This week we caught up with Irish star Emmet Cahill and asked him about his plans for the next year. By the sounds of it he is going to be a busy man. He has a number of projects in the pipeline including upcoming tours and a new solo album.
Emmet Cahill
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Here is our interview with Emmet.
Irish Music Daily: How are things with you at the moment? You seem to be working and touring all the time. Do you ever get time for a break?
Emmet Cahill: Things are great. I just got back from the cruise in the past few days. Was a very hectic few weeks between rehearsals and the actual shows on board, but I had such an amazing time. Was great to see so many familiar faces, and to meet so many new fans. Everyone had a wonderful time which was great to see.
IMD: Tell us about the solo album you’re recording. When will it be released and what kind of songs will be on it?
EC: My solo album will be released next year. Very excited about sharing it with everyone. At the moment I have a few songs done and am working on some new material also. Some songs people will recognize, but there will definitely be a few unexpected numbers in there. I’m in a creative process at the moment of finding the sound that really represents me well and will suit me best going forward. I am absolutely loving this stage of the process.
IMD: Will you be writing any of the material?
EC: I am starting to write my own material this year. May not be ready for this album but definitely on future projects.
IMD: You left Celtic Thunder but have been doing some shows with them. What’s your working relationship with the group at the moment?
EC: Yes I left the show at the start of this year to pursue solo opportunities. It has been a great chance for me to really find where I am looking to go in my career, and finally take the time to develop as a solo artist. When you’re part of a show that is constantly touring and recording it can be difficult to do that so I just felt time was right. I went back to do the Australian tour given the sudden passing of my dear friend George Donaldson. The tour had to go ahead and I guess in those situations you have to stick together. I spoke with management and we agreed the best thing to do would be to come back and pay tribute to him on the tour, which we did.
IMD: You’ve doing the cruise shows with Celtic Thunder. Do those shows have their own particular quality? How do they differ to the big theatre shows?
EC: They are similar on that it’s the same running order as a normal show, but naturally the setting is different. I remember last year the sea was pretty rough during the show so we were almost swaying round the stage as opposed to walking. That kind of experience can be strange!
IMD: On the cruise, you do solo shows, shows with Colm Keegan and full shows with Celtic Thunder. Is that as exhausting as it sounds?
EC: Yes I will admit it was one of the most hectic schedules I have experienced! I also guested on 2 shows with Chloe Agnew, totalling 8 shows in 4 days! But I loved every minute of them. My solo shows were a great opportunity for fans to get a sneak peak of what my tour will be like next year, and it was fun for me to do get the experience of trying new songs, and have a laugh with the crowd.
IMD: Tell us about your shows with Colm Keegan. What will they be like? Will they feature a different kind of music to your solo work and that with Celtic Thunder?
EC: HAHA that is a great question, as it is kind of an obvious answer if you know what a Celtic Comet show is like. It is nothing like any show in history I reckon. It’s all based around people having a laugh and enjoying themselves, just pure entertainment. Myself and Colm get to go out and just be big kids, which we do most of the time anyway. But we love to see people laughing, singing, dancing and most of all getting involved. We go in to the crowd and chat to the audience etc. so it’s always a super fun show.
IMD: I understand you’re doing some classical concerts before Christmas. Tell us about those?
EC: Yes I am performing a concert of opera arias with Dublin Symphony Orchestra on November 29th.I am really excited about this as it has been a few years since I have had the opportunity to go back and perform this kind of music. It’s a far cry from a Celtic Comet show, but just an enjoyable in a different way! Classical music was where I started so it’s great to be able to maintain that kind of performing, while working on my solo career. I think diversity is very important for any performer.
IMD: You now have your website, emmetcahill.com, which people can subscribe to and which sells merchandise. How’s that going?
EC: It’s all going great, everyone has been so complimentary about the website. I am delighted with it and people seem to love the merchandise which is great. By subscribing to my mailing list you get a chance to keep up with everything going on with me and I also reply to fan emails on there too.
IMD: How do you feel about having your face on mugs and tee-shirts? Do you ever wear an Emmet Cahill tee-shirt yourself? Or drink from an Emmet Cahill mug?
EC: Ha I thought it would feel strange, but it’s kind of cool to be honest. It’s great to see people really committing to me as a solo artist now… I just have to get the album on there next! Also I reckon an Emmet Cahill mug or T-Shirt would make an excellent Christmas present, just saying! haha
IMD: I know you’re also working on another few ‘secret’ projects. Any clues what they will entail?
EC: Yes there are a few things in the works for next year, not just the album. I am excited as they involve some new challenges for me, in the states and possibly the UK too, but I can’t say too much at the moment unfortunately. Like I said, you keep an eye on my social media pages and website you won’t miss a thing. Just watch this space people!
Emmet Cahills
Emmet Cahill Videos
More Emmet Cahill videos
Q & A
Emmet Cahill with Celtic Thunder videos
Celtic Thunder
