Press

SECOND ALBUM ‘EᐯƎR⅄TᕼING IS ИOЯMAL’ REVIEWS – COMING 2022

Lonesome Highway
Bucketlist Music Reviews
Folking.com
Folk and Tumble
RnR Magazine
Fatea Magazine
Sezhoo

“It’s a really fine album.  Wookalily, back and sounding mighty good. “
– Ralph McLean, BBC Radio Ulster

“Children and ghosts were created using tape varispeed and recording backwards, all captured to 2″ multitrack and mixed on the fly on a 1978 mahogany trimmed Trident desk. ‘Everything is Normal’ sounds like a 1970s lost classic. Atmospheric, cinematic, hints of folk and Morricone but also early B52’s . I really enjoyed making this record, it’ll find it’s way into cultured collectors hands over time.”
– Julie McLarnon, Analogue Catalogue Recording Studios

‘Wookalily’s second album promises to be a glorious and perhaps unexpected development from the first one – a work of the same spirit but now with added depth. Where the songs of the first album were upbeat and quirky, those of the second are mesmerising, dreamlike and reflective. It’s the fire at midnight and mug of cocoa to the madcap day in the country that went before. It’ll be fantastic!’  
–  Colin Harper, Music Author Bloomsbury, 2000 and Jawbone

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DEBUT ALBUM ‘ALL THE WAITING WHILE’ REVIEWS

Muziekis Netherlands – Spotlight Artist
Gigging NI
Pure M Magazine
Rhythms Magazine
R2 Rock’n’Reel Magazine
Country Music People
Folk Radio UK
Creative Voices NI
Folking.com
Three Chords and the Truth UK
Folkwords
American Roots UK – December 2014
American Roots UK (full review) – May 2015

 

Quotes

‘Wookalily were the best band we discovered in Northern Ireland for UK’s Best Part-time Band. Their fantastic cover of Abba’s Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight) brought down the house at the Limelight, Belfast. A great all girl group showing the boys how it should be done.’
– Tom Willis, series producer, UK’s Best Part-time Band, March 2017

“All The While Waiting (One-A-Chord Records) is an incredibly brilliant album from the Northern Irish band Wookalily by American root influenced Irish folk class. These four young women throwing their original songs much authenticity, fire and exuberance. The songs are of exceptional quality, the song mixes a wonderful sounding femininity with a sharpness that is inimitable. It’s one word to enjoy the real roots enthusiast.”
– Muziekis NL,  9th May 2016

“Ireland has a wonderful musical heritage thanks to the passing on of skills from generation to generation, father to son and mother to daughter. Add a series of outside influences some great songwriting and you have Wookalily. The all female band, four Irish and one Welsh, make a glorious noise guaranteed to put a smile on your face and a skip in your step”
– Midge Ure OBE, Thin Lizzy, Ultravox & Band Aid, 18th January 2016

“The entire record is one of beauty.  For all those people who are fans of Nashville, especially Clare Bowens (AKA Scarlett), work, then this album is for you. A bluegrass, folk, acoustic combination that is mesmerizing.  I am totally in love with it and I am sure everyone who comes across it will be too.”
– Alannah Morrow, GiggingNI.com, 2nd October 2015

“Wookalily’s inaugural album regularly excites through its often adrenaline fuelled execution. At the same time, its emotional side conveys plenty of poignancy and can make it quite moving. This ability to change the tone at a moment’s notice and still stay consistent is what allows it to really resonate.”
– Dave Simpson, Pure M Magazine, 5th August 2015

“Eight arms, eight legs and flying on a high protein diet of joyous musical energy, that’s Wookalily – catch them if you can!”
– Colum Sands, The Folk Club BBC Radio Ulster (Official), March 2015 

“All The Waiting While is like a breath of fresh air. Strong songs, passionate playing and harmonies to die for. Irresistable.”
– Ralph McLean, local voices and McLean’s Country BBC Radio Ulster (Official), March 2015 

“Wookalily make excellent music and All The Waiting While is a really impressive album. The songs are memorable, the ensemble playing is joyous and it’s always a treat to see the band performing these tunes live. Quite the achievement.”
– Stuart Bailie, BBC Radio Ulster (Official) and CEO Oh Yeah Music Centre, February 2015

“It’s hard to pigeon hole, it’s one of those that really blends the genres. You can hear that swampy Louisiana Jazz sound in there, a lot of folk in there and some bluegrass…Blew off the cobwebs…Four piece girl band from Ireland. The music really does the talking. There’s some instrumentation/instrumentals on there and they’re really playing their instruments well so something a little bit different.”
– Marie Crichton’s Country Show, BBC Radio Shropshire, February 2015

“These four young women could (should!) turn out to be the roots music find of the decade. Their playing and arrangements almost defy superlatives.”
– Mike Morrison, Americana Roots UK, 14th December 2014

“One of the most exciting new arrivals on the bluegrass scene – Ireland’s answer to The Be Good Tanyas”
– Mike Davies, Folking.com, 25th November 2014

“Wookalily are the most brilliant, intoxicating and life-enhancing band I’ve heard in 20 years – not only from Northern Ireland, from anywhere. Lindsay Crothers is a vocal sensation. It’s unbelievable that these people can still be seen for free in bars around Belfast.”
– Colin Harper, author of Dazzling Stranger: Bert Jansch and the British folk and blues revival etc, November 2014

“If you think there’s no high energy music around, listen to Wookalilly’s new album. All the Waiting While is full of great, high energy playing, great harmonies, fine funny lyrics….the girls done real good”
– Barry Devlin, bass player, vocalist and front man with Horslips, producer, screen writer and director, November 2014

“Smashing debut album from one of the leading acts on the local acoustic music scene. Hopefully this release will help get their music out to a wider audience”
– Jim Heaney, The Real Music Club, Belfast, November 2014

“Beauty imbued finger picking with some classic folk vocals, steaming banjo, ever evolving fiddle and the occasional holler. This album has just escaped from being tied to the railway tracks by a man with a twisty moustache; and it is out for revenge.”
– Cara Gibney, Creative Voices NI, November 2014

“Listening to the new Wookalily record and those fightin, murderin, black magic wielding gals have delivered a classic long player.”
– Gerry McNally, Folk and Tumble, November 2014

“Wookalily’s debut album, All The Waiting While, was easily worth all the waiting … for it really is ‘finger-plucking good’ from start to finish!”
– Damien Murray, music journalist and broadcaster (U105 and Belfast Telegraph) – November 2014

“On the strength of the their achievements to date, it would be rash to predict how far Wookalily might go in the future.”
– Bluegrass Europe Issue #88, August 2013

 

 

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