Last year, Penzance-based singer/songwriter Sarah McQuaid released her fourth solo album Walking Into White. Whilst she’s well known for her interpretations of traditional Irish and Appalachian folk songs, Elizabethan Ballads, and 1930s jazz numbers, her originals are equally compelling and inventive as this album demonstrated, a fine showcase of her musical eclecticism.
Sarah’s warmth and stage presence have made her tours one of the highlights of the year for many. Her latest road trip will be her final UK tour before taking a break to record a new album, as well as penning a sequel to The Irish DADGAD Guitar Book, the popular tutor she authored on the alternative guitar tuning method that she uses. “I’d like to do a follow-up book that focuses on song accompaniment and that demonstrates the versatility of DADGAD,” Sarah explains. “A lot of people think of it as a specifically ‘Celtic’ tuning, but I write all my songs in DADGAD, and it’s great for all sorts of different genres, from blues to classical music to rock ’n’ roll.
“I’m also very excited about the next album – I don’t want to say too much just yet, cos I’m afraid I’ll jinx it if I do, but if all goes according to plan I’ll have a pretty major piece of news about that very soon!
“And after spending a huge chunk of the past seven years on the road I do feel I’ve earned a bit of a break. I’ll still do local gigs, and I’ll also do festivals that only take me away from home for a couple of days at a time – there are a number of festivals that I haven’t been able to get to because I’m always away on tour in other countries when they’re happening, so it’ll be great to be actually available for those. “For example, I’ve just been booked for the Costa del Folk Festival on the island of Ibiza in April 2017, and if that offer had come up last year or the year before, I’d have had to say no – so I’m very happy that it came at a point when I could say yes. But mostly I really want to be able to focus on the new album. Like I already said, watch this space!”
Sarah McQuaid UK Tour Dates
Nov 03 St Austell: Restormel Arts @ The Bosuns Charlestown
Nov 04 Burton-Upon-Trent: The Brewtown Folk Club
Nov 05 Bracknell: Artree Live, South Hill Park Arts Centre
Nov 06 West Totton (Southampton): Hanger Farm Arts Centre
Nov 07 Croydon Folk Club
Nov 08 Cambridge: Strummers Music
Nov 11 Cardigan: The Cellar
Nov 12 Buxton: The Green Man Gallery
Nov 13 Halifax: Square Chapel Centre For The Arts
Nov 14 Stirling Folk Club
Nov 15 Edinburgh: Leith Folk Club
Nov 16 Corran: The Ceilidh House & Heritage Centre
Nov 17 Morpeth: Gallery 45
Nov 18 Leeds: HEART – Headingley Enterprise and Arts Centre
Nov 19 Liverpool Acoustic @ View Two Gallery
Nov 22 St Neots Folk Club
Nov 23 Keighley: Exchange Arts Centre
Nov 24 Scarborough: Woodend Gallery
Nov 25 Tewkesbury: The Roses
Nov 26 Combe Martin: Shammick Acoustic
Nov 27 Tavistock: The Wharf
Nov 29 Topsham: The Bridge Inn
Dec 01 Redruth: Regal Theatre