The Mary Wallopers have previewed their upcoming second album with a poignant version of Peter Decker’s ‘Wexford’. The track is the second glimpse of The Dundalk outfit’s ‘Irish Rock N Roll’ due for release on October 6th and follows last year’s hugely acclaimed self-titled debut.

“The song was written by Pecker Dunne, who was a travelling musician. He brought so many songs into circulation over the years he played, you’ll have heard the Dubliners playing a lot of his songs. He came from a line of travelling musicians. His father was a fiddle player and his mother was a tightrope walker, the whole family’s trade was entertainment” explains the group’s Andrew Hendy.

“‘Wexford’ is one of the most beautiful songs in the ballad tradition. He wrote it about growing up in Wexford. It touches on his upbringing and on the grief that travellers suffer in Ireland which is something that’s not really talked about much.

“It’s an incredible, emotional song. We’ve always gravitated towards that side of folk music – the most accessible side of music, the kind you can just stand on the street singing. Pecker Dunne wrote so many funny songs, which makes it even more hard hitting when he’d sing a song like this.”

The septet are due to appear at Electric Picnic this summer before embarking on an extensive UK tour this winter.

Irish Rock N Roll was recorded at Black Mountain Studios by David Noonan and features:

1. The Bauld O Donoghue
2. The Holy Ground
3. Rakes of Poverty
4. The Rich Man and the Poor Man
5. The Idler
6. Madam I’m A Darlin’
7. Vultures of Christmas
8. The Turfman from Ardee
9. Hot Asphalt
10. Wexford
11. The Blarney Stone
12. Rothsea O
13. Gates of Heaven

pre-order album HERE