Louth musicians set to join musical legends at These Are the Waves Festival in Dundalk

Some of Louth’s finest musicians will join world-renowned artists at These Are the Waves: Celebrating the Music of Conway Savage, a three-day festival honouring the much-loved singer, pianist, and longtime member of Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds.

At the tribute concert on Friday 12th September in The Spirit Store, Dundalk, musicians Mark Corcoran, Sharon McArdle, and Róisín Ward Morrow will perform as part of the musical ensemble, sharing the stage with Mick Harvey (Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds), Suzie Higgie (Falling Joys), Terry Edwards (PJ Harvey) and more.

Róisín Ward Morrow, a fiddle player and folk singer based in Dundalk, has toured extensively across Europe and performed for President Michael D Higgins. Her acclaimed debut album By the Light of the Moon and her contribution to the celebrated compilation Tunes from the Women have marked her as one of the leading voices in contemporary folk.

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Sharon McArdle is a performing artist, musician and community arts facilitator, as well as a lecturer at DCU. She is co-creator of the Dorothy Macardle Archive & Performance Project, whose recent trilogy Prison Notebooks spanned a stage show, an RTÉ Radio documentary and a short film. She performs widely on piano and accordion with Blue Denim, Ridibundi, and singer-songwriter Sophie Coyle.

Mark Corcoran, musician and founder of Dundalk’s Country Gent Records, worked closely with Conway Savage for nearly two decades. He released Savage’s Irish back catalogue and recorded with him extensively at Tumbleweed Studios in Dundalk, cementing Conway’s deep connection with the town.

On Sunday 14th September, the acclaimed Leinster String Quartet will accompany Mick Harvey and Amanda Acevedo in their concert at The Spirit Store. Known for giving contemporary songs a classical twist, the quartet’s members have performed nationally and internationally with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra and National Symphony Orchestra, and collectively appeared at Electric Picnic, All Together Now, and the 3Arena alongside artists such as Ed Sheeran, Father John Misty, and Michael Bublé.

The festival also features Mick Harvey: In Conversation at An Táin Arts Centre and Suzie Higgie performing Soon Will Be Tomorrow at Roe River Books on Saturday 13th September.

Festival organiser and local musician Mark Corcoran said: “It’s a privilege to celebrate Conway Savage’s legacy with his closest collaborators while also shining a light on the outstanding local talent that makes Louth’s music scene so vibrant.”

Tickets are available now via www.spiritstore.ie and www.antain.ie