Clare Sands Unveils Poignant New Single Curlew Song Ahead of Anticipated Album Release
Renowned Cork-born multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter, and sixth-generation fiddler Clare Sands has officially released her latest single, Curlew Song, featuring acclaimed vocalist Ríoghnach Connolly. The track serves as a powerful precursor to Sands’ upcoming full-length studio album, They Tried to Bury Us, which is slated for release on October 9. Blending contemporary folk instrumentation with deep-rooted environmental activism and ancient Irish mythology, the single draws urgent attention to the catastrophic decline of Ireland’s native bird population while offering a meditation on human resilience and humanity’s lost connection to the natural world.
The release arrives at a critical juncture for environmental conservation in Ireland and the United Kingdom, turning a spotlight on the haunting, melancholic calls of the Eurasian curlew. Known for vocalizations that seamlessly bridge major and minor musical scales, the curlew has long occupied a unique space in British and Irish folklore. Historically, the bird’s evocative cry generated various regional superstitions, most notably the legend of the "Seven Whistlers" in Shropshire and Worcestershire, where folklore warned that the discovery of a seventh phantom whistle would spell the end of the world. In traditional Irish lore, the bird’s call was similarly regarded as a harbinger of death, yet paradoxically, it was also tied to notions of renewal and seasonal rebirth.
The Ecological Crisis Facing the Eurasian Curlew
Beyond folklore, the reality facing the Eurasian curlew today is stark. The species has been placed firmly on the Birds of Conservation Concern Red List, facing a precipitous drop in numbers that researchers and conservationists have labeled an extinction event unfolding in real time. In Ireland specifically, the curlew breeding population has suffered a staggering 98 percent decline since the 1980s, primarily driven by intensive agricultural practices, peatland degradation, and severe habitat loss. Current ornithological estimates suggest that only 100 to 150 breeding pairs remain across the entire island, making conservation initiatives a matter of extreme urgency.
Concerted efforts to stabilize the remaining population are currently underway through targeted ecological projects. Foremost among these is the RSPB’s Curlew LIFE project, an initiative that has successfully identified five priority landscapes and vital breeding grounds—including the Antrim Plateau and the Lough Erne Lowlands—where intensive conservation management is deployed to protect nesting sites and boost juvenile survival rates. Sands’ new single arrives as a cultural megaphone for these scientific and preservation efforts, aiming to merge artistic expression with ecological advocacy.
Artistic Genesis and Mythological Influences
According to Clare Sands, the conceptual foundation of Curlew Song was laid during a creative retreat in Gaoth Dobhair, located within the Irish-speaking Gaeltacht region of West Donegal. The track was conceived as an exploration of the internal fire that sustains human endurance—the constant search for motivation, the arduous struggle to maintain it, and the methods required to reignite it when life’s challenges threaten to extinguish it entirely.
To articulate this deeply human struggle, Sands utilized the plight of the curlew as a direct metaphor. "We are living through extinctions in real time," Sands noted, reflecting on the bird’s 98 percent population crash. "I wanted the song to draw attention to the curlew and its extraordinary call—a sound that was believed to be a harbinger of death in Irish tradition, but also a symbol of renewal and rebirth."
To deepen the song’s thematic resonance, the concluding moments of Curlew Song feature an incantation directly inspired by the Song of Amergin. Widely regarded as the oldest surviving poem in Irish literature and the first verse ever uttered upon Irish shores, the ancient text champions a worldview in which human beings do not stand apart from nature, but are instead inextricably woven into its fabric. By integrating this ancient pagan incantation into a contemporary lament for a vanishing bird species, Sands intentionally reconnects modern listeners with a historical era when land, culture, and ecology were fundamentally interdependent.
Production, Collaborations, and Visuals
Curlew Song benefits from a rich tapestry of traditional and contemporary instrumentation, reflecting Sands’ collaborative approach to her art. The track features lead vocals and viola by Clare Sands, paired with the distinctive vocal stylings of Ríoghnach Connolly. The sonic landscape is further enriched by Stephen Loughran on flute and low whistles, Cian McGrory on guitar, Laura McFadden on cello, Conor Mallon on uilleann pipes, and Seán Óg Graham, who handled additional production and instrumentation.
The single is accompanied by an official music video that grounds the musical message in authentic landscapes. The visual project incorporates rare curlew footage provided by Cait Ó Neill, while videography was skillfully executed by Méabh Ní Dhoibhlin from Moneyglass, County Antrim.
Broader Context of They Tried to Bury Us
Curlew Song acts as a thematic gateway to Clare Sands’ forthcoming album, They Tried to Bury Us. Scheduled for release on October 9, the album functions as a comprehensive collection of musical narratives designed to give voice to the silenced, the marginalized, and the endangered. Alongside the plight of the curlew, the tracklist explores figures and symbols deeply embedded in the geography and folklore of the North of Ireland, including Lí Ban of Lough Neagh, the vanishing words of the native Irish tongue, the historic Rostrevor oak, contemporary refugees seeking safety on European shores, and the powerful, defiant words of Palestinian poets whose expressions transcend borders to inspire global generations.
Written entirely across Ulster, the album reflects a deeply localized creative process. Sands collaborated extensively with an array of northern-based musicians and enlisted producer Seán Óg Graham—known for his work with Beoga and Karen Casey—to anchor the album’s sound. The resulting body of work is framed not merely as a collection of folk songs, but as an artistic manifestation that rises from the earth in direct opposition to political and ecological oppression, asserting that love, memory, and hope cannot be permanently suppressed.
Extensive Tour Schedule and Live Performances
To coincide with the album campaign and the release of Curlew Song, Clare Sands has announced a comprehensive tour schedule spanning the autumn and winter months. The live performances will bring the intricate arrangements of the new album to audiences across the island of Ireland and the UK, beginning in October and extending through December.
The tour kicks off on Saturday, October 10, at Yarn in Ballycastle, followed by a performance at Cultúrlann Uí Chanáin in Derry on Friday, October 16. Subsequent October dates include the Belfast Empire Music Hall on October 18, The Dock in Carrick-on-Shannon on October 23, and Revive in Donegal on October 24.
As the tour progresses into November and December, Sands will perform at the Dublin Unitarian Church on November 13, the Mermaid Arts Centre in Bray on November 14, and Live at St. Luke’s in Cork on November 20. The final leg of the year features stops at Cleere’s in Kilkenny on December 3, the Wexford Arts Centre on December 5, Monroe’s Live in Galway on December 10, Jim O’ The Mills in Thurles on December 12, and concludes on Saturday, December 19, at Ionad Cultúrtha an Dochtúir Ó Loinsigh in Ballyvourney.
Pre-orders for They Tried to Bury Us—available across digital download, compact disc, and vinyl LP formats—are currently active via Sands’ official Bandcamp page. Through a seamless blend of grassroots activism, archival mythology, and virtuosic folk musicianship, Clare Sands continues to cement her status as one of Ireland’s most vital contemporary cultural voices, ensuring that the stories and sounds of the land are neither forgotten nor silenced.
