West of Eden

West of Eden – Celtic music from a Swedish band

West of Eden are a Swedish band that have adopted Irish/Celtic music and made it their own.

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They’ve produced six albums over the last 10 years and are already well-established in northern Europe. Now they’re attracting attention from fans of folk rock music from all over the world.

So why does a band from Sweden want to play Irish style music. For singer and guitarist Martin Schaub it’s hardly an issue at all, as he says: “Why wouldn’t we? It’s what we love! We fell for Celtic music when travelling to Dublin in the nineties, and it instantly felt like this music spoke to us in a way that no other music had done in our past.”

Original material in an Irish folk style

The band write a lot of their own material but keep to the traditional folk style.

They play a wide range of instruments including fiddle, guitar, mandolin, piano accordion, harp and whistles. Lead singer Jenny Schaub has a wonderfully clear and expressive voice that cuts through any concert hall and grabs the audience’s attention.

The band have appeared several times on Swedish television and performed with the top artists such Irish flute player Steph Geremiah, as well as John McGlynn and Roisin Dempsey from Anuna.

They have also performed with members of the Swedish National Orchestra.

Like ”listening to The Chieftains”

The band have received numerous plaudits from the media and the music press. Fatea World Magazine said:”You could believe that you are listening to The Chieftains.”

Rock n Reel described them as “simply phenomenal, a priceless gem”. UNT said they were “masters of their genre”.

Irish Music Magazine hailed them as “the best living example of the folk rock genre”.

HallandsPosten of Sweden had this to say about West of Eden’s work: “The finest Celtic music ever produced in this country.”

List of albums for West of Eden

The band have produced six albums over the last 15 years, as well as touring extensively in Scandinavia, Belgium and Ireland.

• West of Eden (1997)
• Rollercoaster (2001)
• A Stupid Thing To Do (2003)
• Four (2006)
• The West of Eden Travelogue (2009)
• A Celtic Christmas (2010)

West of Eden full line-up

All the band members come from Sweden. The full line-up is:

• Martin Schaub Vocals / Acoustic Guitar / Cittern / Piano
• Jenny Schaub Vocals / Accordion / Tin Whistle
• David Ekh Electric Guitar / Mandolin
• Ola Karlevo Drums / Bodhran
• Lars Broman Fiddle
• Kenneth Holmström Aoustic & Electric Bass

In heart and soul they are definitely Celtic!

It’s always interesting to hear how Irish music has been adopted and adapted by bands from other countries.

West of Eden do better than most in taking it and making it their own, while holding on to the traditional style and feel.

As West of Eden say, “Swedish by birth they may be, but in heart and soul they are definitely Celtic!”

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Find out more about West of Eden here; www.westofeden.com