Hello folks, it’s been a while. Sorry there has been no news from the Dochas camp recently. We’ve been on a bit of a hiatus as 2 of our girls have been on maternity leave. Early last year we started working on a new record and are making plans to go back in to the studio over the coming months and get cracking on with it. Whilst we all continue to work on other projects, we are really looking forward to getting together again to make some music. We will make plans later in the year to start touring the new record so watch this space. We’ll keep you posted! Thanks to you all for your continued support and we hope to see you on the road in the not too distant future.
Posted by Dòchas @ 5:47 pm
We’re excited to be back on the road in a few weeks time for a bunch of dates around Scotland & England. Hope to see a few of you there.
The line up for these gigs is :
Julie Fowlis
Jenna Reid
Kathleen Boyle
Carol-Anne Mackay
Martin O’Neill
And as special guest, Eamon Doorley of Irish supergroup Danu.
Posted by Dòchas @ 3:10 pm
Here’s a live review from our recent gig @ Wetherby Festival, written by Mike Wilson :
Click here to read it
Posted by Dòchas @ 11:58 pm
We’re back on the road in October for a tour throughout Scotland & England, with a quick visit to Spain in between.
Here’s a quick glance of the tour dates.
6th Talla Chàirinis (Carinish Hall), North Uist
11th Brunton Theatre, Musselburgh
12th Buccleuch Centre, Langholm
13th The Store, Dipton, Co. Durham
14th Southport Arts Centre, Southport
18th Lowender Peran Festival, Cornwall
19th The Empire Hall, Graffham
20th Galdames Folk Festival (Bizkaia, Bask Country), Spain
22nd Wetherby Festival, Yorkshire
We are delighted to have, as a special guest for this tour, the talented force of Eamon Doorley from Irish band Danú on bouzouki.
For more details, please see the tour page
Posted by Dòchas @ 12:08 pm
Julie has written a wee blog on her myspace page where you can read about our latest adventures in Argyll. Click here to read it
Posted by Dòchas @ 2:49 pm
After a great Christmas and New Year, we were really looking forward to getting stuck into the Celtic Connections Festival. We were playing in the Old Fruit Market along side Phil Cunningham and friends and had a great time - thanks to everyone for coming out and supporting us - we had a great night - especially to have our Eilidh on the harp for the night! Looking forward to catching you all at the Dochas gigs this year….look out for our news and gigs soon!
Posted by Jenna @ 11:09 pm
DÒCHAS - NATIONAL CENTRE FOR EARLY MUSIC, YORK- 09/10/06
Hell, I could scratch down every cliché to express how impressed I was with this young band of Highland and Island Scottish and Irish traditional folk ambassadors. I could witter on endlessly about how their fast and furious fingerwork was synchronised across melody instruments-pipes, whistle, fiddle and accordion: note perfect delivery combining to create a tighter than tight collective sound. I could wax wistfully while describing the spellbinding mouth music delivered in Gaelic, full of syncopation and representing perfectly the bowing actions and ornamentations of jigs and reels. If I wasn’t so self-restrained I would even stress further how lusciously full the girls’ four part harmonies flowed and have I mentioned the rhythm section yet? One very yielding goat in the form of bodhran, delivering depth, when played with a brush tipper, yet expressing such dynamic accompanied by a rich piano texture. I could do all this, I could you know, because it was worth a lot more, but I will keep this snappy and punchy. One thing to say really. There is always new and astounding talent surging up through every genre and I get a great feeling when I see it first hand. It doesn’t happen too often, but it did tonight. If you love traditional music, watch out for this band, watch out for this band called Dochas.
Dean Saint John- The Talk Magazine Issue 34 - November 2006
Posted by Jenna @ 11:03 pm
Hi folks, I’ve been trying to suss out for a while the best way to get some pics up on the site. Managed to install some software which should make it easier for us all to put up our tour snaps. Just navigate to the Photos tab at the top of the page. Enjoy!
Martin
Posted by Martin @ 7:41 pm
Dochas were on route to Aberdeen at the weekend to play at the Lemon Tree. It was back in January this year that Dochas last performed there and it was great to be back, this time with two very special guests! Angus Lyon and Anna Massie joined us on piano and guitar for the night and they were great - standing in for Kathleen who’s on tour in America with Cherish the Ladies and Eilidh who very recently had a baby girl. We were performing some of our brand new sets which we’re looking forward to recording very soon. The next morning we were on our way to Grampian hospital radio for a wee interview and some tunes!
It was great to see so many folk come out and support the show, so thanks to all of you - also huge thanks to Gavin, Lynne and all the staff at the Lemon Tree for a great welcome - as usual! Next week Dochas will be at the Stirling Tolbooth on the 22nd December - our final show for the year, looking forward to that and seeing you all there - full of Christmas spirit!
So, from Dochas, have a great Christmas and a Happy New Year, all the best for 2007!
Posted by Jenna @ 12:49 pm
Dochas were in the Fort William on Saturday night to support the 2006 Scottish Traditional Music Awards, the first year it has been held in the Highlands and it was a great success. Dochas were delighted to have been nominated for ‘Best Folk Band’. Dochas scooped the ‘Best Up and Coming’ award in 2004 and it was great to have be involved in the awards this year. The award for ‘Best Folk Band’ went to the Anna Massie Band - well done from Dochas Anna!
The night was filled with lots of great music, and Julie and her band were one of the first to take to the stage. Julie performed a great set and took the house down with her beautiful singing and playing.
Martin, however must get the prize for the busiest musician on the night, playing with Julie’s band, the Shona Mooney Band, and the Gordon Duncan tribute.
Jenna was on stage with Harris Playfair and about 30 other musicians to perform as part of ‘Ceol Mor’, an amazing piece of music arranged by Harris, involving students from the Aberdeen Youth Music festival, held earlier in the year.
A great night, and thanks to Simon Thoumire and his crew for putting on such a great night! Slainte!
Posted by Jenna @ 11:50 pm
