CROWDFUNDING RADAR: The Carroll Sisters Trio, Scottish Fish, and The Irish & Celtic Music Podcast

So much of American roots music is steeped in Celtic tradition. As British and Irish settlers came to America in the 18^th and 19^th centuries, they brought their favorite folk songs with them. As these songs passed down through generations, they became the Appalachian songs so loved today. “The Wexford Girl” became “The Knoxville Girl,” as those singers adapt it to their new home.

But Celtic music hasn’t remained stagnant or stuck in the past. A new generation of young artists, many of whom are American, are not only reviving the old traditional songs, but creating new Celtic music to keep the genre fresh. This month highlights two album projects from young American Celtic bands and a Patreon page from a more experienced artist who is out to ensure those youngsters get heard.

The Carroll Sisters Trio- Second Album

The Carroll Sisters Trio began as a duo, with sisters Emilie and Nora Carroll turning their lifelong love of Celtic fiddle into their first album, 2021’s Daybreak. But the Trio really began to come together back in 2020, when their friend and cellist Sammy Wetstein began doing livestreamed concerts with the sisters during the pandemic. Still in their teens and early 20s, The Carroll Sisters Trio have already amassed an impressive resume, from playing The Boston Celtic Music Festival and Sober St. Patrick’s Day in NYC to being named one of the 2022 Top 10 Celtic Bands by the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast. The Carroll Sisters Trio has begun recording their, as yet untitled, second album and are running a $6,000 Kickstarter campaign to raise funds. The album will be available for preorder in digital and CD formats. Other backer perks include a signed copy of Daybreak, an online music lesson (fiddle, cello, or piano), a livestream concert, and a commissioned song written by the band.

Scottish Fish- Fourth Studio Album

Scottish Fish is a Boston-based quintet of fiddlers and a cellist who, despite being in their early 20s, have been playing together for more than a decade and have released three previous albums. They’ve toured extensively across the United States and Europe and played festivals like the Boston Celtic Music Festival, Bellingham Celtic Festival, and Ortigueira’s Festival of Celtic World. Their sound blends Scottish and Cape Breton musical styles in both traditional and original compositions. Now, the band is back in the studio with producer and composer Neil Perlman, who produced their last record, to work on a fourth studio album. They’re running an $18,000 Kickstarter campaign and have already passed that goal, so they’re currently in stretch funding territory. Rewards include the album in digital, CD, and vinyl formats. Backer perks include an “artist’s notebook” with information about each track and the process of recording the album, a chance to have your vocals included on one track, a cover song of choice, or an original song written by the band.

The Irish & Celtic Music Podcast Patreon

Unlike the other two artists featured in this month’s column, Marc Gunn is not a young artist. Both as a solo artist and as a duo with The Brobdingnagian Bards, Gunn has been releasing Celtic music independently since 1999. He’s also an early adopter of the podcast, first launching his Irish & Celtic Music Podcast back in 2005. Since that time, he’s been a tireless promoter of independent Celtic music of all varieties, intentionally skipping artists on major labels for those who take the more DIY approach. He supports his Irish & Celtic Music Podcast in part with a Patreon page. The page comes with three support levels, $4, $15, and $25 per month, with perks increasing at higher tiers. Some rewards include an ad-free version of the podcast, the chance to vote in his annual Celtic Top 20 list, access to a backer-exclusive Discord channel, and access to all of the podcast’s digital compilation albums.