The Compass Records Group is excited to announce the signing of Karan Casey, an artist
whose voice has been described as "Angelic. Haunting. Spellbinding." (The Calgary Herald)
and "among the loveliest in folk music..." (The Boston Globe).
Karan Casey is one of the most influential and imitated vocalists in Irish and American folk
music; a natural innovator, she proves that the ancient and the modern make excellent
bedfellows. On Ships in the Forest, her fifth solo album and debut with the Compass
Records Group, Casey's warm, soulful voice ebbs and flows around ballads both timely and
timeless. Produced once again by Donald Shaw (of Capercaillie fame), the album was
recorded at Casey's home in County Cork and features the members of her current touring
band, Caoimhín Vallely (piano), Kate Ellis (cello) and Robbie Overson (guitar) along with
special guests Kris Drever, Niall Vallely and Cillian Vallely.
The songs found on Ships in the Forest range from fresh arrangements of tried and true folk
standards ("Black is the Color of My True Love's Hair" and "Johnny I Hardly Knew Ye") to
"The Fiddle and the Drum", Joni Mitchell's 1969 anti-war madrigal and Martin Furey's
newly-composed "The Town of Athlone". Casey says of the album: "I feel that this is by far
my most ambitious album to date. I think it has taken me all my years as a singer to come to
the point of feeling confident enough to tackle the big songs within the traditional repertoire."
As well as touring extensively with her own band, over the past two years Karan has
performed with Peggy Seeger, Liam Clancy, Solas, Lunasa, Breton guitarist Gilles le Bigot,
Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin, Iarla Ó Lionáird, Karen Matheson and Donald Shaw and was
involved in Mick Moloney and Paul Wagner's Absolutely Irish film project which will be
screened on PBS in 2008.
New ventures for 2008 include The Vallely Brother's Big Band, Karan and Seamus Egan's
new project involving Aoife O'Donovan and Lau, and Niall Vallely's "Turas na
dTaoiseach/Flight of the Earl's" event, which was premiered in Belfast's Grand Opera
House in November 2007 and is to be repeated during 2008 in Louvain, Belgium.
Casey began 2008 with critically acclaimed appearances at the renowned Celtic
Connections festival in Glasgow and will be touring North America throughout February and
March.
To hear samples from Ships in the Forest click here.
For Karan's tour schedule click here.
Press & Promotion Contact:
Stephanie Fields
615.320.7672
stephanie@compassrecords.com
www.compassrecords.com
www.myspace.com/compassrecords
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Compass Records is excited to announce
the signing of Nashville-based alt-country
group The Bittersweets. With a name that
comments on life's often simultaneously
beautiful and dark moments, The
Bittersweets are led by vocalist Hannah
Prater and guitarist/songwriter Chris
Meyers, whose chemistry has been noted
as the kind "that country rock legends are
made of" (Seattle Post-Intelligencer).
Originally a San Francisco based duo, The
Bittersweets' first EP (self-released in
2005), quickly became a KFOG favorite.
This landed Hannah and Chris a three
month stint on KFOG's Local Artist of the
Month series and after his hearing a few
demos, the jumping on board of current
drummer Steve Bowman (Third Eye Blind,
Counting Crows). In 2006 The Bittersweets
released their debut full length album, The
Life You Always Wanted, to resounding
critical acclaim and success. With songs
featured on the ABC drama "Men in Trees"
and the TNT drama "Rapture", it's no
surprise The Bittersweets were praised as
"just plain great" and "clearly destined for
stardom" by the East Bay Express.
The Bittersweets' music has found a
perfect home with Compass Records,
whose burgeoning roots roster touts acts
such as The Waifs, Kane Welch Kaplin and
The Waybacks. Their upcoming new album
(currently untitled) will be released by
Compass Records in the summer of 2008.
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