*** TRACTON MUSIC & ARTS FESTIVAL ***

We are delighted to welcome John Blek & The Broken Strings, Paddy Dennehy & Lorraine Nash to our festival stage! 

Friday 30th June at 8pm

Inkwell Theatre, Minane Bridge - Stretchtent Outdoor Stage (covered area but bring warm clothes just in case) 

Ticket: €25 plus booking fee

Guests: Paddy Dennehy & Lorraine N

JOHN BLEK & THE BROKEN STRINGS will be embarking on their first tour of Europe in early 2024. But before that they will play a short run of shows in June/July '23. The trio consists of Irish songwriter John Blek, Dresden based cellist Moritz Brümmer and Leipzig based viola player Filip Sommer. The group met in July of 2022 for the first time while on an artist in residence programme in the Saxony countryside just outside Dresden. Blek had been commissioned to write a suite of songs by the Free State of Saxony and record them at Castle Studios, Röhrsdorf, DE. Brümmer and Sommer were also working on this session and the trio gelled to great effect. Working together in an inspired and fluid way. It was the blend of their traditional classical training and their improvisational skills that impressed John and led him to invite Brümmer and Sommer to join him on tour. There is a sense of freedom and joy in the playing of this group. The rise and fall of ensemble string playing mixed with the fingerpicking guitar style and emotive lyricism of Blek's songs. True synergy is achieved when they perform together.

PADDY DENNEHY - As a child Paddy would rush to get a guitar or play the piano very loudly in the hopes that you might hear it and request a song before you left. He was not imbued with a keen sense of subtlety or restraint but he has been working on this over the years. His first real sense of feeling a connection to music was listening to Mick Flannery perform ‘Evening Train’ on the ‘Late Late Show’. From here there is a clear trajectory of influences - Mick Flannery led him to Tom Waits. Tom Waits led Paddy to Randy Newman who would lead on to Nick Cave. Other influences would surface in later years but Flannery, Waits, Newman and Cave have formed the bedrock of Paddy’s music. When he started writing his second album, Paddy lived alone on his father’s small farm in County Limerick. It was a long way from anywhere and afforded him plenty of time to think, write
and play with everything on full volume. It was both cathartic and challenging. His forthcoming album is called ‘Love and Be Brave’, and that’s it. That’s the point of the album. Love bravely, never passively and don’t take love as a given thing in this world. It must be earned and protected fiercely. If you make it to one of his shows be sure to come and say hi afterwards and tell him who you’re listening to at the moment. His second album will be released on the 25th of May 2023. The latest single ‘If I Can’t’ will be released on the 9th of March.

“Little Light is a captivating, heart-wrenching showcase of how powerful folk music can be.” - Hotpress Magazine
“This man is a rare talent.” - Rolling Stone France
"You really couldn’t wish for a more impressive debut album” - FortitudeMagazine.co.uk

Irish songwriter LORRAINE NASH has been steadily building her audience since the release of her debut EP ‘Wildflower’ in 2020. Quickly attracting the attention of Ireland’s music industry with her evocative songwriting and stunning vocals, while receiving praise for the lyrical beauty of her songs. Lorraine has built a loyal fan base with a string of stunning performances. She has been teasing new music from her upcoming debut album, All That I Can Be, due in May 2023. At the core of Lorraine’s songwriting is a blend of trad, folk and blues traditions. Drawing on a background of traditional singing, the multi-instrumentalist incorporates the traditional lilt into her live show. Taking inspiration from songwriting legends Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan and Carole King - fused with contemporary influences like Norah Jones, Gillian Welsh, Billie Marten, Lucy Rose, Gabrielle Aplin and Laura Marling - Lorraine creates stunning, image-laden songs. Lorraine has performed at the Irish music industry event, Music Cork, Autumn Air festival, Tradfest and Galway Folk Festival, and impressed on national Irish TV's Today Show, with her breakout single ‘Winter Sun’. She has shared the stage with renowned Irish musicians John Spillane, Jack O’Rourke and The Lost Brothers Lorraine has received huge support from Irish radio with her singles ‘Wolves’, ‘Sing With Her’, ‘Winter Sun’, and ‘Changing Tides’ spending many weeks on the national broadcaster’s weekly Recommends Playlist, reaching audiences of 1.5 million listeners. According to the Gender Disparity Data Report compiled by WhyNotHer, Lorraine was one of the most played female artists on RTÉ Radio 1 in 2020. 

“Lorraine Nash is a skilled musician and talented lyricist who is developing her voice but deserves your attention now. As she sings on ‘Breathe’: “I threw stones in the ocean, set the water in motion. ” She could be describing what will hopefully be the start of something special for her.” — Americana UK
“a bright young vocal talent and versatile multi-instrumentalist” — Irish Examiner
“Irish folk is in ruddy good health thanks to the likes of Lankum, Ye Vagabonds and John Francis Flynn. Kerry’s Lorraine Nash will likely soon join their ranks. The young folk singer does a fine line in robustly penned compositions that are beautifully sung and sensitively arranged” – John Meagher, Irish
Independent
“The release (Wildflower single) marks the 21 - year -old multi-instrumentalist as a compelling new presence in Ireland’s thriving scene. Performing since she was seven, Lorraine’s debut EP is set to showcase her impressive chops across piano, guitar, harp, flute and violin. Her original material draws influence from an eclectic range of styles, including Irish trad – while allowing her own unique voice to shine through”— Hot Press

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Please note, tickets cannot be refunded after purchase, unless the event is cancelled or rescheduled by us, in which case we will contact you to arrange a refund.