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Worthy of note  After
six years spent nurturing their talent in the natural habitat of the session
circuit one band has taken to the road to bring their unique sound —
a vibrant blend of Celtic connections — to a much wider audience.
And just six months after opening a major Irish music festival in the
capital, wowing an audience of hundreds at a Glasgow showcase and putting
together their debut album it seems there will be no looking back.
Yet as three-piece act The Long Notes prepare to launch an 11-track display
of what they have to offer the nation, they claim their newfound notoriety
hasn’t changed them a bit.
In fact the only female member, Irish-born accordionist Colette O’Leary,
assures us that they will remain grounded because they have never truly
left the birthplace of their band — the well-respected session circuit
which resonates in Camden, North London.
The fresh-faced musician, who hopes to keep her age a secret in the face
of fame, speaks highly and animatedly of her fellow band members —
London Irish banjo and mandolin maestro Brian Kelly and Glaswegian fiddler
and guitarist Jamie Smith.
She said: “Brian, James and I have been getting together for six
years, playing in sessions in places like Camden and Brixton.
“Out of that scene we formed a great connection musically, we liked
playing the same things and so about six months ago we decided to get
together and do it more formally.
“It’s going great and we’ve been on a number of tours
but we still do the sessions, you have to as the two kind of go hand-in-hand
with one another.
“The sessions are what the music generates from; the ideas arise
there as that’s us in our natural habitat and we get to put it all
into action when we are on tour so it’s nice to do both —
it’s very fulfilling.”
Colette was raised in Dublin and moved to Camden in 2001 where unbeknownst
to her at the time her future musical mates were soon to appear.
Hot on her tail came Glaswegian Jamie who joined Camden’s buzzing
traditional scene in 2002.
While All-Ireland and All-Britain champion, Brian lived in Harrow, North
London where he remains and so took the short Tube ride into the musical
melting pot on a regular basis.
The unique style which was born out of their combined Celtic roots has
recently proved a popular choice for some of the country’s largest
traditional music events.
Kerry-born Colette, who works part-time as a teacher, said: “It’s
been an amazing six months and we really haven’t looked back.
“We even opened the Return To Camden Festival in October which was
a great honour as the festival is the highlight of the year for Irish
music in London.
“That was a wonderful experience and we all had a great time but
since then we have played at the Glasgow Celtic Connections Festival which
was our largest audience of about 400 people and very exciting.
“A number of our guest artists on the album were up there with us,
like Ewan Robertson, so it went down great and we got a fantastic response.”
But there is little doubt that the threesome would not carve themselves
a successful career in the music world in adulthood — all were proud
Comhaltas members in their respective home towns in their youth.
Colette said: “It was my mum who started me on the music. I was
learning the accordion at five years old and was in Comhaltas from the
age of nine.
“We were all child members actually. Jamie and Brian were joined
up at branches in Britain and I was back at home.
“So like many other musicians we ended up in these pockets around
the capital where a real passion for Irish music is found.
“I suppose that can be said to exist because of many London Irish
parents who wanted their children to embrace their heritage through its
music.”
And the ensemble has no plans to stop now; in fact they invite you to
join them.
The generous group are offering a free concert, within the hotbed of talent
that bubbles in Camden, to launch their eponymous debut album later this
month.
Colette adds: “Choosing a Camden venue for our launch was definitely
a conscious decision as it’s the focus point for music in North
London.
“Lots of Irish musicians gravitate here and we feel very much at
home in this area as it provides what we love.”
The Long Notes’ one-hour gig is being held at the Underworld at
The World’s End pub on Friday, February 15 at 7.30pm.
The album boasts a mixture of melodic airs, one which is dedicated to
the memory of the legendary Tommy McManamon who played banjo with The
Popes, and tunes with a higher energy.
It draws on a range of Celtic genres from Irish and Scottish to French-Canadian.
To purchase The Long Notes visit www.footstompin.com
For more information or to check out the band go to www.myspace.com/thelongnotes
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