Heron Red EPK

Heron Red's Diverse Lineup

6-piece folk band Heron Red was formed in the fall of 2024 by songwriters Molly Buchan & Callum Wall. A fresh take on a Waterboys-like arrangement, mama's and papa's style harmonies, and classic 60s and 70s folk-style songwriting.

The duo draws inspiration from Wall's experience growing up in Sligo, witnessing legends like The Waterboys' Steve Wickham at sessions in Shoot the Crows, and other local legends such as Dervish lighting up the Hawkswell Theatre. Buchan draws inspiration from Shanely's bar in Clonakilty, where guitarist Bill Shanely of Mary Black and Paul Brady's band would light up the ears of punters attending his monthly session. This rich environment the two songwriters grew up in, with inspiration drawn from Americana acts such as The Mamas & The Papas, Dolly Parton, and Bob Dylan, is the bed of all the duo's creations.

Each song is meticulously arranged by the other four members of the Heron Red Band. Affriac Brophy and Domhnall Roe, two prolific fiddle players in their own right, take the songs to searing heights reminiscent of The Waterboys or The Frames, while guitarist Josh Hackett and drummer Cam Tehan settle in a groove similar to Creadance or The Band.

What We've Been Up To

The band has played close to 100 shows in the past three years. These shows span from renowned venues and festivals to intimate sessions in pubs across Ireland, the UK, and Europe. From the intimate charm of Leos Tavern in Doneygal to the high ceilings of Cork City Hall, the wet fields of All Together Now & Electric Picnic, Victorious Festival in Portsmouth, Galway Folk Festival, Output Festival in Belfast, and the Auld Shillalegh in Stokenewington, Heron Red can be found anywhere.

Heron Red's momentum has continued to grow this year, with over 75,000 streams on their debut EP and over 5.5 million views on their TikTok page.

Some recent highlights include being selected to play for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on their 2025 annual global exhibition in Ireland, supporting Irish legends like Bell X1 and Damien Dempsey; their huge run of festivals this past summer, playing festivals like Electric Picnic, All Together Now and the Feabdh Cheoil; appearing in the Netflix series 'Grown Ups'; and selling out their first headline show in The Cobblestone, Dublin on the back of their first UK & Ireland tour.

Debut Album - 'Heron Red Live in Cladagh'

Heron Red self-released their first EP in the winter of 2025, which to date has amassed over 75,000 streams on Spotify. The four-track EP was recorded by a friend of the band, Daniel DeBurca, producer of Ambles' breakout debut EP ‘Amble Live’. Though this experience was enjoyed by the band, the decision was made to strip things back for this debut album and record everything live in Cladagh Cottage in Kenstown, Co. Meath. Taking inspiration from the feel of The Waterboys' album ‘Fisherman's Box’, the album is a less concise, more authentic sound, an exact replica of the experience a fan of the band would hear at a live show.

The decision to record this album live was made after the band scrapped two songs recorded in the studio earlier this year. The band was happy with the songs themselves, but something wasn't quite right for them. In a world full of “perfectly produced” million-dollar pop songs and AI slop that replicates that sound, the band needed their songs to be heard as they are felt when experiencing the band pour their souls into them live. This is how ‘Heron Red Live in Cladagh’ was born: 14 tracks, sculpted for two years and recorded in two days.

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