Grada

I get a lot of demos from a lot of bands. Some good and others are bad (and really bad). When Pat Garrett of Real Good Music told me about a new band on his roster named Grada, I passed it off as another trad band, that is until I gave their CD a listen. And another listen, and another and another. In fact, it didn't leave the CD player for weeks and is loaded into my I tunes.

Grada are based in Dublin and Galway, Ireland, where they began playing together in 2001. The group draws from a wide range of influences, which has seen them working with Dave Hingerty (ex Frames drummer, now working a lot with Josh Ritter); Vyviene Long (cellist with Damien Rice); and, as a producer, Trevor Hutchinson (Lúnasa, Sharon Shannon, The Waterboys). Further additions have included Dublin based trumpeter Bill Blackmore, and Danish percussionist exrtaordinaire, Rasmus Skovmund.

Grada plays Saturday September 2 at 9:30 and Sunday September 3 at 6:30 on the Boulevard Pub Stage.