Paul Spring

Paul Spring has released 4 albums in the past 2 years. Between 2023’s Always Almost Home “meshing 90s pop and Bach” (MPR) and the “hidden pop gem” (Irish Times) of 2022ʼs Thunderhead, Spring experimented with minimal electronic production and folk. Aquarium Drunkard called his album, 2024’s River Flows Two Ways, “a singular fresh offering as well as a catalogue introduction of sorts.” His most recent album Kind of Heaven was recorded live over 2 days with producer and drummer Jon Nellen (Big Thief, Elucid, Nick Hakim) and features Nick Hakim on piano.

Paul was raised in Saint Cloud, MN and is now based in New York City. He has completed two successful River Canoe tours. In 2015 he spent 48 days paddling 1200 miles down the Mississippi in support of his release Towards a Center. In 2024 he canoed 150 miles down the Hudson in support of River Flows Two Ways. Spring is also a devoted fingerpicking guitarist. In 2021 he released an album of Bach arrangements for 12 string guitar, and since 2022 he has played a weekly gig in Manhattan playing Bach at a small bar.

In addition to his solo work, Paul was lead singer and songwriter of the band Holy Hive until their dissolution in 2021. He has performed live as a background singer for Post Malone on Saturday Night Live and Fleet Foxes for a streaming performance. He has also appeared as a session guitarist and co-writer on Blackthought and El Michels Affair’s Glorious Game, and his guitar playing was sampled on releases by Kenny Beats, Vic Mensa, Kirby, and Thundercat. 

Macdara Ó Faoláin

Macdara Ó Faoláin is a bouzouki player, fiddle player & singer from An Rinn, Co Waterford, renowned for his innovative approach to traditional Irish music. He is currently focused on composing solo bouzouki pieces that seamlessly blend his deep knowledge of harmony with his traditional roots, drawing inspiration from a wide array of genres. As a native Irish speaker, he is also writing new songs in Irish, contributing to both the preservation and evolution of the language through his music.

Macdara performs regularly with collaborators such as Victoria Adiiye and Cormac McCarthy, and frequently accompanies various musicians within the traditional music scene, having developed a distinctive approach to the Irish bouzouki. He is also a member of a trio with Páraic Mac Donnchadha and Pádraic Keane. Their debut album, Beo, a compilation of live recordings from performances across the country, was hailed by the Irish Echo as "one of the best albums of the past few years."

After years of building an impressive discography as an accompanist, Macdara released a solo EP titled Do Shamhlaigh Mé Tír Nua… in 2024, serving as a prelude to his debut album which was launched in early January with a sold-out release show. Both releases were produced by composer and pianist Cormac McCarthy and showcase Macdara both as a solo musician and as a collaborator with McCarthy, Victoria Adiiye, Conor O’Sullivan, Áine Whelan and more. Do Shamlaigh Mé Tír Nua… was recently nominated for album of the year by Nós as well as Macdara being nominated for Best Folk Instrumentalist by the RTÉ Folk Awards. Named the Young Musician of the Year by TG4 in 2024, Macdara is solidifying his place as a significant figure in the world of traditional Irish music.