Irish singer-writer and musician Brona McVittie has deftly steered traditional folk into the 21st century with her recent debut solo album We Are the Wildlife. Her unusual blend of voice, Harp and electronics has won her plaudits across the board from the Guardian and Mojo to 6 Music as well as here on Folk Radio UK where We Are Wildlife was a Featured Album of the Month. Her subtle use of electronics cleverly brings out the more understated nuances of the folk tradition and the result is something quite unique.
First and foremost a singer, Brona is also a trained micro-biologist and her self-penned songs are often imbued with elements of the natural world. A deep reflection on the interconnectedness of things natural and manmade…in his review of the album Thomas Blake wrote:
“We Are The Wildlife is an album of duality and dichotomy: there is the appreciation of the city (in this case London) that shapes and is shaped by human patterns of behaviour, and there is the natural sonic patterning McVittie finds in the Mountains of Mourne in rural County Down. There are hearty traditional songs, full of truths passed down orally through the ages, and there are melodically complex original compositions, richly textured and enigmatic. And then there is the implicit understanding that one side of the coin can’t exist without the other. McVittie is an heir to an Irish musical heritage steeped in these rich complexities and apparent contradictions, where the need to travel to large cities and to be amongst large groups of people is often keenly offset by a deep longing for home, for solitude and wilderness.” Thomas Blake, Folk Radio UK (full review here).
Accompanying herself on Harp and electronics, Brona will also be joined by Anne Garner (flute, backing vocals), Myles Cochran (slide guitar) and Marius Rodrigues (drums).
Kings Place, York Way, London N1 9AG
Tickets £18.50
Box Office: 020 7520 1490
https://www.kingsplace.co.uk
Brona McVittie Tour Dates
5 Dec – Kings Place, London
20 Jan – The Black Box, Belfast
26 Jan – St Georges, Bristol
27 Jan – Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow (Celtic Connections)
http://bronamcvittie.corkbots.com/