Folk sensation Niamh Bury to drop debut album

One of the most lauded new talents to emerge from Ireland’s unparalleled folk music scene in recent years, Niamh Bury, is about to release her anticipated debut album.

Coming out on 29 March, ‘Yellow Roses’ features ten exquisitely crafted songs, including the singles ‘Beehive’, ‘Who Am I To Tell Him?’, ‘Discovery’, and ‘Budapest’.

With the album release comes new single ‘Bite The Bridle’, a song Bury wrote directly after an encounter she had with a horse in Dublin’s tourist heartland, Temple Bar.

“It was a hot summer evening, and the driver had just loaded six large men into her carriage,” Dury recalls.

“She wouldn’t budge, but started to stomp her hooves on the cobblestones, as sparks started to fly. The driver simply remarked, ‘She’s not happy about something’.

“It made me think of the ways we ignore the needs of ourselves and other beings just to keep the cogs turning. There comes a point when the bridle must be broken and we run for the hills.”

Bury debuted her first single, the mesmerising ‘Beehive’, in July 2023.

Her vocals and songwriting prowess are rightfully lauded, but the technically skilled musicianship possessed by Niamh is so evident on ‘Yellow Roses’ that it cannot be overlooked in what is described as an incredibly accomplished debut record.

Her music encompasses a diverse range of influences from artists like Fiona Apple, Bright Eyes and Paul Simon, as well as the amalgam of folk, classical, jazz, and alt-rock music that formed such an integral part of her childhood.

Bury grew up in a musical household on Dublin’s northside. Her mother is a classically trained pianist, and her father is a guitarist and singer.

“My mum is the classical side of my brain; she’s an amazing piano player. She plays Rachmaninov, Chopin. There was always a lot of classical music in the house, and my mum would often take me to the National Concert Hall,” says Bury.

She continues: “My dad is more like the folk side of me; he’s an amazing guitarist and singer. He’s a great showman and a storyteller – and he has the most beautiful voice.”

This intricate mix of influences is apparent on ‘Yellow Roses’, from the sublime piano intro on album opener ‘Discovery’, to the closing bars of ‘Budapest’, with its delicate piano, cello, and double bass.

Bury’s deep understanding of the storytelling elements of folk music are evident on her rendition of the traditional ‘Lovely Adam’ and her original ‘Ballad of Margaret Reed’, a song about a widow who was accused of being a witch and was subsequently burned at the stake.

“The witch trials are a subject of fascination for me and the ripples of their implications are very much present today with the ostracisation of anyone who threatens the power of the patriarchy,” says Bury.

Last December, Bury stunned audiences at Other Voices Dingle where she played three very special sets. 2024 began with Niamh being named in The Irish Times’ noted 50 People to Watch in 2024 list, shortlisted in the Best Emerging Artist category at the RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards, invited to perform at The London Irish Centre, and added to the Tradition Now line-up at the National Concert Hall in Dublin.

Next month will see Bury embark upon a live tour of Ireland and the UK, with a visit to Winthrop Avenue at the Old Oak in Cork city on 24 April.

To pre-order ‘Yellow Roses’, visit claddaghrecords.com.

For more information and tickets, see niamhbury.com.