Solas while in the bustling Irish music scene of New York in the mid-nineties. Having guested on Karan Casey's debut album Songlines in 1997, he soon found himself in the famous SIGMA studios in Philadelphia recording Solas' album The Words That Remain with Bela Fleck and Iris Dement as guests.
A multi-instrumentalist, Mick plays accordion, melodeon, concertina, whistles and guitar and has been a guest on many recordings and performances including Mary Chapin Carpenter, Patti Larkin, Paul Brennan (Clannad), Susan McKeown and Mick Hanly among many others. Since 2015, Mick plays melodeons for 17-time Grammy winner STING in his autobiographical theatre production "The Last Ship".
His debut solo album An Ocean's Breadth (Shanachie Records) was awarded Best Celtic Album of the year by Washington Post, and Spring 2016 saw the long-awaited release of his solo album HIGHS AND BELLOWS. It is an acoustic selection of traditional and original instrumentals and songs recorded in Ireland at the turn of that year.
His most recent release is a duet album with Celtic guitar wizard, John Doyle. The Irish Echo says: “There’s a ton of vibe to absorb on this album, and it’s worth every minute!!!”
“Brilliant. ”
Ceoltóir, cumadóir agus ceapadóir amhrán sa mhodh gaelach é Micheál MacAmhlaidh. Is mó saothar taifeadta leis féin agus le oirfidigh eile atá curtha amach aige agus tá turasóireacht déanta aige go fairsing ar fud an domhain leis na blianta fada anuas. Ní hamháin go bhfuil a cheoltóireacht bunaithe go daingean sa tradisiún gaelach ach tá sé páirteach chomh maith sa ghluaiseacht a leanann ar aghaidh chun ciumhaiseanna an cheoil siúd traidisiúnta a leathnú amach agus é a thabhairt os comhair lucht éisteachta ar iomadúlacht agus ar éagsúlacht. Mar bhuan-bhall den ghrúpa Éireannach-Mheiriceánach SOLAS, chuir sé naoi nalbam ar fáil leo agus ghabh sé ar thuras leo thart timpeall an domhain. Ón ghniomhaíocht sin rinne sé clú idirnaisiúnta a thabhadh go forleathan dó féin. Séard an ghairm a thugann an Boston Herald do SOLAS ná "the best Irish traditional band in the world".
Mar is breá gnáth in Éirinn, d'fhás Mick suas i mbarróg teaghlaigh cheolmhair agus é á chabhrú agus á chothú ar leathadh ag dream ceoltóirí aosta nár mhiste leo a naimsir agus a mbua ceoil a chur i bhfeidhm chun ár gcultúr seanda a thabhairt chun cinn ó ghlúin go glúin. Le linn a dhéaga, dhéan sé ceoltóirí a chomhaimsire amach agus sheinn sé le Ron Kavana (Alias Band) agus Terry Woods (Sweeney's Men, The Pogues) i dtosach na nóchadaí nuair a bhí sé ag cur faoi i Londain. Um an am sin ghabh sé ar thuras leis an amhránaí clúiteach Niamh Parsons. Ins na meánnóchadaí bhain Micheál cothrom ar fheabhas amach ní hamháin idir cheol traidisiúnta agus ceol nua-aoiseach, ach idir cheol uirlise agus amhránaíocht chomh maith agus é dúlta i bpáirt leis an ghrúpa nua-chumtha Solas nuair a bhí an ceol gaelach faoi bheo-bhorradh i Nua Eabhrac. Tar éis páirt a ghlacadh sa chéad albam Songlines le Karan Casey, ní fada go raibh sé i stiúideo iomráiteach SIGMA i Philadelphia ag glacadh páirt sa triú albam le Solas taobh le Bela Fleck agus Iris Dement.
Mar ilionstraimí, déanann Mícheál ceol ar chairdín, ar mhileoidean, ar chonsairtín, ar feadóga agus ar ghiotar. Sheinn sé sa stiúideo nó ar staitse i gcomhar le Patti Larkin, Paul Brennan (Clannad), Susan McKeown agus Mick Hanly. Chaith sé seal ar na mallaibh ag seinnt ar an mhileoidean do STING sa léiriú cheoil "The Last Ship" ar Broadway.
Bhronn an Washington Post aitheantas mar "Best Celtic Album of the Year" ar chéad albam aonair le Mick An Ocean's Breadth (Shanachie Records). Anois teacht an Earraigh 2016 tá albam aonair eile scaoilte fé dheireadh aige den teideal HIGHS AND BELLOWS. Soláthar fuaimiúil é ar uirlisí ón tradisiún agus ón bhunús chomh maith le amhráin a cuiread ar thaifead i New Inn, Co. Tiobraid Árainn um chrích na bliana.
Photographer: Niko Alexander
Musician: Mick McAuley