A most welcome arrival: Pilgrim St's debut album
Meath-based band Pilgrim St has crowned a two-year run of sold-out theatre and festival shows (minus a corona-interruption) with the release of their long-awaited debut album, 'Ash Into Gold Dust'.
A democracy in the best sense of the word, Pilgrim St’s sound - influenced by bluegrass, old time country and folk music from home and abroad - is based around a stunning selection of songs written by the band’s three songwriters, whose different styles blend beautifully.
Listen to Peadar Farrelly’s 'Never Gets Old' (the first single from the album) nestling alongside Eugene Donegan’s bluesy 'Hurt People Hurt People', Eoin McDonnell’s mandolin-led instrumental 'Go dtí Sin' and Brendan Kelly’s cinematic opener 'Ballad of Anton Dunne' and you’ll understand why the band has built up such a ferocious live reputation over the last couple of years.
Pilgrim St is comprised of Peadar Farrelly (guitar/vocals), Eugene Donegan (banjo/vocals), Eoin McDonnell (mandolin/vocals), Francis McGinn (bass), Mark Lynch (dobro), Brendan Kelly (accordion/vocals) and Cathal McQuaid (fiddle).
Ask any member of Pilgrim St to list their influences and the responses will more than likely be very similar: Any of the grittier characters from Appalachian old-time, bluegrass and the folk canon from both sides of the Atlantic. They might single out Springsteen (particularly in Seeger Sessions mode), Hank Williams or Woody Guthrie, but if you expect them to play some sort of Americana mish-mash, you’d be mistaken. For running deeply through the band’s core is that unmistakably Irish phenomenon, a gift for rousing tales and stirring choruses - hearts wide open and going for broke - just like those loveable predecessors The Pogues or The Saw Doctors.
Pilgrim St have become one of the hardest-working and best-respected bands on the Irish circuit since they first formed four years ago, winning solid approval for their true-grit passion and delivery in theatre and festival venues including Vicar St and Electric Picnic.
Ash Into Gold Dust was co-produced by the band with their long-time live sound engineer Mark Cahill at Crookedwood Studios in County Meath and is available on CD from the band’s web store at https://www.pilgrimst.com/shop