Been A While!

Dear Friends,

It’s been a while since we’ve posted any news but it’s been a great year and then some for Gallowglass. Dear Ruin continues to move folks and generate interest and we’re happy people are loving it.

We’ve been building audience in the Central Oregon area as well as on Whidbey Island, as you can see by our past and upcoming shows.

There are several new songs in the works and that have made it onto the very recent set lists, as we continue to do the deep dive on songs we love to render for you.

Please let your Portland and Corvallis, Oregon, and your Whidbey Island friends know about our upcoming dates if you’ve got a moment to do so.

Also we’ve listed one house concert in Albany, Oregon, and there are two more scheduled for this summer - it’s very lovely and special thing to consider to plan with family and friends. We don’t play many weddings these days, but it still can happen, and there’s a big one in October we’re looking forward to.

Our friend and photographer Abbie Kunch took some great shots at our recent performance at Mount Baker Theater for the March 15 Lookout Session show, we’ll get them up soon!

Dear Ruin Is Out & About!

Hi All,

Thanks to all who attended our sold out performance of ‘Dear Ruin, and now that it’s been in the world for just one month, (YaY!), we’ve been really excited and touched for the reviews coming in. Here are just a couple::

“Wonderful band, wonderful range of songs, not the usual. Lovely singing and the blend of musicians is fantastic. It’s a really good album that’ll definitely get plenty of plays on Ceolplay” - Colum King, Ceolplay Radio, Dublin

“What a beautiful and masterful recording. First- the recording quality is just lovely. More important of course, is what the music is like. I love both Jan and Mishon’s voices, and both of their singing is very very good! Also so love the interplay of bouzouki and harmonica and flute. Arrangements feel truly rooted yet so musically imaginative and impeccably played. I loved what they’ve done with rhythmic changes within songs, and with whole songs themselves (never thought I’d enjoy Believe Me If So much). This is really a wonderful piece of work. Thanks for the listen. Hope you get all the success you deserve (a lot!).” - Kevin Carr, musician and storyteller, Wake The Dead

“It’s truly unique, which is not easy to do, and is beautifully arranged and produced. It delivered everything it promises from the very first notes, is technically and soulfully mature, even daring, and superbly played. Not a note or rhythm out of place. I hope you win some grand folk award for it!” - Patty Chambers, Lindsay Street Band

” The singing is marvelous, and Mishon and Jan both have the kind of completely ‘natural’ and genuine-sounding voices that make this collection of songs as appealing as they are convincing. As other reviewers have noted, the four of you have managed to combine the instrumental and singing traditions of Ireland and Scotland in a way that works uniquely well., and the result is that the music presented feels simultaneously traditional and fresh…NOT an easy accomplishment!” - Becky Deryckx, traditional Irish musician, Skagit Valley, WA

And thank you to all of you who have written to us your praises, we’re letting each word sink right in!

Mixes Are Done & Two Upcoming Shows Including Album Release Concert!

Hey All,

It’s been a most fantastic Summer of shows, from our three “Fourth Fridays at Boundary Bay” in the garden, to the Bellingham Celtic Festival of 2023. All went so well and were very fun. Thanks to those of you who attended!

Well, we’ve just finished mixing the 10th song on our upcoming Debut Album…. next we’ll have it mastered in Seattle, and then off to the CD printers! And, of course, we’ll publish the songs to the online streaming places such as Spotify etc. We’re planning for everything to be done by our Album Release Concert on December 17, at The New Prospect Theater. This is on the show calendar here and a ticket link will be added sometime late October or early November.

In the meantime, we’re excited about the next show which is November 4 at the Jansen Art Center in Lynden, WA. Ticket link for this will be forthcoming very soon and for this show we’re going to have fun pulling out some old chestnuts, introducing some new numbers, and featuring a few cool tune sets.

Hope to see you in November and/or December!

Mixes Are Coming In Now....

Hey All,

We’re just now getting the first mixes in on the debut album…. and it’s sounding GREAT! More to come soon.

2023!

Hey All,

Well we’ve done it…. we’ve committed to recording dates at Empty Sea Studios starting early April. You’ll be hearing more from us as we ramp up to do this and generate a crowd funding campaign that we hope you’ll join and share.

One more show at Black Fern on January 13, then it’s all about getting ready to make our first album until the big annual Firehouse Arts Center show on March 18 for St Pat’s Weekend with Schmid & Guest! Ticket link will be forthcoming.

We’re so grateful to all of you who have come to our shows all through 2022, bringing friends and family, and we’ll be seeing you soon in person and/or on line!

2022

Hey Friends,

It’s been a year since we’ve posted any news…. guess we’re all so busy we’ve neglected this sector of our site.

But as one can see from our shows listings, it’s been a good year for getting out and playing shows. Not only that we’re still rehearsing weekly and slowly ramping up to launch a crowd funding campaign to record an EP!

I’ll leave off for the moment saying our summer monthly of 2nd Wednesdays at Boundary Bay Brewery in the Garden there were everything we’d hoped. Thanks to all who attended and helped spread the word for each show grew in audience from the one before such that the August and September shows were packed with friends and fans and we had amazing sound from the garden stage thanks to the BBB team.

And! Our set for the Bellingham Celtic Festival was a gas, the whole festival was amazing, not to be missed!

Cayley Schmid does a nearly unfathomably incredible job booking and organizing the annual Bellingham Celtic and Folk Festivals!

Oh and we’re trying a new zone on November 2, Black Fern Coffee, Wine, & Food in the Granary Building, 6-8pm. Hope to see you there, the venue is very supportive of working to create a ‘listening zone’ so we can all commune in the music together.

Irish Festival and Next Concert!

We are so grateful for the chance to have performed in concert for the 2021 Bellingham Irish Festival. And what a treat to have Irish fiddle master Dale Russ join us on our slide jig version of Bob Dylan’s ‘North Country Fair’.

Our next concert is coming right up Saturday November 6 at the Jansen Art Center in Lynden, WA. Find the link on our Shows listing and we hope to see you there!

A Celtic Music Autumnal Evening

We're excited to play Skylark's Music, Food, & Drink Garden Friday September 17, 5-8

Performance & Recent News

Hello Friends! As you may be noticing, LIVE MUSIC IS RETURNING!

• We have our first show since the pandemic hit coming right up on July 8, in the Boundary Bay Brewery Beer Garden from 5-7:30PM.

Please join us we’ve missed you more than we can say.

• We've been invited to play the American Roots Concert Series at Deception Pass! This will in an amazing setting and on Saturday July 17, 7-8PM. The free concert series features local artists performing a variety of music styles in celebration of traditional folk music from the Pacific Northwest.

This series is accessible to persons with disabilities. If special accommodations are required in order to attend the event, or for more info call the park office at (360) 675-3767 or the Washington Telecommunications Relay Service (800) 833-6388. Requests must be made in advance.

• Hotel Leopold in Downtown Bellingham is now having acoustic music in their gorgeous new bar areas - We’ll be in there Thursday August 5 & Thursday September 2, 6-8:30, pure acoustic! Come experience a deep vibe with us that you’ll help to create.

• Thursday September 9th we return to Boundary Bay Brewery’s Beer Garden for a Happy Hour Show, 5-7:30

• We’re booked at the 2021 STRINGBAND JAMBOREE! We’ll be on Saturday on the Main Stage (time TBA), and Thursday for the late night acoustic set in Corner Coral

The live attendance will be limited this year to a set number of fully vaccinated adults and the SSJ be beautifully livestreamed like as we did last year. Check out the Jamboree site linked above for all details!

• Also we’ve been officially booked to play the 2021 Bellingham Irish Festival. We’ll be at the Sylvia Center of The Arts on Friday evening October 8!

• Saturday Nov. 6 - 7:30 PM at The Jansen Art Center in Lynden, WA

Here’s a phone capture in rehearsal of a new song we’ve been putting together,

‘Wild Rover’