Gaelic Storm

Since forming in 1997, acclaimed Celtic group Gaelic Storm have risen from local pub sessions in their hometown of Santa Monica, California to an internationally known touring and recording act. Led by founding members Patrick Murphy and Steve Twigger, the band's first major exposure arrived before they had even recorded their first album. Appearing as the "steerage band" entertaining passengers in James Cameron's massive 1997 blockbuster, Titanic, Gaelic Storm were widely embraced by the time they released their self-titled debut a year later. With their energetic mix of Irish and Scottish traditional fare, drinking songs, and playful original material, they proved to be a popular touring act and quickly followed up with a pair of albums in 1999's Herding Cats and 2001's Tree. By the time they'd released their fourth studio album, How Are We Getting Home?, in 2004, they'd become a chart success as well, reaching number three on Billboard's world music chart. Gaelic Storm's next two releases, Bring Yer Wellies (2006) and What's the Rumpus? (2008), fared even better, reaching number two and number one, respectively. The group's lineup varied over the course of its first decade, but eventually settled on piper Peter Purvis, percussionist Ryan Lacey, and a number of different fiddlers complementing Murphy and Twigger's multi-instrumentalism and shared vocal duties. The group remained prolific in the next decade, touring constantly and releasing albums like 2010's Cabbage, 2012's Chicken Boxer, and 2013's The Boathouse. Following a 2014 best-of compilation called Full Irish, Gaelic Storm returned with Matching Sweaters a year later. They remained at the top of their game 20 years into their career, releasing another chart-topper in 2017's Go Climb a Tree. ~ Timothy Monger