‘Ghost on the Waves’ is the new macronic single from Cork-born, Belfast-based sixth-generation fiddler and contemporary folk singer, Clare Sands, which you can watch the new video for below. Clare, who recently performed at ‘El Cervantino,’ Latin America’s largest music and arts festival, has unveiled this haunting West Kerry-inspired song ahead of UK dates which kick off tonight in London’s Green Note before heading around England and up to Scotland.
After the release of her ‘bold and beautiful’ self-titled album (Top 5 Folk albums of 2022 – The Irish Times), Sands has returned this year with four new songs, alongside four new collaborators. This four-part music and film project, ‘Gormacha’, [pronounced GUR-MA-KA] treads a musical path between the four most extreme geographical points in Ireland – Mizen, Malin, Dunmore and Wicklow Head. Tracing the line between rugged land and stormy seas, Gormacha interweaves Irish folklore, language, and personal responses to our natural world.
Clare said of the new song: “Our time ‘west of the west’ was truly magic. Aisling and I met while studying music in UCC in 2015 and this song was the coming together of two kindred spirits after many years apart. We come from the same place musically and the writing and recording of this song came together so easily – all over two days. There were many swims, mountain climbs, and late night tunes. The song was inspired by the old Irish story ‘Tóraíocht Dhiarmada agus Ghráinne’. I think it’s so important to pass these stories and songs on to the next generation, ensuring their survival, whilst giving them an open invitation to let their imaginations run wild!”
“The chorus – ‘Maireann an lá go ruaig, maireann an grá go huaigh’ – meaning ‘a day lasts until it’s chased away, but love lasts until the grave’ – brings a huge air of hope, resilience and light to the song, offering solace that the love for the people and traditions that we hold dear will live on.”
The accompanying video was directed and shot by visual artists and twin sisters Liadain and Kasia Kaminska, who spent two days exploring Dunmore head and Chorcha Dhuibhne. They recall, “As we journeyed and filmed, without yet hearing the song, we were really drawn to the moving waters, shifting light and whispers of the land. We must have been drinking water from the same cup as Clare and Aisling, because the film and song met beautifully in the middle of this mystical yet deeply rooted world.”
You can head to Clare’s website for ticket links and more information here.
Clare Sands UK Headline Tour 2023:
3rd November: LONDON • Green Note
4th November: LEAMINGTON SPA • The Temperance
5th November: YORK • National Centre for Early Music
6th November: SHEFFIELD • The Greystones
7th November: HULL • Wrecking Ball
9th November: EDINBURGH • The Caves *support Project Smok
12th November: ABERDEEN • The Blue Lamp
14th November: GLASGOW • The Hug & Pint
