Whileaway an evening in harmony

TALENTED TRIO?Galway band The Whileaways.

Westport Folk and Bluegrass Festival headliners in 2013, The Whileaways return to Westport next week to play in Matt Molloy’s Yard Bar, Bridge Street, as part of their national tour. The band  is comprised of three distinct voices that combine to weave a beguiling tapestry of harmonies and beautifully crafted original songs. Their sound is true, their performances gloriously engaging.
Noriana Kennedy, Nicola Joyce and Noelie McDonnell came to know each other’s singing over a number of years, playing in sessions in the folk melting pot of Galway city. Dipping their toe in the water as a trio, they were hailed as ‘a knockout of the festival’ at the legendary Port Fairy Folk Festival, Australia in 2012.
Their debut album in 2013 was dubbed an ‘audacious debut’, ‘rich in its lyrical tapestry’. It received four stars in the Irish Times and RTÉ Album of the Week.  
Since their first release, they have performed on some of the most prestigious stages, including Tonder Folk Festival, Sligo Live and The Open House Festival in Belfast.  The Whileaways’ second album, ‘Saltwater Kisses’, released last year, ensures that they continue to cut a confident trail in roots music and woo audiences with their sincerity and perfect simplicity.
The Whileaways performed on last Friday night’s Late Late Show and recently launched the 2016 Temple Bar Trad Fest.
Each of the three band members has also had successful solo careers. Noriana Kennedy’s solo album ‘Ebb n Flow’ received rave reviews in Ireland and as far off as Australia, where she was acknowledged as ‘an exceptional young artist with a rare ability’ (ABC Australia).
Nicola Joyce has recorded and toured extensively as the leader singer with the group GrΡda, working with folk stalwart and Grammy winner Tim O’Brien along the way. Earl Hitchener of The Wall Street Journal described her as a ‘a magnificent vocalist who sings with sheer beauty and poignancy’.
Dubbed ‘startlingly good’ by The New York Post, Noelie McDonnell spent two months in the iTunes Top 10 folk album charts and has three solo albums to his credit.

The Whileaways will perform in Matt Molloy’s Yard Bar on Thursday, February 4, at 8.30pm. Admission €10.