|
Altan currently comprises the cream of Irish musicians: fiddler Ciaran
Tourish, Ciaran Curran on bouzouki, Dermot Byrne on accordion, and
guitarists Daithi Sproule and Mark Kelly. On the eve of their second
Australian tour, they are currently having a break in Ireland, having just
completed an exhausting round of touring. Mairead explained how they've
learned to cope with the pressures of constant touring.
"All the band members I've known all my life, playing music in a social way.
In our band, because we've been through such a tragedy, it's made us realize
how trivial the little things are. We all try to compromise to please each
other. We give each other space when we're tired."
Altan emerged from the personal and musical partnership of Mairead and
Frankie. They met when she was 15 years old and became immediate artistic
allies. After making two albums under different names, they recorded Altan
in 1987. The positive response encouraged them to turn professional and
form the group Altan. Through several line up changes and eight albums,
they emerged in fresh contrast to some of the pseudo mystical and New Age
elements that have dominated Irish music, particularly in the early 90's.
A recent development in the band has been the writing of their own original
material, featuring quite prominently on their most recent album Runaway
Sunday. Once again, Mairead's tragic loss appears to have been the
catalyst.
"I've been writing tunes all my life, it was the lyrics I had a problem
with. I think I was afraid to show my true self. I think it was my husband's death that allowed me to be honest. I didn't intend to put the track 'Time has Passed' on the album. It was really written for me, to help me
through, but everyone really liked it so it was included. 'A Moment in Time' is a celebration of the musicians who've helped and inspired us and asked
for nothing in return. The songs are the same style as the music I've been
listening to all my life. It may be a step forward but it doesn't seem to
clash with the other music. The greatest compliment is when people don't
realize that the songs are original."
In 1995, Altan signed a five album deal with Virgin records. Their 1996 album
Blackwater made the Irish popular charts and also the US
Billboard World Music Charts. Both Blackwater and Runaway Sunday have
gone platinum, an incredible feat for what is essentially a non-commercial
band.
"It was a huge thing for a major label to ask a traditional Irish band to go
on their label. They didn't interfere, they said you know what you do
best. We seem to have a long shelf life so it makes a lot of economic sense
to have a band who sell lots of albums on their label. We've never felt
any pressure to change what we do."
Perhaps it is the support of a major label which has allowed them the
freedom to experiment with different musical approaches. They've recorded
with Dolly Parton on her album 'Heart Songs' and their own album 'Runaway
Sunday' featured quite a few eminent American musicians such as Allison
Krauss and Jerry Douglas. Late last year they also performed some dates
with Mary Chapin Carpenter.
With the massive surge of interest in Irish music over recent years, I asked
Mairead where she saw Irish music heading.
"It's becoming an international music. A lot of musicians are playing it,
who are not Irish. People are enjoying playing it � they get a lot of
freedom out of it. They see the rural side of it. When you're stuck in a
concrete building working 9-5, it can help you feel better if you can
imagine a little bit of green countryside."
With this popularization of her own cultural heritage, is she concerned that
it may lose it's intrinsic value?
"No, these things come in waves. It's popular at the moment. What I see is
that it helps to maintain the flow of the music. A lot of the music is
non-commercial anyway. Even if we gave up Altan tomorrow, we'd still be
playing music. So the music doesn't stop when the dollar stops. Most of
the best Irish music is played by people in their own homes and at sessions.
That will never stop and young people are picking up instruments all over
the country. I think Riverdance was great because it was the first time
that Irish musicians got paid properly for their work."
Cathy Bell write a weekly roots music column for the Australian magazines 'The Scene' and 'Rhythms.'
Photo: Dave McKean, © 1997, courtesy of Virgin Records
| 
