A rock band in a tea cup

TOM Malone’s Market House Bar in Miltown Malbay will present American folk band Session Americana on Thursday, September 27.
Session Americana, who have their roots in Boston, describe themselves as a rock band in a tea cup, or possibly a folk band in a whiskey bottle. The six-piece band collective of talented musicians offer an anything-could-happen show.
Described as bringing a kind of ease and genuineness to this timeless music, the band sometimes present the latest batch of original songs and sometimes reach back into the depths of the American song bag.
They come to Clare following the release of their newest album, Love and Dirt, which is a cohesive collection of songs, a playfully irreverent take on roots music with an edgy experimental side. The record was tracked by Matt Malikowski and noted producer, engineer and mixer Paul Q Kolderie, known for his work with the Pixies, Radiohead, Hole, Dinosaur Jr, Throwing Muses, Morphine and the Mighty Mighty Bosstones.
An essential part of Session Americana is collaboration and spontaneity.
This is not their first time playing in Miltown Malbay, as band member Ry Cavanaugh explained.
“We were there a couple of years ago and, in fact, I was in Lahinch last February with another band I play with, The Henry Girls. As part of our tour, we are playing three nights at the Cork Folk Festival. We always enjoy coming to Clare. It’s always a good place to be. I think each time I’ve been touring in Ireland, I do end up in Clare every time. There is just so much music here and so it seems like a natural place to go and do a gig. The venues are intimate and it’s a bit out of the way but it’s nice to have those shows in the middle of a tour,” he said.
He explained the group has a strong following in Ireland, so much so that the last time they were in Miltown, they met a very devoted fan, who had travelled the distance to see them.
“We were walking on the beach there and we met a little boy, who was dressed exactly like I was. He had come from Dublin for the gig and he was just eight-years-old and he knew all the words to the songs,” Ry said.
Session Americana takes to the stage at 9pm at Tom Malone’s Market House Bar and tickets are available at the door.