Shona Kipling + Damien O'Kane
'Folk music's new young heavyweights.'
"If I was to recommend one show to see.it would have to be this one" - Derek Smith, Festival Director, Cwlwm Celtaidd Celtic Festival
"Two musicians at the top of their game, one of whom also happens to be one of the finest singers around.A brilliant album" - JON BODEN (Bellowhead) - on the new album BOX ON
SHONA AND DAMIEN HAVE JUST RELEASED THEIR LONG AWAITED SECOND ALBUM 'Box On'. IT FEATURES GUESTS SUCH AS SCOTS TRADITIONAL MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR 2005 AARON JONES, THE KATHRYN TICKELL BAND'S PETER TICKELL, RACHAEL MCSHANE OF BELLOWHEAD AND CROSSCURRENT, DAVE WOOD OF CROSSCURRENT, AIDAN O'KANE AND REID INGRAM WEIR. RELEASED OCTOBER 6th 2006 on the growing FOCAL MUSIC label and distributed by Proper Music Distribution Ltdwatch this space.
'FERRET PANTING' WHICH IS PROBABLY WHAT YOU'RE HEARING RIGHT NOW, IS ONLY ONE OF THE TRACKS FROM OUR NEW ALBUM 'Box On'. THIS TRACK FEATURES REED INGRAM WEIR ON BODHRAN AND IS ONLY ONE OF THE KICK ASS SETS ON THE ALBUM. WE HOPE YOU ENJOY. www.shonaanddamien.co.uk See Damien's myspace for more www.myspace.com/damienokane
"Imagination, energy, wit and brilliant playing. Shona and Damien are a force to be recokoned with on the folk scene." - Fiona Talkington (BBC Radio 3’s Late Junction)
'.this album is full of good tunes and ear-awakening arrangements, delivered with musicianship of the highest order.' - eds mag
'Outstanding musicianship.' - Daily Telegraph
"Two traditional musicians at the top of their game, one of whom also happens to be one of the finest singers around. A brilliant album." - Jon Boden (Bellowhead / Spiers&Boden)
'.the musicianship of this duo positively sparkles with a gleeful combination of genuinely creative interplay and flexibility.' - netryhthms.co.uk
This duo has been together for three years since meeting at Ethno Sweden. Shona is 23 and hails from Hawthorn Co. Durham, while Damien, 30, is from Coleraine, Co. Derry in Northern Ireland. Shona is a student on the Folk & Traditional Music Degree which is run by the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, the first of its kind ever in the UK. Damien became one of the first graduates from the same degree programme in June 2005. An extremely gifted pairing, this instrumental and vocal duo plays an array of traditional and self-penned tunes and songs originating and influenced mainly from the Irish tradition. Shona 'Watch out Sharon Shannon, here comes the exceedingly good Miss Kipling' (Yorkshire Evening Press) is one of the leading piano accordionists in the country and Damien 'Fret King' (MU Mag) is an outstanding tenor banjo player and guitarist as well as being hailed 'one of the finest singers around' (Jon Boden). Shona and Damien make a sound which is exhilarating, passionate, skilful and unique. ('Live, this duo rocks.' - Irish Music Magazine, August 2006)
Shona began playing accordion aged 11 as physiotherapy following a badly broken arm, and rapidly started winning competitions run by Comhaltas, becoming UK champion twice, and playing in three all-Ireland finals. In 2002 Shona was a finalist in the BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Award competition. In 2003 she was guest accordionist with the Northern Sinfonia in their production of the "Threepenny opera" and in 2004, Shona was the only female and only traditional musician out of 2000 applicants to be awarded one of the first five BBC Fame Academy Bursaries, to enable talented young musicians to develop their professional career.
Damien on tenor banjo, guitar and voice grew up in the same musical tradition as Shona. Also a member of supergroup FLOOK until the end of 2008, he was raised in Coleraine, Co. Derry and featured in three tenor banjo All-Ireland finals before playing all over Europe including Austria, Switzerland and Sweden, in a band with his family. In September 2001, Damien took up residence in Newcastle Upon Tyne to pursue the first degree in Folk & Traditional Music of its kind in England. Damien graduated this year with a higher second class honours. Damien is a much sought after session musician with bands and musicians such as Kate Rusby, Bellowhead, Brian Finnegan others as well as being a member of Flook who disbanded in December 2008. One of Damien’s aims as a tenor banjo player is to raise its profile and increase its popularity in the traditional music scene and he does this through his 'Exceptional articulation and musicality' (Chris Newman).
The duo recorded their debut CD ‘pure chance’ in 2003, which received excellent reviews in fROOTS, The Living Tradition and the Daily Telegraph to name but a few. Shona and Damien started their festival career in the North East in 2003 and appeared at many folk clubs such as the Black Swan, Friday the 13th and the Davy Lamp. They have appeared at many leading folk festivals such as Cambridge, Warwick, Celtic Connections, Sunderland Kite Festival, Whitby folk week as well their first time appearance at the renowned Celtic Colours International Festival in Canada, October 2005. Both are keen teachers of traditional music and have acted as workshop leaders at many festivals and events throughout the country. Along with other musicians, Shona and Damien run a four day music summer school called 'The David Kipling Music Summer School' in County Kerry, Shona's mother's home parish. The school is aimed at reviving Irish traditional music among the youth in the area. They have broadcast live on BBC 3’s Late Junction, The Mike Harding Show, BBC Radio 2 Newcastle, BBC Radio Manchester, BBC Radio Scotland's 'Travelling Folk', Radio Kerry, BBC Radio Shropshire and more. Folk music is certainly safe in the hands of these two fine musicians.
HERES WHAT THEY SAID ABOUT OUR DEBUT ALBUM 'pure chance'
'Genuinely creative.impressive degree of flexibility in their intuitive grasp of a healthy range of tunes' - fROOTS
'These two gifted musicians have rapport which many longer serving duos would envy' - Songbook
'Outstanding musicianship, and also seem to be having fun' - Daily Telegraph
'Watch out Sharon Shannon here comes the exceedingly good Miss Kipling' - Yorkshire Evening Press
'This CD would make you want to catch them live.' - The Living Tradition Magazine
'.ease and professionalism that belies the young age of the artistes.an album to delight any lover of instrumental music.' - Irish Music Magazine
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Shona + Damien are represented by:
- www.focalmusic.co.uk
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