Teenage blues sensation Muireann Bradley, a remarkable talent hailing from the small town of Ballybofey in County Donegal, Ireland, has signed with Decca Records and Verve Forecast.
With the two labels, she is set to re-release her acclaimed debut album, I Kept These Old Blues. The project is set to be released on February 28.
Muireann’s journey from playing in her bedroom to performing on Jools Holland’s Hootenanny this year has captivated audiences, establishing her as one of Ireland’s brightest emerging stars.
Now she is poised for a global breakout. To celebrate the news, the 18-year-old has shared the remastered version of “Candyman.” Check it out below.
“Signing with Decca and Verve Forecast is a dream come true for me” says Muireann. “I get such an incredible thrill when I think about my debut album being re-released on such historic and iconic labels which are so synonymous with legends like Billie Holiday, Nina Simone, and Ella Fitzgerald, as well as amazing contemporary artists like Melody Gardot and Jon Batiste.”
Speaking about today’s release of “Candyman,” which was the first single she recorded for the album back when she was just 14 years old, Muireann says, “‘Candyman’ is a song that I have known and loved for as long as I can remember. It is one of the most fun things you can do on a guitar once you’ve mastered it and it’s often the first tune I play when I pick one up. As a small child, I would sit at my father’s feet as he played and sang the song. It was traditionally sung as a call and response between a male and female voice, and I loved to sing the high part.”
The album is an astonishing first glimpse at the breadth of Bradley’s talent – both as a guitar virtuoso and a singer. Her astounding fingerpicking and original interpretations of blues classics created a loyal fanbase of listeners and collectors alike.