The Sullivan Brothers & Brand New Companions

The Sullivan Brothers & Brand New Companions (left to right): Shane Sullivan, Paddy Chanders, Tom Hanway, Adrian Sullivan

Tom Hanway reports:

After a rugged year on the dusty ol’ country music trail, I have decided to hang up my boots, start a new adventure, and so have joined forces with the Sullivan Brothers to form 'Brand New Companions'. We played our first show (okay, our first rehearsal) at Colfer’s Pub in Carrig-on-Bannow on 15 March. It was a lovely, focused audience who cheered us on all night long. We brought the house down, left them wanting more, and later joined in the traditional session, which Colfer’s, John and Pip Murphy are famous for hosting. Halfway through the night, John approached me about playing his late-July festival, the 17th Phil Murphy Weekend, along with dear old friends, bluegrass-country diva Valerie Smith & Liberty Pike, featuring amazing fiddler Becky Buller, also one of the most gifted bluegrass songwriters in the business. I was ecstatic and eager, but it wasn’t my call. I told him that this was my first time with the lads, who had only approached me in January about working with them (during his 4th Annual Bluegrass/Roots show). It all just came together and the Brand New Companions, featuring the Sullivan Brothers, were formed on the spot. We all agreed to play Phil Murphy Weekend (26-27 July).

I am in seventh heaven, feeling new musical energy, and look forward to collaborating on songs, singing and playing my Stelling SwallowTail and Nechville Meteor (acoustic-electric) banjos, maybe other instruments, with this gifted and original musical team. Our first full-scale concert appearances will be on 24-25 April (Thursday and Friday) at the Punchestown Racing Festival. Stay tuned here for more developments.