Emer Dunne to release 'Hourglass', an album of traditional and folk songs

Emer Dunne has been performing for most of her life. At the age of 10, she performed at the Celtic Ball in Rome, before touring Europe and Japan with an Irish dance troop. She subsequently moved on to play her own shows across Europe. She is an entertainer through and through.

With the release of her brand new album, Hourglass (due out October 22, 2021), Emer Dunne is aiming to capture new hearts and win new fans, with her trademark soaring voice. Produced by Bill Shanley, at his Dublin studio, the album is a ten-track offering that successfully fuses traditional Irish music with contemporary folk.

On Hourglass Emer Dunne puts her unique spin on a collection of timeless folk songs – including the Scottish ballad 'Wild Mountain Thyme', Simon and Garfunkel's 'Bridge Over Troubled Water', and the tin whistle-led folk standard 'Scarborough Fair'.

Aided by high-calibre musicians like Gavin Murphy (Celtic Woman), drummer Jason Duffy (The Corrs) and keyboardist James Blennerhassett (Nathan Carter) – among others – Hourglass sees Dunne staying true to the essence of traditional and folk numbers like 'Shenandoah' (an American folk song from the early 19th Century) and 'Come By The Hills' (with words written by Gordon Smith to the tune of 'Buachaill Ón Éirne'), while giving them a fresh, and well polished sound.

Emer Dunne is a trouper. Her true calling may be live performance – with the pandemic temporarily throwing a wrench in those plans! – but Hourglass has been getting plenty of attention already. Both its singles, 'Daisy' (written by Karine Polwart) and 'Wild Mountain Thyme', went to No.1 in the Irish iTunes Charts – showing that there is a hearty appetite for what Hourglass has to offer. Long may it continue.