SJ McArdle

Kern are at Newry & Mourne Museum, Bagenal’s Castle, at 7:30pm this coming Friday (September 16th) for a special free Culture Night gig. Please come early, as seats are limited. Details here.

The live show has been getting some nice notices lately. Here’s a lovely review of our Belfast show with Altan a couple of weeks ago in The Thin Air where Ian Patterson talks about our “dashing blend of traditional folk and contemporary songwriting”.

And in an interview with RTE.ie, Darren Thornton, director of new Irish film sensation A Date For Mad Mary called our last Dundalk show “electric” and “visceral” and “One of the best gigs I’ve been to in a long time”. Read the full piece here.

Speaking of “A Date For Mad Mary”, if you see the film you can hear one of SJ’s songs performed by Tara Lee in the character of Jess. It’s a beautiful movie and highly recommended. It’s hilarious and sad and genuinely romantic. Go see it!

There are some new Kern dates up on the Live page, including shows in Belfast (opening for Altan on August 27th), Newry and Dundalk. Check it out!

Meanwhile, here are some shots from our triumphant Spirit Store debut. We’re back on October 20th!

Some lovely reviews in for False Deceiver. Links:

The Irish Echo

Irish Music Magazine

Best of Music and Film

Folkwords

TradConnect

Also, if you’re not on Facebook or Twitter, you may have missed our recent adventures at Drogheda Arts Festival, Willie Clancy Summer School, Vantastival, The Pat Kenny Show, RTE Raidio na Gaeltachta and Highland Radio in Donegal. Here’s a collage.

Two events SJ is involved in at this year’s Drogheda Arts Festival:

Kern will be closing the festival with a performance at 6pm in the Great Hall of Beaulieu House on bank holiday Monday May 2nd.

Tickets are available here – http://droghedaartsfestival.ie/events/traditional-arts/kern/

And for the third year in a row, SJ will also be curating SOLO, a series of intimate, unamplified performances in the chapel of Beaulieu House on the afternoon of the same day. This year’s acts are songwriting legend Mark Geary, Rotterdam’s mesmerising Kalulu and Drogheda’s own Claire Regan. Details here –http://droghedaartsfestival.ie/events/music/solo-at-beaulieu-sounds-beautiful/

Looks like a great day of music!

Spent a great afternoon with Kern at BBC Radio Ulster yesterday recording a session for Marty Cullen’s New Voices series. TX date is next Tuesday.

The new Kern album, False Deceiver, is available now from iTunes, Google Play and Amazon digital – head on over to the shop page for links. CD copies will be available online soon.

The response has been terrific so far – a glowing review in the US’s biggest Irish newspaper, the Irish Echo and plenty of radio play from RTE Radio na Gaeltachta, Radio 1, BBC Northern Ireland and a host of tasty, clued in local and regional stations.

Thanks everyone!

FEBRUARY 26th will see the full release of SJ’s new album with Kern, False Deceiver.

There will be a special launch gig at 8pm that night in Dublin‘s Unitarian Church.

Tickets are free, but must be booked. Full details here.

Excited to confirm that the Kern album False Deceiver is now due for release in February 2016. You can get a sneak preview of four tracks from the album by visiting the band’s Soundcloud page here.

Have a lovely Christmas everyone!

SJ

This Saturday (November 28th) we are doing a special local album launch of Kern’s forthcoming False Deceiver album.

The record won’t officially be out until the new year, but this launch will tie in with Drogheda Trad Weekend. Joining us on the night will be the album’s producer Trevor Hutchinson on bass and MC Dermot Somers.

It’s a free event, but tickets are flying out, so book now to avoid disappointment! Tickets.

This week saw our final studio day. The Kern album is finally completed. We’re still a bit close to it to be objective, but we’re happy. It’s certainly a big departure for me. Hopefully you’ll love it.

Release news to follow.