Who Now?
In 4 words, how would you describe your music?
"Thrilling, lyrical, dark, joyous."
How did Kern come about?
"Brendan and Barry were already working as an uilleann pipes and fiddle duo, then Stephen met and worked with Brendan on music for a wedding ceremony and it carried on from there."
Have you been to Vantastival before? If so, what was your favourite memory?
"As a band it is our first time to the festival! Looking forward to hearing the other live acts and getting a walk around the lovely setting in Beaulieu."
What would you call your campervan, and why?
"KERNKAMPER! Actually we would love one each with our names emblazoned across the sides. Then we could have races. That would be fun!"
Other than on stage, where are we most likely to find you at a festival?
"Well, if the weather keeps up, we will most definitely be caught in comfy deckchairs catching some rays, interspersed with walking and chatting to people we meet throughout the weekend."
What can we expect from a live show?
"A mix of rollicking reels and other dances tunes sourced from the area along with original and traditional songs."
Festival packing - notoriously difficult. But what’s your 1 luxury?
Cherry tomatoes…for that extra boost, just when you need it!
What plans are afoot for the band in 2016?
"With the release of our debut album FALSE DECEIVER in February we have gotten a lot of radio attention from Radio 1, Lyric FM and Radio na Gaeltachta. A summer cafe tour along with some other festivals including the All Ireland Fleadh and Willie Clancy Festival down in Clare will give us a good chance to see the country and to build our audience base.
"We have a short tour in Italy in September, then we have our eye on larger venues around the country to carry us into the winter. 2017 looks busy too with tours in the UK, Germany and a few other European destinations."