🇮🇪 Happy St. Paddy's Day! Today's Smokestack features a report on the Irish folk music scene from The Wee Seoltóir.

Hello, Train Songz enthusiasts! In honour of St. Patrick’s Day, it is my pleasure to bring you an update from Ireland’s green shores. We all know the story of Irish immigrants bringing their banjos and fiddles to Appalachia. These days, it seems we’re better known for drinking, fighting, and Paul Mescal’s Hollywood thighs than we are for our rich folk music scene.

Well folks, I’m pleased to report that the Irish folk music scene is alive and well. For the past two years, The Wolfe Tones drew some the biggest crowds ever seen at Ireland’s most popular music festival, Electric Picnic. After more than 60 years of touring, the Tones will play their final show this summer. They’ll pass the baton to a bubbling scene of artists, each bringing a unique progressive sound to traditional Irish music.

In this week's Smokestack, The Conductor asked me to write a bit on "Irish music Billy fans might like." What follows, I hope, captures that. Please listen and leave a comment about what you like best. We'll see you down there.

Start your ears here

The heavy hitters are Lankum and The Mary Wallopers.

Lankum

Lankum’s blend of folk and drone music (editorial note: Sam Grisman made a great observation during his set at Dee’s earlier this month—some of those droning folk tunes are like the original “trance” music, in todays parlance. Interesting to give a listen through that lens) has garnered plenty of critical acclaim. Their music is haunting, and at times terrifying, but undeniably beautiful. (Don't be afraid to click that link and give 'em a listen while you read.)

The Mary Wallopers

If Lankum are an Irish funeral, then the Mary Wallopers are an Irish wedding (that analogy actually makes no sense, 'cause Irish funerals are notoriously fun). Nevertheless, the Wallopers are a raucus live act. Plenty of songs in their catalogue are about "drinkin' and ridin’,” while the rest are steeped in punk politics and Irish rebel tradition. The Wallopers are my #1 recommendation for fans of Billy, and they’re touring the U.S. in April. Tempted to buy tickets? Try this Glastonbury 2024 performance for size.

Honourable mentions

• Ispíní na hÉireann, for fans of traditional Irish music.
• Trá Pháidín, for a more psychedelic sound. This emerging 9-piece hails from the remote Irish-speaking region of Connemara.
• Macdara Yeates’s traditional singing does justice to the memory of Luke Kelly & the Dubliners.
• Ye Vagabonds recently toured with Boygenius, putting Irish folk music on an even bigger stage. (No prizes for guessing who introduced them to Phoebe Bridgers.)
• Fionn Regan has been dubbed “Ireland’s answer to Bob Dylan,” and his music been sampled by the likes of Bon Iver.

Forecasting Ireland's train resurgence

And finally, train enthusiasts, don’t think I’ve forgotten about you! This graphic shows the decline in the Irish rail network over the past 100 years. Notably, none of the artists I mentioned come from the north-west of the country. 

With the folk music scene buzzing once again in Ireland, a more robust railway is the natural next step...

Slán go fóil,

The Wee Seoltóir