Sheelanagig - St. Congar’s Walking Stick

Sheelanagig are Aaron Catlow (fiddle and vocals), John Blakeley (drums and percussion), Alex Garden (guitar and vocals), Jon Short (double bass and vocals), and Luke Phillips (flute and vocals), a Bristol based quintet blending the traditional sounds of the British Isles, the energetic tunes of Balkan music, and various contemporary influences from further afield. They celebrate the 20th anniversary of the foundation of the band with St. Congar’s Walking Stick, a new, adventurous seven track album that confirms their unique place in the folk scene.

The album takes its name from a legend involving a local 6th century saint, and the title track is arguably the best one for appreciating the distinctive voice of this collective. From the foot-tapping Shivering Betty to the airy The Divint Gan Radge, the album alternates the resolute pace of English tunes with the asymmetric rhythm of Slavonic melodies, incorporating elements from other genres like rock and Klezmer music.

The band’s line up has slightly shifted over two decades, but the core chemistry among the members remains the same. Catlow’s fiddle is the melodic engine of the quintet, Short and Blakeley build a solid rhythmic substrate, whilst Phillips and Garden, the latter also handling production duties, provide a new, crisp touch to the ensemble’s voice. The result is an immediate, highly enjoyable, and slightly irreverent take on centuries-old material, sounding fresh in the hands of these five virtuosic artists.

Playful, uplifting, suspended between the Somerset Levels and the steep ridges of the Balkans, St. Congar’s Walking Stick showcases the band’s exquisite technical skills, managing, at the same time, to sound genuine and alive.