On the Road Again: new Frankie Gavin & De Dannan lineup are off!

Frankie began playing the fiddle somewhat reluctantly (“Doesn’t it make a lot of squeaks when you’re learning?”) at the age of ten, urged on by his older brother Sean, and by the age of 17, in 1973, had won the All-Ireland championships in both fiddle and flute. He formed De Dannan with friend Alec Finn the following year. Remarking on his influences at the time of the Fierce Traditional album, he said, “A lot of the music is firmly based in the 1920s playing of James Morrison, my all-time favorite fiddle player; another hero isthe late Tommy Potts – his musical brain was extraordinary.” I caught up with Frankie Gavin at the end of June:

Where do you call home these days?

I’m back home in Ireland in Oughterard, County Galway; however, I did live in Austin, Texas, Charlottesville and Peachtree City, Georgia for a while. I met and know amazing people in the U.S., especially in Virginia and Georgia, and a few real decent friends in Louisiana too.

What have you been up to of late? Tell us about your current band, Hibernian Rhapsody.

I’ve been working with Hibernian Rhapsody for about four years and it has been very enjoyable and exciting too. We did a U.S. tour recently with The Women of Ireland and The Dublin Philharmonic Orchestra. Three months on the road and it was a great success. We were working with Columbia Artists Management and played an array of beautiful halls and performing arts centers, and had a ball. The Women of Ireland, I should mention, are nominated in the Ireland’s Music Awards this year; the ceremony is in Castlebar County Mayo this August.

You yourself have beennominated in two categories.

Yes, one nomination is in the “Best Crossover Act” category for my work with Hibernian Rhapsody. We’re in there with The Chieftains and Sharon Shannon and some other greats. The other nomination is in the “Best Duo” category, which I share with my good friend Maírtín O’Connor, the accordion player.

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