I was super excited to get back on the road in Germany for a run of gigs! I headed north first – flying into Hamburg for 4 shows in Kiel and Lubeck. A couple of house shows, and my first show in Prinz Willy and a return visit to a favourite – Tonfink!  I met a series of lovely people and have set up some more shows for July, so I can’t wait to see it all in the sunshine – hoping for a sea swim along the way too! 
Then I flew to Cologne to collect my rented car to drive about the place for the next week or thereabouts! I was headed to stay on a horse farm for a few nights, with the loveliest family in Haldern.  We headed to see a band called Bailen (USA) in the Haldern Pop bar, and they were awesome – 3 siblings with mega harmonies! 

The next night I played a house concert on the horse farm. Their amazing home is a converted carriage house and is such a fantastic room to play!  Tuesday I drove off to Aachen to hosts Hella and Robert where I played unplugged in a room with the most beautiful acoustic- I’m a fan of natural reverb, and even with a full room, it was still there – so beautiful!   

Wednesday was May day in Germany – a day for celebration! We visited a local family home for a barbecue, some live music and some garden games.  A great way to spend my day and night off! 

Thursday I was back on the road – leaving the horse farm and my lovely friends to head to Grevenbroich for a night!  Some other lovely friends made the journey over from Meerbusch to see me, and a local living Irish woman also, who had reached out to me online (the wonders of modern technology!).  It was a great night, and the host tells me, his first ever ‘silent’ collection (no coins!)

I spent the next morning siphoning hotel wifi and doing some admin about my upcoming single release, ahead of my drive to Erftstadt.  I’d been in touch with the guys about this gig but had no idea what to expect – except that I’d been told it was sold out and that it would be streamed online. Phillip and the team are using a local old cinema to host gigs, and the gents from MUXX TV are streaming it.  It’s a local community project with lots of young people involved in the filming, sound and lights – and it was just gorgeous!   Check out the whole show here

I woke the next morning to a hint of a migraine – and with a 3 hours drive ahead, headed back to bed for a 40mins before check out.  It was gone enough to get on the road and make my way to Bretten.  As usual it’s difficult to drive up to a strangers house in a foreign country -so I’m sitting outside, texting a picture of where I am to make sure it’s right when the sound guy, Tommy arrives!  The show that night was in a converted supermarket – owned by Frank – an awesome guy who let us, and a host of others use his home for the night!  Another gorgeous gig!

Finally then for the last gig of the tour – a 3hour drive to munich airport to return the car where my lovely hosts came to collect me and bring me to their home.  A jam with a local living Irish woman and a unbelievably interested group of young people who stayed for the entire show topped off my German tour.    The next morning I travelled to the train station in style – in a bright green tuk-tuk. Sure how else would you travel?! ​​

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Biography

Gráinne Hunt is a contemporary folk singer and songwriter, raised in Monaghan and based in Kildare, Ireland. With consistently on-point, captivating vocals and well-honed, insightful songs, Grainne has shared stages with Glen Hansard and U2, has opened for Gladys Knight, Eagle Eye Cherry and the Bay City Rollers, and has been compared to vocal icons Tracy Chapman and Nathalie Merchant.

Her ‘gorgeous new album’ (Mathieu Norry RTE Radio 1), This Secret, was released in September 2019. ‘[A] seamlessly gentle fusion of Irish folk and Nashville backing, together with Gráinne’s gorgeous, slightly throaty vocal delivery’ (FolkRadio.co.uk), it was recorded with Thomm Jutz (Nanci Griffith, Maura O’Connell) and features the skills of Mark Fain (Ry Cooder) on bass and Lynn Williams (John Hiatt) on drums.  

2019 also saw the release of an Irish folk album, Songs from Ireland, recorded with award winning guitarist Brendan Walsh. Recorded last year in Soundville Studios Luzern, it includes songs Buachaill on Eirne and Raglan Road. 

Despite 2020 cancellations, over the various lockdown periods Gráinne performed for the #IrelandPerforms initiative, joined Axis Ballymun for Cruinniú na nÓg & #SummerSessions, founded songwritercircle.club, created the first #AdventCalendarofSong (solo recordings of 24 Christmas songs released on social media every day in December) which included a collaboration with German choir Cantus Domus on a beautiful version of The Wexford Carol, and joined U2, Glen Hansard, and others for The Late Late Show Charity Busk.  

 

Songs From Ireland

Firing Pin

This Secret

Breathe Arvo party Remix