Fiona Howell’s second solo album “Beyond the Green Fields” is now available on iTunes and anywhere that plays music.
On her second solo album, Fiona Howell is joined by Gaelic Storm’s Katie Grennan (fiddle) and Steve Wehmeyer (bodhrán), Dan Faiella (guitar), Chris Gray (uilleann pipes, percussion, and vocals), and Frederick Reed (guitar and mandolin).
Among the ten tracks on “Beyond the Green Fields” are three original tunes from Howell - “2 Euros,” “Port Blanc,” and “Out on the Wharf.”
Work began on Howell's latest album in August 2019, when the musicians met up in person in Frederick Reed’s Red Barn Studio in upstate New York to record. Their work went virtual in early 2020 with the talented musicians compiling songs remotely.
Howell explains that the cover art for the new album was painted by Chris Gray and comes from a still of a video shot in Connemara in 2017: "We had rented lodgings on a large estate in Connemara with a beautiful woods behind the hunter’s lodge, our rental cottage. That was where the video was shot, in the woods that looked as though it belonged to the fairies."
About Fiona Howell
Fiona Howell plays Irish flute and whistles and sings mostly in Irish. On her dad’s side, Fiona’s great-great-great-grandfather was from Co Roscommon, which, as Fiona points out, is famous for its Irish flute players.
Fiona comes from an eclectic musical background. Her father, who grew up near Memphis, was a DJ which meant there was a lot of early rock’n’roll, blues, and soul music in the house while growing up. She’s the niece of Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth, one half of the rock group Talking Heads. Fiona’s mother was in a band with them, Tom Tom Club.
The only member of her family who plays Celtic music, Fiona says she was inspired as a child by the movie The Secret of Roan Inish. “I identified with the main character, a young girl about my age then also named Fiona. I started by learning the entire soundtrack of the movie, including the songs in Irish. I loved it!”
Among her teachers are John Doyle, Kevin Crawford, Nuala Kennedy, Brian Finnigan, Shannon Heaton, and the band Gaelic Storm.
She released her first solo album 'Crossing the Sea' in 2015. She's also released an album 'The Tide Full In' with the trad band Cróga, as well as a CD with The White Mountain Céilí Band.
Howell's music has been played on RTÉ'S Radió na Gealtachta, the largest radio station for the Irish language in Ireland. She has played the Main Stage at the Celtic Celebration in Belfast, Maine, and was selected to perform on the 'Best Maine of All Thing Irish Maine 2020' live stream concert.
You can learn more about Fiona Howell on her website, Facebook, and YouTube pages.
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