Day in the life – Burnchurch

Burnchurch, a bilingual band hailing from Kilkenny, is quickly making waves in the Irish music scene. Composed of talented siblings and a friend, their unique blend of traditional Irish music with modern pop elements has captured the hearts of audiences across the country.

It's incredible to see how far the band has come since hosting their St. Patrick's Day Virtual Parade Concert in 2021. Their composition, 'Ringwalk', which served as the soundtrack to Katie Taylor's walk to the ring, has garnered attention from a global audience of millions, showcasing their talent on an international scale. Additionally, their official Kilkenny Hurling Song, 'Coming Home', was a massive hit among Kilkenny hurling fans.

From a family of eight, the band members balance their music career and other commitments very well. Sadhbh Ní Chasaide is studying Speech and Language Therapy in Trinity, Síofra Ní Chasaide is a second-year medical student, while Éanna Ó Casaide is in the thick of the Leaving Cert and Ruairí Ó Casaide is in Transition Year in the CBS.  

Their first Album (EP) ‘Maidin’ is an exciting milestone for the band. It's evident that they continue to evolve, as this album promises to be a superb bilingual representation of new Irish music. In this exclusive interview, it's clear that they're destined for great things...

The rumour is that Burnchurch could be the next Corrs. How do you feel about that?  

Wow, we'll take that! It’s funny as we have been referenced to the Corrs a few times and we are always so flattered at the comparison. I suppose there are similarities with us being family and having strong traditional Irish music elements throughout our music.  

The Corrs also have strong sibling harmonies, which is called ‘blood harmony’ in music. It’s when family members sing together, and their voices naturally blend well because they share similar genetic traits. It creates a smooth and harmonious sound, especially in bands with siblings.

Can you introduce yourselves and tell us how Burnchurch came together?

We are a four-piece group from Kilkenny made up of two pairs of brothers and sisters who all sing in both English and Irish. Sadhbh plays the fiddle and piano, Síofra plays the flute and piano. While brothers Éanna is the band’s producer, on keys, and pipes with Ruairí playing the pipes, and bass. We also have friends joining us too and for our EP launch we were delighted to have Ciaran O’Dwyer from Thomastown on drums and guitar. 

Our journey began with a shared love for music, rooted deeply in our Irish heritage. Our music is a tapestry of rock, jazz, pop, and trad. The idea of fusing traditional Irish sounds with pop elements to make a new Irish sound excited us, and Burnchurch was born during Covid out of that passion.

The band’s name is quite unique. Where does it come from?

Burnchurch is not blasphemous, actually the name Burnchurch pays homage to our homeland of Burnchurch in Kilkenny. It's a nod to the historical significance of our parish and the rich cultural heritage of our community.

In Burnchurch there is an amazing old Norman Castle, where we shot a video for RTE’s Up for the Match when Kilkenny was playing in the All-Ireland Hurling Final last year. That was incredible as hundreds of people from our local community came out to support us and to sing along. It was a brilliant location for the video.

How did it feel to have your song played on RTE's Up for the Match Hurling All-Ireland show?

It was an incredible experience to hear our song featured on Up for the Match. The show has a massive audience, and knowing that our song reached so many people, especially during such an important sporting event, was truly gratifying.

Can you tell us more about Katie Taylor using your song for her walkout to the ring?

/Oh, it was an amazing feeling! Katie Taylor is such an inspiring athlete and knowing that she chose our song for her walkout was truly an honour. Seeing our music embraced in such a prominent sporting event in the 3Arena was surreal and humbling.

It was also a hectic week for us too as our cousin Sibéal Ní Chasaide was singing the national anthem for Katie Taylor’s walkout, but they also needed an Irish, rocky upbeat energetic tune for Kate to walk out to.

When we got the call to produce the track, we had only 24 hours to do it. We worked all through the night rejigging ‘Coming Home’ for the ringside and they loved it. It was played in front of 7,000 people in the 3Arena and televised to multiple millions of people in over 50 countries. We were so grateful to Katie Taylor and her team for choosing our song and for the ring side tickets too!

Your music is deeply rooted in Irish heritage. How do you draw inspiration you’re your cultural background?

Growing up surrounded by Irish music and instruments has deeply influenced our sound. When we were small, it was mainly Irish and classical music that we listened to until we hit the teenage years when we were exposed to pop music. Then the fusions of both began to blend for us.

We draw inspiration from our cultural heritage, infusing traditional Irish melodies and themes into our music. The fusion of genres was introduced to us at a very young age because our dad is Seathrún Ó Casaide of the renowned band, ‘Na Casaidigh’. So, it comes natural to us.

Our upbringing in an Irish-speaking family has also shaped our approach, allowing us to incorporate elements of the Irish language into our songs and make a new sound in Irish music.

We can talk about music all day, but the best way for people to gauge what we do is to listen to the new EP!

Your EP launch was a huge success on Friday night, with a packed house in the Pembroke Hotel. How does it feel to receive such overwhelming support?

The turnout at our EP Launch gave us a great lift, and there was a real buzz on the night. To see the community come together and embrace our music was an incredible feeling. The crowd was massive and the energy on the night was infectious. It's moments like these that fuel our passion and drive us to continue pursuing our musical journey.

In Kilkenny we have the best music people living here and some of them came along to support us. For example, at the launch, there was Jed Parle of Broderick Sound who is the best sound engineer in the country and toured the world with Iron Maiden for 20 years.

We were also delighted to have Leo Pearson there who is one of the most celebrated Irish music producers. Leo has worked with the likes of U2, Elvis Costello, Christy Moore, The Script and put the Corrs on the road with their first album. We are so lucky because now he is involved with Burnchurch.

Martin Bridgeman who is also a good family friend and did a great job MCing on the night. The Pembroke Hotel were so generous pulling out all the stops on the night. From the very start their team have been great allies of Burnchurch. When they got word that we were doing a launch, they contacted us and offered to sponsor it. It’s a fantastic place for a gig - like a smaller version of Vicar Street, and we can’t wait to do another gig there sometime soon.

Looking ahead, what are your plans for the future?  

We're exploring opportunities for touring to share our music with a wider audience. We are delighted to go back to the Electric Picnic again. This year we have been asked to headline An Puball Gaeilge.

We are also hoping to put out a few more singles or an album later in the year. Since the EP launch and the overwhelming support we received, we think it's time to tease out possibilities for management and a label.

Additionally, we're open to collaborations and eager to work with other artists who share our passion for blending traditional Irish music with contemporary sounds.

You all feel very lucky to grow up in Kilkenny.

The music scene in Kilkenny has greatly helped us between the Piper Club, the schools we have attended and the array of festivals. It is widely recognised that Kilkenny is ahead of the game in terms of festivals and it is largely thanks to Marian Flannery and the committees.

We love showcasing how brilliant Kilkenny is as a city in our videos, such as our most recent video for our new song, ‘Feeling’ which was shot on a roof in the city and shows a gorgeous view of Kilkenny Castle and the ferric wheel that was up for St. Patrick’s Festival in the background.

 www.burnchurch.com

Check out Burnchurch’s EP: https://open.spotify.com/album/6FtFT2N3Qx1C1O3H2GPDLK?si=IuKDIukURaSeIzMbYAv8Lg