Track of the Day: Ye Vagabonds - 'Go Away and Come Back Hither'

Ye Vagabonds have released a new single ‘Go Away and Come Back Hither’, taken from their forthcoming album for Rough Trade’s River Lea label, Nine Waves. The album is to be released on May 13th.

Featuring the delicate vocals and gentle instrumentation of brothers Diarmuid and Brían Mac Gloinn, 'Go Away and Come Back Hither' is a tale about missing someone close to us. The person you long for the most is the very one you lack, the lyrics describe. The duo harmonise their vocals effortlessly, creating a memorable offering that follows gorgeous recent single 'Blue is the Eye'.

“This song is about the ebb and flow of longing and fulfilment," Diarmuid of Ye Vagabonds explains. "When someone we love is kept from us, we want them more. It’s like inverse magnetism, the further away they are the stronger the pull. It’s an old romantic theme, so I wanted it to have some of the feel of romantic era poetry. The first line and the melody had followed me around for a while until the first lockdown of 2020 when the rest of the song came together.”

Nine Waves was recorded in the Dublin Mountains at Hellfire Studios, produced by John ‘Spud’ Murphy (whose previous work includes records by black midi, Lankum and caroline). The album features 11 tracks of both traditional and original songs and tunes. This new album follows in the wake of the duo’s standalone single 'I’m A Rover', which won them an RTE Radio One Folk Award for Best Traditional Folk Track. Ye Vagabonds were also named Best Folk Group for the second time at the 2021 ceremony, where they hold the record for most awarded artists.

The harmonies and multi-instrumental abilities of the Mac Gloinn brothers were joined on Nine Waves by Kate Ellis (cello) and Caimin Gilmore (double bass), both members of the Irish contemporary classical group Crash Ensemble, and Ryan Hargadon (Anna Mieke, Rachael Lavelle, Kojaque) on piano and saxophone. The record also features concertina from Cormac Begley and harmonium from regular touring member of Ye Vagabonds, Alain McFadden.

Nine Waves is the sixth album to be released by River Lea (run by Geoff Travis, Jeannette Lee and Tim Chipping) following records by Lisa O’Neill, Brìghde Chaimbeul, John Francis Flynn, a compilation of Irish music from the archives compiled by Lankum’s Ian Lynch, and Ye Vagabond’s previous album The Hare’s Lament.

Ye Vagabonds will be touring throughout the UK in May and Irish dates include their album launch Vicar Street, Dublin in June, and Doolin Folk Festival, with more to be announced. Tickets are available here, with all dates below.

Pre-order Nine Waves here.

Revisit Ye Vagabonds' 2019 chat with Hot Press here.

Album Track Listing:

1. Tuaim
2. An Island
3. Lord Gregory
4. Blue Is The Eye
5. The Humours of Glin
6. Go Away and Come Back Hither
7. Joyáil
8. Her Mantle So Green
9. Fuaim
10. The Munster Jig
11. Máire Bhán

Forthcoming Tour Dates:

2nd May - Brudenell, Leeds
3rd May - The King's Arms, Manchester
4th May - Blue Arrow, Glasgow
5th May - Bodega, Nottingham
6th May - Temperance Cafe, Leamington Spa
7th May - King's Place, London
9th May - The Greys, Brighton
10th May - The Redgrave Theatre, Bristol
11th May - Bluestone, Pembrokeshire
12th May - Liverpool Philharmonic, Liverpool
1st June - Fire in The Mountain, Wales
9th June - Vicar St. Dublin Launch Show
11th June - Hebden Bridge Folk Festival, Yorkshire
10-12 June – Doolin Folk Festival, Co. Clare