Beyond excited to announce the launch of my new album and show at The Sugar Club, Dublin on July 1st!

As many of you will know, the show Port, produced by Droichead Arts Centre, is a song-cycle written during my tenure as Artist in Association at Droichead Arts Centre in 2019.

Tickets: https://www.droichead.com/show-detail/?id=873634975

“An ambitious project undertaken without the benefit of a safety net, Port sees Droichead Arts Centre artist-in-association SJ McArdle compose a song cycle about the vibrant history of (and “imagined stories” connected to) Drogheda Port. For the performance, McArdle will be joined by – for this writer’s pitiful pile of money – one of the best female voices out there, Carol Keogh.” – Tony Clayton-Lea, The Irish Times

Along with critically-acclaimed Dublin vocalist Carol Keogh (Plague Monkeys, Automata, The Wicc) the seven-piece band for Port also includes double-bassist Trevor Hutchinson (Lúnasa, The Waterboys), keyboard player and arranger Graham Henderson (Moving Hearts, Atlantic Arc Orchestra, Sinéad O’Connor), pianist Josh Johnston (Roesy, Kila), vocalist and actor John Ruddy and fiddle player Barry Kieran (Kern).

Also launching on the night is my brand new album “Old Ghosts In The Water”, which features songs from the show and is produced by Trevor Hutchinson. Along with members of the live band, the album features performances from accordion legend Dermot Byrne (Altan, Declan O’Rourke), Dundalk flute player Nuala Kennedy (The Alt) and uilleann piper Brendan McCreanor (Kern).

Port is produced by Droichead Arts Centre, with funding from the Arts Council and Louth County Council and with sponsorship from Drogheda Port.

The Old Ghosts in the Water album was made with the deeply appreciated support of Droichead Arts Centre, Create Louth and the Arts Council Ireland Covid-19 Response Award.