New Music 2015 - Part 69 - Old Hannah - Iron and Wood

In the last month or so circumstances have conspired to make me realise that I have mentioned relatively little music that comes from Ireland in contrast to, for example, Wales. The main catalyst to do something about this in one sense was seeing Lisa O'Neill, of whom I was quite unaware until that point, play the Tipi Stage at End Of The Road 2015.
In the intervening few weeks I have quite consciously been paying attention and this is the first example I have chosen to mention.

It is also a fine example of the importance that I now attach to that once threatened format the EP.

Old Hannah is a four-piece from Co. Sligo in the north-west of Ireland and this EP, which involves several artists from beyond the confines of the band and also instruments such as steel guitar (pedal and lap) not usually associated with Irish music, is very much the real deal. It neither abandons the strictures of traditional Irish folk nor adheres slavishly to them. What makes it actually work in the way it does is the attention to both the basics of the genre and the detail of the execution.

It is as good as any EP that I have heard this year and that is saying something. Here is 'West' taken from it.