All In The Family

Mike Fitzpatrick Talks To The Music Sensation From North Of The Border

Way back in the early 1990s, a group of mythical soul musicians which featured in Irish author Roddy Doyle's novel 'The Commitments', proclaimed themselves to be 'the hardest working band in the world'. Since those ever so slightly more innocent days, before teen sirens such as Britney, Christina and Jessica excited the world's youth and the likes of Bono, Coldplay's Chris Martin and Bob Geldof commenced and continued with their campaign to rid the world of hunger and corruption, fans of other individuals in the music business have lovingly described their idols as being the most energetic performers and consistent workhorses in their chosen fields. Such music-lovers however, may yet be unaware of a musical sensation from north of the border between The United States and Canada. Leahy, an eight-piece group comprised of siblings from a single family which traces its roots all the way back to Ireland, has not only won acclaim and respect from those within the music business, but has also developed an ever-increasing number of enthusiastic and devoted fans who follow their every move, be it close to their Canadian home-base, or elsewhere throughout the world.

When The Irish Examiner caught up with Donnell Leahy, the eldest male member of the family-based act, the renowned fiddle player and songwriter was not merely relaxing at home, watching some banal television show in his sitting room, while idly tuning his instrument, as here is a man who seemingly enjoys pushing himself to the limits musically, always developing his family's band, breaking boundaries and winning over new fans on a consistent basis. The enormously-talented and arguably best-known of Canada's Leahy, Donnell happened to be taking a short break from his work in music, instead tending to his land, and when contacted, he was mending a fence, in an attempt at preventing his animals from roaming into his neighbor's field.

It is perhaps ironic that he was carrying out such a task, for musically, Donnell and his band have bridged gaps between many genres, pushing down barriers and releasing onto the world the group's unique style, blending varieties of music to comprise Leahy's acclaimed sound. Not content with sitting back to enjoy the fruits of his labor, Donnell continues to work hard, be it with the band, or at home in the comforts of Ontario. He was however, kind enough to relax for a short time, to tell us of the latest exciting ventures that his family's band, Leahy, has commenced upon.

Having recently enjoyed producing a television special concerning the band, which aired on WLIW in New York on August 5th, Donnell informed us that he and his siblings, Erin, Angus, Maria, Siobheann, Doug, Agnes and Frank, are currently looking forward to a release on DVD of the documentary, which will feature all of the band's videos, interviews with several group members, historical footage of the group, which includes archive material of their 1999 stint supporting Shania Twain on her world tour, and previously unseen clips of the Leahy family enjoying a party at their home.

The DVD, as well as an accompanying live CD, which features thirteen tracks from various gigs around Cape Breton, where the band performed with Natalie McMaster and Shelly Campbell among other well-known musicians, will be released in the coming months, with more information available on the band's website, www.leahymusic.com. The television special however, simply reminded the music world of what an immense talent Leahy is. The band's live gigs, often described as being an amalgam of Celtic and country music, comprises exciting renditions of their tunes, accompanied by energetic step dancing and instrumental genius, have been well-documented in the North American music press for their heart-stopping virtuoso performances, and have left writers perplexed at attempting to define their original music's influences. Leahy's style is often described as something resembling Irish Trad with a fusion of Celtic, country and classical influence, though the band has often come up with haunting melodies, lively dance numbers and even rock and pop tunes, all of which added to their more familiar sound leaving audiences and critics alike in awe at their immense range. Indeed, prestigious publication, Time Out New York, once described the band's live gigs as something which made 'Riverdance look like Lawrence Welk re-runs'.

Donnell and his siblings grew up in Lakefield, Ontario, where the family's ancestor, Michael Leahy, is believed to have relocated his clan from Ireland in the early half of the 19th century. Well over 150 years later, the band's parents, Frank and Julie, he a well-renowned fiddle player, she a champion step-dancer, raised their brood in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, teaching their children to sing, dance and play piano. During summer breaks from school, the children became popular as a musical act, touring as The Leahy Family, and in Donnell's own words, 'sometimes we'd kick our parents off stage and perform ourselves!' Traveling across Canada to play in fairs and festivals, the band's popularity increased enormously, and such was the esteem in which they were held, a student documentary about the group, produced by Peter Weyman, entitled 'Leahy: Music Most of All', clinched an Academy Award in 1985 for Best Foreign Student Film. A decade later, the band broke into the Canadian music scene, with its release of its self-titled CD. Subsequently, three Juno awards were clinched in 1997 and 1998, for Best Instrumental Group, Best New Group and Best Country Group, prompting country superstar Shania Twain to invite them on board for her world tour, on which they performed 175 times, and appeared on two of her American television specials, bringing their music to an ever-increasing audience.

The Los Angeles Times meanwhile, wrote of their time with Twain; "For all of Twain's showmanship and allure, the musical heart of the evening was Leahy. Its approach seems so gloriously free of commercial pollution...this is an act whose music is invigorating."

After the excitement of the Twain tour died down, and band members took a little time out for marriage and the rearing of their respective families, the group released 'In All Things', in 2004, a highly-acclaimed follow-up to their previous hit 'Leahy'. Whereas 'Leahy' was a commercial hit, 'In All Things' has surpassed the group's expectations, so far selling over 400,000 units worldwide. 'In All Things' included some of the band's most popular pieces, such as their instrumental favorites, 'Pointe Au Pic Medley', which is a tune dedicated to their Quebec influences, and an homage to Peter Gzowski, one of the most well-known broadcasters in Canada, entitled 'Gzowski Medley'. More vocal-driven pop songs such as 'Coyote' and 'Runaway' have proven themselves to be staples of the Canadian airwaves, while 'I Want You To Know', has been described as a haunting ballad, featuring the wonderful fiddle playing and singing of the entire group. On creating the music on the albums, Donnell has said;

"We all write individually. Sometimes something that is half-written becomes a collaboration, other times someone writes a whole piece. There is a sort of general vibe that we possess, where we all recognise whether we like a piece or not. Then there will be a collaborative effort in tweaking or finishing it off."

Enjoying a history of rave reviews from several of the nation's best-known newspapers, the band is to embark in the coming weeks on a North American tour, the thoughts of which has Donnell and his siblings thoroughly excited, with the opportunity of renewing the music world's adoration, admiration and astonishment at the group's extraordinarily unique mix of talents. Known throughout their native Canada for their passionate performances and lively athleticism, one is urged not to miss the group as they tour the continent. Leahy will embark on their tour in October 2006, kicking off in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, before its finale, almost fifty concerts later, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in March of next year. During their time on the road, the band will perform in Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Virginia, Florida, Indiana, Illinois, Oregon, Wisconsin, Michigan, Arkansas, Texas, Mississippi, Alabama, North Carolina and South Carolina, with the full schedule accompanying this article. For more information on Leahy, including the group's full schedule of upcoming performances, and how to obtain a copy of 'In All Things', their earlier works, or indeed, the upcoming live DVD and CD, log onto www.leahymusic.com. If you're not a fervent fan already, you just might be after a few clicks of your keyboard.