Tir Na N'og

Tir Na N'og was formed in 1999 when Saskatchewan singer/songwriter Brian Volke moved to Calgary from Regina. After having fronted the band Celtic Clutter for the previous ten years, a new band was needed to fill the void. Brian and multi-instrumentalist Kerri Brown met and decided to form a Celtic duo, with emphasis on Celtic but with influences ranging from the Beatles, Bruce Cockburn, the Who and England's greatest folk band, Led Zeppelin. The duo soon expanded as fiddler Jeff Kiernan joined and added immensely to the sound and attitude of the band. One then two bassists were recruited with R.J. McConnell landing the bass chair. Time went by: Kerri left, to be replaced by Colleen Austin, a great singer from Springhill, Nova Scotia. It is this lineup that produced Tir Na N'og's debut album, "Home Again" in 2003. The current lineup of Tir Na N'og (Christie Simmons - vocals, whistles and guitar; Colin Peters - fiddle, vocals; R.J. McConnell - bass; Brad Uphill - bodhran and percussion and Brian Volke - vocals, guitar and mandolin) has resulted in a free-flowing, vibrant and variegated sound. Now you can hear whistles, fiddle, mandolin, electric guitar, bass and bodhran. You'll hear traditional songs interspersed with contemporary rock, bluegrass, country and pop musical surprises: just when you least suspect them! The arrangements are the thing: Tir Na N'og makes every song their own, whether a traditional, cover or original.