Fourteen years on the road and eight albums under the belt can leave some musicians tired and emotional. Alternatively it can keep the fire roaring in the belly. Joanie Madden, Cherish The Ladies’ chief cook and bottlewasher has never been too partial to the autopilot route in traditional music. Now, with CTL’s reputation as fine musicians well established, they’re boldly going into the breach with a rake of new songs, and with accompaniment from an even wider rake of fine musicians (from Pete Seeger to Liam Clancy, Arlo Guthrie, Brian Kennedy, Tom Chapin, Luka Bloom and Eric Weissberg (of ‘Duelling Banjos’ fame). The Girls Won’t Leave The Boys Alone is not quite the incarnation we’re used to, is it?

Madden laughs raucously down the phone line from Galway, where she’s been ensconced for a couple of days’ r ‘n’ r before the circus around the album release kicks in.

“It was fantastic to end up working with some of my heroes like Matt Molloy and Liam Ó Floinn”, she offers, “and I’m pretty happy with it. It’s hard when you do a record like this, because we got to the studio, we shook hands and kissed, and then we figured out what to do. It’s very different when you’re just working with your own band, because you’ve already worked out all the arrangements. This time we had to cut to the chase and come up with the arrangements then and there.

A standout is Ewan McColl’s ‘Freeborn Man Of The Common People’, a gorgeous reading of which is offered by Liam Clancy.

“I always loved hearing Liam singing that song so I asked him to do it again”, she recalls. “And then Davy Spillane and Kevin Glackin were in New York at the time, as was Eric Weissberg, who had played with the Clancy Brothers 40 years ago on The Boys Won’t Leave The Girls Alone. Then Pete Seeger joined us, and he told us he’d given Eric his first lessons on the banjo.

As for the momentum of the band, Madden doesn’t see it losing speed any day soon.

“I never imagined when we started out 14 years ago that we’d still be together”, she smiles, “but you know, it’s not slowing down at all. In fact it looks like this locomotive is speeding right up!

Madden’s nonplussed by the suggestion that CTL are in danger of losing their identity amid the plethora of fine musicians who consort with them with such intent on the new album. For her, the priority has always been the quality of the music, and that’s not likely to change, she insists.

“At this stage, it’s about maintaining the level of integrity that we’ve come to be known for, and keeping the standard of musicianship and virtuosity up there.”

With Deirdre Connolly recently joining the ranks as CTL’s singer, they’ve replenished the stocks and are chomping at the bit for the road.

“Deirdre’s voice is just so magnificent”, Madden says, “and it just feels like we haven’t had to plot a course. All of this has just happened, and we’re delighted that the album’s finally out and that we’re going to get to play

it!”

The Girls Won’t Leave The Boys Alone is in the shops now