California Irish - The Mountains Are My Friends (Preorder 27/06/25)

California Irish - The Mountains Are My Friends (Preorder 27/06/25)

Label: 7hz -  - 5021732441492
Format: LP, Album, Black
Country: UK
Released: 27th June 2025
Genre: Alternative
Style: Country

Description
Summoning the beguiling spirit of Laurel Canyon, employing analogue recording techniques, and
recording songs in one or two takes to achieve something with a real human touch, California Irish are a
new seven-piece group hailing from Belfast that working their own niche within the world of folk and
Americana, and everything in between.
This new group with a unique sound formed from a combination of players that initially came together
briefly to perform a Neil Young-inspired theatre show production called "Re-Harvest", in which the
musicians who now make up California Irish very successfully performed the classic albums 'Harvest
Moon' and 'Harvest' back-to-back.
The brainchild of the group's lead singer and chief songwriter Cormac Neeson, the band were hand-
picked by Neeson based on long standing friendships, as well as experiences with numerous musical
projects within the thriving Belfast music scene.
The Laurel Canyon influence also extends to the band’s recording technique, adhering rigidly to the
analogue 16 track recording method circa 1969: namely recording live straight to tape at the world-
famous Middle Farm Studios under the watchful eyes and ears of producer Pete Miles.
The resulting sound of California Irish flies in the face of modern techniques that often lose the warmth of
the original compositions. Instead, the group opted for a one off and unique shared human experience
with musicians who feed off each other’s energy and create compelling four-part vocal blends around one
single microphone in a warm alt-folk celebration. The creative process in turn led to an album's worth of
songs tentatively titled “The Mountains Are My Friends”.
Cormac states his reason for starting the band and wanting to harness this fabulous sound: 
"This album is the opposite of boring AI generated no soul perfection. We recorded this album in a room
together over four days allowing the music to breathe when it needed to, looking at each other for our
cues and feeding off each other’s energy. It felt like a dream…but it’s the most real thing I’ve ever done in
music. That Laurel Canyon sound of the late 60s, epitomised by the early Crosby Stills Nash and Young
stuff, and the first few Joni Mitchell records, has always felt otherworldly and magical. On our album we’ve
tried to access some of that beauty and create our own magic by combining brand new music with an old
school recording process."
Introducing the band:
Cormac Neeson (vocals, acoustic guitar, psychedelic cowbell) One previous solo record called ‘White
Feather’. Lead singer of rock band The Answer.
Suzy Coyle (vocals and percussion) Prominent member of the Belfast folk and singer songwriter
fraternity.
Donal Scullion (acoustic, electric guitar, vocals) Childhood friend of Cormac’s, the two having played and
written together most of their lives. Donal also fronts NI Soul Troop and The Vibes. 
Chris Kelly (acoustic, mandolin, electric, vocals) Chris’s Americana band No Oil Paintings are a firm
Northern Irish favourite.
James Doone (bass) James is also in No Oil Paintings, and The Doone Brothers.

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Simon Templeton (piano, hammond, Wurlitzer) Simon is a respected local session player and songwriter.
Conor McCauley (drums) Conor specialises in Jazz and Rock, playing in a number of bands including
Northern Irish rock band New Pagans, as well as a progressive jazz trio.