Dublin's I Draw Slow Tours Northeast with New Album, 'Turn Your Face To The Sun'

Courtesy: McGuckin PR

DUBLIN, Ireland — I Draw Slow has already won over audiences in their home country of Ireland and in many parts of North America. But the band hopes to capture many more stateside hearts with a northeastern tour starting April 20 in Philadelphia, and the April 21 release of their Compass Records debut, Turn Your Face to the Sun.

Dublin siblings Dave and Louise Holden, the songwriting vocalists who front I Draw Slow, share a love of American folk and Irish storytelling traditions, which they combine with close-harmony vocals, intriguing instrumentation and compelling subject matter; on their new album, they examine loss, the darker side of human nature and the uplift of redemption. ​

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With Dave on acoustic guitar, Adrian Hart on violin, Colin Derham on clawhammer banjo and Konrad Liddy on double bass, the band has earned a reputation as festival favorites. They’ve appeared at MerleFest, Pickathon, Wintergrass, RockyGrass, Grey Fox, Red Wing and Edmonton Folk Fest, and more festival dates are in the works. Meanwhile, they’re looking forward to hitting stages in New York, Nashville, North Carolina and elsewhere.

The band first drew attention beyond Ireland’s shores with their 2011 release, Redhills. With a prominent Spotify playlist placement and a video suggesting both an 1890s bordello and a 1920s speakeasy, the song “Goldmine” became the album’s breakout track. Their follow-up, 2014’s White Wave Chapel, reached No. 2 on Ireland’s iTunes chart, driven in part by the video for “Valentine,” which featured Game of Thrones star Aidan Gillen. 

Louise Holden’s smooth, seemingly effortless alto-to-soprano vocals and Dave’s equally warm, elastic baritone-to-tenor range are beguiling enough; when they add instrumentation, their songs gain even more drama. The combination has earned them reviews such as the Irish Independent’s rave, “I Draw Slow are one of the most beguiling and singular acts currently on the circuit.”

Catch them at the following venues, and be on the lookout for Turn Your Face to the Sun.

I Draw Slow April tour dates
April 20 – Philadelphia Folksong Society, Philadelphia, Pa.
April 21 – Rockwood Music Hall Stage 3, New York, N.Y. (two shows) 
April 22 – La Tourelle Music Hall, Ithaca, N.Y. 
April 23 – The Nelson Odeon, Nelson, N.Y.  
April 25 – Duke Family Performance Hall, Davidson College, Davidson, N.C.
April 26 – Isis Music Hall, Asheville, N.C.
April 27 – City Winery, Nashville, Tenn. 
April 29 – MerleFest, Wilkesboro, N.C.
April 30 – Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital, Washington, D.C.

I Draw Slow online
Website: idrawslow.wordpress.com
Facebook: facebook.com/idrawslow
Twitter: twitter.com/idrawslo