Earlier this year I was at the Buffalo Irish Festival and had a blast playing lots of music and meeting some great acts including the Steel City Rovers and The Spain Brothers and even played some hurling. Before we left myself and The Byrne Brothers (super-talented family band) went to see The Sullivans naval vessel DD537 which is now docked in Buffalo.

Shamrock on the Deck of USS The Sullivans DD537

We were intrigued by the painting of a Shamrock on the deck and knew there must be an Irish connection. While we were aboard getting a tour, the unique story of the Sullivans Brothers was told to us, how Iowa brothers  joined the navy in WW2 after Pearl Harbor, how they stuck together and served together on the Juneau and all went down together too. Tragic. Tommy (The Byrne Father!) said “Enda I feel a song coming on!” (Thanks Tommy!) and by the time I got back to Michigan I had a chorus.

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I did my research then and the song took shape. It turned into a sea shanty and felt right sung acapella. I got some feedback from Paul and Shane in the Buffalo Naval Park which helped ensure that I had the story right.

The Sullivans at Sunset with buffalo Skyway

When recording it I did multiple overdubs to make it feel like the 5 brothers singing but somehow that just wasn’t working so I went back to acapella, which is what you’ll hear on the recording. I had the good fortune to be able to share the song at The Milwaukee and Michigan Irish Music Festivals thereafter. Someday it’d be magic to hear a group of brothers singing it!

The 13th of November is the 80th anniversary of the sinking of the Juneau, the ship the Sullivans served on, so I am releasing it just before as it seems a  commemorative occasion to do so.

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Now available on Bandcamp

I’ve been putting melodies to Yeats’ poetry since my leaving cert and I’ve been lucky to perform some of those works around Ireland, England Denmark, India, Tokyo and now at Irish festivals in the USA.

Album cover for the new WB Yeats album

My WB Yeats collaborations have been with Stephen James Smith, Cathal Quinn, Guthanna Binne Síoraí, Gabriel and Tristan Rosenstock, The Mongrels, Séamus Barra Ó Súilleabhán and Mary Tyler. I thank them all for the insights I gained while working with them.

To The Waters and The Wild is a selection from all those projects some of which you may have heard on the Bandcamp-only release Whorls.  Others such as September 1913 and The Lake Isle of Innishfree have been added by popular demand and a new one The Faery Song with bodhrán is in there to freshen it up a bit!

I think it makes for a stimulating 30min listen and hopefully it will open the door for you to the world of WB Yeats if you aren’t familiar with him, or give you a different perspective if you are already familiar.

Add to your playlists on Spotify, share and enjoy, thanks! For the CD and download go to the Album page!

I’ve been asked for a CD of the WB Yeats compositions for a long time. Finally I’ve gotten around to it. It will be available on Streaming platforms too. For fans of Whorls there’ll be some remixes from that source The Stolen Child and The Wild Swans at Coole and The Everlasting Voices and also it will include September 1913 and The Lake Isle of Innishfree and a brand new one A Faery Song. Available on streaming platforms from September the 3oth and on CD by 1st September.

Go over to the Whisperings album page to read all about it, listen to tracks and buy the album if that pleases you. We’re having two live streams to celebrate! See below!