Devoted

Out 4th September 2026

I spent my early youth searching for the music I knew existed somewhere, the music that would lift my soul. I didn’t find it in my mother’s cracked and scratched collection of musical comedy 78s and I didn’t find it when Bill Haley & the Comets came to Europe in 1956. I nearly found it in the early 45 rpm singles of Rhythm & Blues recorded by the likes of Fats Domino. But…not quite. I found it for a short time with Lonnie Donegan and the Skiffle bands that proliferated a little later and on the sleeve of one of Lonnie’s early EPs I first saw the name that was to motivate me through my life - Woody Guthrie.
I found an album, oddly titled “More Songs by Woody Guthrie and Cisco Houston” as it was the only one available. At home I placed the stylus on the first track and as the needle picked up the very first sound of Columbus Stockade a tingle went down my spine. The instrumental intro was followed by an Oklahoman voice, singing, “Way down in Columbus Stockade, want to be back in Tennessee”. And I knew I had found my treasure!

The notes on the back of the album gave nothing away as to who these two men were; I knew they were American, but the world was a much larger place in those days, and I could find no further information. Were they alive or dead?

Not long after that, somebody introduced me to Pete Seeger and he told me about Woody being incarcerated in Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital in New Jersey. Finally, I was able to make contact. Unfortunately, Woody was unable to hold a pen by this time as he had inherited, full blown, from his mother, the genetic disease which was at that time called Huntingdon’s Chorea, and had little or no control over his limbs.
Letters were written on his behalf by Sid Gleason a lady who, with her husband, Bob, would take him out of the hospital at weekends to be entertained by his friends and admirers. In this fashion I was able to ‘talk’ to Woody and he to me.

It’s not too much to say that we became friends in this way and he made sure that my name was mentioned, along with his more famous friends, in a mimeographed occasional publication called The Woody Guthrie Newsletter. I have it still and it was probably the highlight of my teenage years:

I’ve always been so proud of the fact that Woody and I were friends in this fashion. I began to record songs on tape for Woody and one letter from Sid Gleason, told me how he would sing along with me.

Of course I am not the first person to record an album of Woody Guthrie songs, by any means; many people have done it before me but I would expect my album to be unique in its Irish approach and having studied Woody Guthrie for over sixty years, I would expect it also to have certain recognisable connections to Woody Guthrie’s playing and singing style.

This album has been germinating in my mind for well over thirty years and I am very grateful to the Arts Council here in Ireland for viewing this project positively, so that I have, finally, been able to bring this dream to fruition.

Andy Irvine 2026

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Produced by Flood

Musicians:
Andy Irvine – bouzouki, mandola, bassouki, guitar, harmonica & lead vocal
Dónal Lunny – baritone bouzouki, guitar, backing vocal
Bruce Molsky – fiddle, 5-string banjo & backing vocal
Michael McGoldrick – uilleann pipes, flute & whistle
John Doyle – guitar, mandola & backing vocal
Rens van der Zalm – fiddle, mandolin, guitar & backing vocal
Nikola Parov – accordion, kaval, gadulka, nyckelharpa, violin & Greek bouzouki

Track list:

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