Born out of the ferment of Manchester’s thriving music scene, The Breath is the new band project of former Cinematic Orchestra guitarist Stuart McCallum and singer and lyricist Rioghnach Connolly. Along with McCallum’s fellow Cinematic alumni, pianist John Ellis and drummer Luke Flowers, The Breath mix Irish folk influences with mesmerising guitar riffs, anthemic themes and powerful hooks. Building on McCallum’s distinctive soundscapes, Connolly’s immensely powerful and soulful vocals deliver epic, lush and powerfully raw songs that are hypnotic and heart-achingly beautiful in equal measure.
Occupying an intriguing space somewhere between anthemic rock, chilled ambient and nu-jazz, McCallum’s music allows Connolly to draw on her Irish folk influences with songs of birth and death, social struggle, motherhood and broken hearts. All delivered with a compelling emotional honesty and raw urgency against McCallum’s sublime electronic textures. A Music Net Tour presented by Root Music and Band on the Wall.
Recorded in Manchester and at Real World Studios and mixed by sound guru Tchad Blake, The Breath’s debut album Carry Your Kin was released on Peter Gabriel’s Real World Records in April 2016.
Support tonight is from acoustic guitarist Kirk McElhinney whose soulful lyrics and masterful playing has seen him take to the stage with folk legends such as Bert Jansch and Tommy Emmanuel.
“Kirk’s sound is a melting pot of sonic bliss” – Nitin Sawhney.
“Raw, soulful, often mesmeric, richly textured and lushly constructed” – Mojo
“Contemporary folk meets Bat For Lashes” – Jazzwise
“Ambient, rocking, multi-layered soundscapes” – fRoots
“Cool, drifting ambient folk soul” – The Guardian
“Will take you to places you’ve only seen in dreams” – Midwestrecord.com
*This is a seated show.*
