As Canadian folk singer-songwriter Irish Mythen prepares for her fifth Australian tour, she says there is just one thing that keeps bringing her back down under.
“Absolutely no other reason than the Australians,” she says. “They are freaking brilliant with their new music and when they find people that they like they're like a rabid dog, I love it. I have more contact with Australians asking about how my tours are going than I do any other group of people, it's just fantastic. They really get behind you, they give a crap about what you're doing and if you're true with them they're true with you.
“As well, it's the bloody country – what a privilege to be able to go around your country, I mean holy crap. It's an incredible space and I feel really lucky to be able to do it time and time again.”
Irish's upcoming tour has her traipsing across the nation from January for both her own headline shows plus performances at some of our biggest folk festivals, including her second time at Woodford Folk Festival and her third at Bluesfest.
“I was really lucky enough to be given the opportunity to play Woodford in 2015, and when I did that it just exploded from there,” Irish says.
“So Woodford really kicked me off, and then of course being able to play the festivals that followed but really it was Woodford that kicked it all off. Everyone says they saw me at Woodford first; bam, what an intro!”
It was an introduction that sparked something of a love affair between Irish and her Australian fans that is as real as they come. “Aussies know a bullsh.tter when they see one so you've got to be authentic, and it's one of the things I love to do,” she says. “When I sing onstage I'm singing from the heart, I'm not taking the piss – it's a real-deal thing because that's the way I am when I'm off the stage as well.
“That's what I love about the likes of Woodford and the likes of Bluesfest, is that you're walking along with these people and you think you're anonymous but the people are coming up saying 'big fan' and I can't believe they even recognise me but they're just that good at keeping tabs on the artists they like. It's an absolute privilege.”
Irish will be bringing with her a wide selection of music from her previous three albums – 'Sweet Necessity' (2008), 'Open Here' (2011) and 'Irish Mythen' (2015) – as well as her forthcoming new album she aims to release in 2019.
“There's a full-length new album that's a bit of a departure for me because there's a couple of guests on there that are singing as well,” Irish explains.
“It's a little bit more political, maybe topical, than I'm used to in the other albums. We live in a funny time so it's beautiful fodder for folk writers. There's some new songs, some new banter and I just can't wait to get over there and start playing, I'm champing at the bit already.”
Irish Mythen Tour 2019
28 Dec-1 Jan - Woodford Folk Festival (Sunshine Coast)Wed 2 Jan - Byron Theatre (Byron Bay)
Thu 3 Jan - The Old Museum (Brisbane)
Fri 4 Jan - 5 Church Street (Bellingen)
Sat 5 Jan - Odd Fellows Hall (Kempsey)
Sun 6 Jan - Rhythm Hut (Gosford)
Thu 10 Jan - Rosny Barn (Hobart)
11-13 Jan - Cygnet Folk Festival
Thu 17 Jan - Brass Monkey (Sydney)
Fri 18 Jan - Leadbelly (Sydney)
19-20 Jan - Illawarra Folk Festival
Fri 1 Feb - The Caravan Club (Melbourne)
Sat 2 Feb - The Spotted Mallard (Melbourne)
Thu 7 Feb - Lizotte’s (Newcastle)
Sat 9 Feb - Metropole (Blue Mountains)
Sun 10 Feb - Humpf Hall (Sydney)
18-19 Apr - Byron Bay Bluesfest
20-22 Apr - National Folk Festival (Canberra)
