Brothers Enda & Fergal Scahill and David & Martin Howley–collectively known as Galway-based quartet We Banjo 3—are a decade dedicated to their music, fans, and to their unique craft of bridging the gap between the traditions of Irish and American folk music; a straddling act that few dare attempt and even fewer accomplish. Today, We Banjo 3 released an entirely new collection of songs into the world with their album Open The Road. Meeting on the corner of complex-but-nimble instrumentation and magnetic, well-crafted songs, Open The Road finds the Scahills and Howleys seamlessly combining the virtuosity and precision that both genres demand; whether the Atlantic falls to the east or west of them at any given time, We Banjo 3 preserve the intoxicating energy that’s brought them fans from the world over via their electric stage show and recording studio prowess.
Fans and critics alike have already weighed in on just how much they like We Banjo 3’s latest offering, including NPR, who praised their single “Gift Of Life,” calling it “a soulful meditation on self-discovery, augmented by the tune's innovative combination of instruments.” In their album review, Twangville wrote “Open The Road showcases [We Banjo 3’s] musical mastery,” and Americana UK said that Open The Road is “An absolute pleasure to have on repeat in the car.” JamBase premiered “Gift Of Life” and No Depression called the single “a gem of a song” in their review. In an interview with the band, DittyTV praised Open The Road as “A gorgeous new studio album” from We Banjo 3.
Fans can now stream or purchase Open The Road right here. We Banjo 3 will continue their summer tour this weekend at the legendary Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival in Oak Hill, New York. A full list of tour dates can be found below or at webanjo3.com/tour.
Lastly, don’t miss the premiere of their new video “The Making of Open The Road,” on Friday, July 22 @ 11am PT / 7pm GMT, where the band will join fans on YouTube Live and celebrate 10 years of We Banjo 3.
Open The Road Tracklist:
Hummingbird
Garden Song
Long Way Down
Heart In Hand
Open The Road
Rialto
Gift Of Life
The First Second Gentleman
Alive With You
Believe In Us
Catch We Banjo 3 On Tour:
July 16 - Oak Hill, NY - Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival 2022
July 19 - Rockport, MA - Shalin Liu Performance Center
July 20 - Natick, MA - Center For Arts In Natick
July 29 - Ventura, CA - Ventura Music Festival 2022
July 30 - Denver, CO - Ophelia’s Electric Soapbox
July 31 - Lyons, CO - RockyGrass Festival 2022
Aug. 1 - Crested Butte, CO - Center for the Arts Crested Butte
Aug. 3 - Portsmouth, OH - Vern Riffe Center for the Arts
Aug. 5-7 - Dublin, OH - Dublin Irish Fest 2022
Aug. 9-10 - Bethlehem, PA - MUSIKFEST
Aug. 12 - St. Paul, MN - Irish Fair of Minnesota 2022
Aug. 13 - La Crosse, WI - IrishFest La Crosse 2022
Aug. 14 - St. Paul, MN - Irish Fair of Minnesota 2022
AUG 19 - 21 - Milwaukee, WI - Milwaukee Irish Fest
Sept. 2-4 - Kansas City, MO - Kansas City Irish Festival 2022
Oct. 21 - Frederick, MD - Weinberg Center For The Arts
Oct. 22 - Manteo, NC - Outer Banks Bluegrass Festival
2023 (Rescheduled) Tour Dates:
Jan. 27 - Sacramento, CA - The Sofia
Jan. 29 - Berkeley, CA - Freight & Salvage
Feb. 1 - Flagstaff, AZ - Orpheum Theater
Feb. 2 - Tucson, AZ - Rialto Theatre
Feb. 3 - Wickenburg, AZ - Del E. Webb Center for the Performing Arts
Feb. 4 - Chandler, AZ - Chandler Center for the Arts