David Murphy & The Ether Ensemble

David Murphy takes the pedal steel guitar outside the confines of its traditional roots with frequent  ventures into a range of genres, spanning Americana and folk to ambient, experimental music and  film soundtracks and is best known for his work with artists such as The Lost Brothers, John Blek,  Ordnance Survey, Arborist, The Delines, Willy Vlautin, M.Ward and Jolie Holland amongst others. His  debut album ‘Cuimhne Ghlinn: Explorations in Irish Music for Pedal Steel Guitar’ (Rollercoaster  Records) takes it from the well-worn roads of the dusty American south to a new place in  contemporary Irish music. His all-instrumental debut recasts ancient Irish harp tunes and historic airs  into the 21st century with the swelling, expressive and mournful sounds of the pedal steel guitar. This continues Murphy’s quest to expand the vocabulary of the instrument, taking it deeper into a  world much closer to home and, for the very first time, present it in a modern Irish framework. 

Murphy’s live show presents these ancient Irish harp tunes and historic airs by O’Carolan, O’Riada et  al in the 21st century, voiced by the mysterious and emotive sound of the pedal steel guitar and  accompanied with his band Ether Ensemble: all-star musicians from across contemporary, modern classical and traditional/folk worlds. Here the pedal steel ably takes its place alongside cello, violin,  piano, harp and lush electronic textures and synths. Murphy and his band conjure a palette of sparse,  dreamlike, atmospheric soundscapes and stirring, cinematic takes of these culturally significant  compositions and melodies from Ireland’s great harpists, composers, and song collectors.