Time has really flown by since our last album release - six years! So we're excited to share our new CD Shoreline with you. A collection of original and carefully selected songs, this album was a joy to make. Some of the tracks feature a full band - we went a bit mad! - and some are paired down to our acoustic live sound - 2 vocals, guitar and percussion.

The cover art is taken from a painting by the wonderful Colum McEvoy who illustrated Tom's ‘The Birds’ Song’ book.

Original contemporary folk from Ireland

“Together” is an unusual album in that it features two distinct vocalists. Fil and Tom have toured as a duo for many years and both are songwriters as well as singers. This album is a collection of work from both their pens.

The album has an overall theme of peace and reconciliation and these new songs (and one traditional piece) reflect today’s world.

From Tom’s “Birds’ Song” taking a wry look at the problems of immigration, to Fil’s “Talk About” admonishing politicians to do their job, the CD is a commentary on the people and places in Fil and Tom’s world – both musical and otherwise.

“Ring The Bell” which features local community choir Singmarra, is a tribute to a member of the choir, a fireman, who died a while back.

“Time” is a beautiful thought-provoking piece about the things we didn’t say.

“A New Song to Sing” wishes for peace and for a coming together of people While “We’ll Get There when we get There”, a very Northern Irish phrase, is another slightly humorous commentary on the political process in this corner of the world.

“Peace in Erin” was written back in the 1830s by a hedge schoolmaster and is as pertinent today as when it was written

And “Island Love” tells the true story of a couple who once lived on the island of Hallig Hooge off the coast of Germany, a place where Fil and Tom play a concert every year.

“Until We Meet Again” is a song for joining in on, a nod of thanks to the people we meet on the road, who sing along with us at concerts and who cheer us on from afar with their voices and their music.

All the songs tell stories that are all loosely connected to the theme of wishes – wishes for a bright future, for change, for musicians, for love and for a chance to go back in time.

This is my first collection of contemporary songs for quite a while. I’ve been collecting songs along the way and there were loads that I just wanted to have on record. Plus I had the added good fortune of (finally) persuading Tom to sing a song or two on this album. There are a couple of our own songs and several by my favourite Irish writers.

This is another collection of beautiful Irish folk songs that were part of Fil's childhood repertoire, many of which were first recorded in the 1930s and 40s by the women singers of the day.

Irish singer songwriter Fil Campbell returned to her roots a few years ago to record the songs that she had learned as a child (on the CD and DVD Songbirds). Now in this second collection of songs, Fil includes more of the popular songs that formed the backdrop to life in Ireland in the 30s, 40s, and 50s as well as some of the more obscure songs that were sung by the women singers she profiled in the DVD Songbirds, the First Ladies of Irish Song. This recording is a further nod back to a gentler era of Irish music, the songs that were first recorded back in the early days of the recording industry by mainly women singers. Fil’s voice really suits the sentiment of these beautiful old gems, songs more suited to the parlours than the dance halls.

Fil grew up on the popular folk songs that were sung to her by her mother and grandparents - and several of the songs on this CD come from that time period. These are the songs that are an intimate part of every Irish person's DNA. She has wanted for a long time to turn the spotlight on to them - and having the added bonus of being able to turn the project into a documentary series for TV was the icing on the cake

"Other songs on this CD are ones I fell in love with as I researched and got to know the lives and works of the Songbirds ladies.

"For example, I discovered a beautiful song in my grandfather’s collection of old 78s called The Connemara Shore, which had been recorded by Jack Feeney in America in the 1930s. This started my journey into the songs of that era."

Fil tours throughout Ireland, the UK and Europe with two musicians - Brendan Emmett on mandolin and guitar and Tom McFarland on percussion and vocals. Their concerts are full of fun and bring back many memories for the audience who, in the best traditions of folksy ceilidhs, get many opportunities to join in. She also occasionally tours in the US, either solo or with her percussionist husband.

YOu can join the mailing list at www.filcampbell.com to stay in touch and be notified of dates in your area.

Songbirds is a collection of old Irish songs beautifully crafted by Fil Campbell.

"Campbell's warm lulling voice is eminently suited to old fashioned gems like 'Love's Old Sweet song' and “The Homes of Donegal”, and the musicianship is top notch". Evening Herald, Dublin

Fil's 4th solo CD is a collection of 15 Irish folk songs that she learned as a child. Including some well known favourites from the songbook of Delia Murphy as well as some less well known traditional gems from the repertoire of Maggie Barry etc.

The CD Includes duets of Love's Old Sweet Song with Sean Keane and What Would You Do Love? with Tommy Sands. Also featuring special guests Steve Cooney on guitar, Finbar Furey on uillean pipes, John Sheahan (the Dubliners) on fiddle and whistle and Laoise Kelly on harp.

The CD accompanies the RTE television series Songbirds - the First Ladies of Irish Song. All the songs were originally recorded by Delia Murphy or one of the other women profiled in the series (Maggie Barry, Mary O'Hara, Ruby Murray or Bridie Gallagher) A DVD of the series is also available.