Rakish Brings Celtic-Americana Fusion and James Joyce to the Colorado Front Range
A unique blend of traditional sounds and literary inspiration, the Celtic-Americana duo Rakish is embarking on its first tour of Colorado, with performances scheduled across the Front Range starting October 12.
The duo’s latest album, Now, O Now, released independently last October, demonstrates a striking artistic approach: setting the prose of iconic Irish poet James Joyce to music. The title track directly references Joyce’s work, Now, O Now in This Brown Land, exploring themes of lost love, while “Lightly Come or Lightly Go” draws inspiration from the author’s reflections on experiencing joy in the moment.
“I’m always inspired by the idea of taking a sound and trying to bring whatever that sound is to highly poetic language, bringing poetic ideas to life,” shares a member of the duo. This approach, they explain, echoes the work of bluegrass musician Tony Rice, who similarly set the lyrics of Gordon Lightfoot to music in his 1996 album, Tony Rice Sings Gordon Lightfoot. “It’s James Joyce lyrics, stanzas, then we wrote music to it,” they added.
Since forming in 2018, Rakish has been artfully merging Americana and Celtic music, creating a sound often described as “Celtic electronica” due to its incorporation of drums and electric bass alongside acoustic guitar and fiddle. The band’s instrumental prowess is evident in the work of Maura Shawn Scanlin, a two-time U.S. National Scottish Fiddle Champion and winner of Scotland’s Glenfiddich Fiddle Competition, and Conor Hearn, the guitarist.
Now, O Now represents a departure from Rakish’s 2022 debut, Counting Down the Hours, as it features entirely original compositions, including instrumental pieces – a first for the band. According to a band member, they were “exploring a little bit more of through-composed instrumental music,” moving away from traditional medleys common in Irish music and instead expanding upon individual tunes, incorporating influences from various genres and improvisation.
Scanlin’s songwriting for Now, O Now also draws heavily from personal experiences, particularly her first trip to Prince Edward Island and the realities of a touring musician’s life. Songs like “Lonely Hotel Room” and “Island in the Sea” capture the melancholy and homesickness that can accompany a nomadic lifestyle. “All of them have a little bit of that melancholy about thinking about music and community and musical community and how all those things are a part of this lifestyle that we’re leading,” Scanlin explains. “The beauty and sometimes the more sorrowful elements that comes with that.”
While the album showcases the duo’s artistic depth, Rakish is renowned for its dynamic live performances. Their Colorado run begins on Sunday, October 12, at Swallow Hill in Denver, with support from local trio Salome Songbird. The tour continues with a free house show in Fort Collins on Monday, October 13, and concludes on Tuesday, October 14, at eTown Hall in Boulder.
In keeping with the traditions that inform their music, Scanlin and Hearn aim to create a unique and immersive experience at each show, offering both musical artistry and historical context. “There’s something special about sitting down for an hour and just taking in music all at once, opposed to hearing just one track on streaming. It’s a different energy arch,” Scanlin notes. They also emphasize the importance of providing context to enhance the audience’s emotional connection to the music. “Context can give you a bigger emotional range sometimes,” adds Hearn, who also performs stand-up comedy.
“Expect some good laughs, too,” Scanlin concludes.
Rakish, with Salomé Songbird, will perform at 6 p.m. on Sunday, October 12, at Swallow Hill, located at 71 East Yale Ave. Tickets are $32.
