Clare Sands (IRL) - Live at The Gaso

"Sands excavates into Ireland's ancient myths & landscapes whilst exploring the political exigencies of it's here and now" - Songlines Magazine

Clare Sands is a sixth generation fiddler and bilingual singer from Cork, Ireland. Channeling the music of her ancestors, she weaves Traditional Irish roots with Contemporary sounds and influences, embodying a fearless warrior-like spirit. As well as representing Ireland on global music stages, Clare is a cross-continental swimmer and black belt, with several world medals to her name!

Her eponymous album secured a place among the Irish Times’ Top 5 Folk Albums of 2022, and earned Sands a Best Folk Singer nomination at the Irish Folk Awards. Other notable projects include the ‘hypnotic and tribal’ (BBC Radio 2) Tírdhreacha agus Fuaimdhreacha (Landscapes and Soundscapes) EP, and Gormacha, a musical odyssey that treads a path between the Irish language, folklore and our natural world. Sands' passion for collaboration has led her to work with some of Ireland’s finest folk and traditional musicians, including Hothouse Flowers, Steve Cooney, Susan O’Neill, Niamh Regan, Brian Finnegan and more. 

Recent electrifying live performances include Glastonbury & Cambridge Folk Festival (UK), Fête De la Musique (FR), Festival Cervantino (MEX) and notably, Cygnet Folk Festival Tasmania, where Clare was awarded the Dennis Dubetz Cygnet Folk Festival Award in 2024 after a series of uplifting and energising concerts at the renowned lutruwita festival. 

Showing no signs of slowing down, Sands continues to traverse land and sea, pushing the boundaries of her artistry and exploring new musical frontiers. She brings audiences on a transcendent journey through time and tradition, where past and present converge in a symphony of sound, celebration and spirit. Clare Sands stands as a testament to the enduring power of music to unite and inspire - a troubadour for the modern age, whose melodies resonate across generations and cultures alike.

 **** 

‘Sands reach is wide & deep. This album speaks most of all of resilience & solidarity, of friendship & kinship. This fine debut revels in Sands innate & fearless curiosity, and her insistence on diving deep below the surface. A mighty first step to what promises to be a lifelong expedition.’ 

Siobhán Long, The Irish Times 

********