The Breath, formed in 2016 by guitarist Stuart McCallum and singer / flautist Ríoghnach Connolly, brings a contemporary, emotionally rich take on alt-folk. Connolly’s impassioned vocals and storytelling meet McCallum’s understated brilliance in exquisitely crafted songs, touching on love, memory, injustice and grief.
They’ve released three albums on Peter Gabriel’s Real World label. Carry Your Kin (2016) blended rock, ambient and Irish folk; Let the Cards Fall (2018) followed with cinematic, multi-layered arrangements. A stripped-back version, Only Stories, earned Connolly the 2019 BBC Folk Singer of the Year award.
In 2021, they honoured lost folk icon Karen Dalton with a special release. Their 2023 album, Land Of My Other, is a collection of ten raw, acoustic-minded songs; lyrical, stirring, and full of emotional resonan