Black Water County was formed on St. Patrick’s Day in 2013 and started out as a pub-band playing in local pubs. The band has since released three studio albums independently and is an ever-growing musical force. Black Water County combines the energy of pop-punk and adds traditional folk instrumentation taking inspiration from celtic folk legends such as The Pogues, Flogging Molly and Bellowhead. The band cites this unique blend of “folk-punk” as both its distinctive sound as well as the driving force behind the band. To date the band’s UK festival appearances include Cropredy, WOMAD, Boomtown, Beautiful Days, Belladrum, Black Deer, Camp Bestival along with hundreds of smaller UK festivals and beyond, venturing into Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Czech Republic and France. The band’s live sets are particularly well-received and are known to be fun-filled. This has helped them win Fireball UK’s Fuelling the Fire Tour competition twice (2016 and 2018).
Black Water Country’s music often uses multiple singers and big singalong choruses which work especially well in their live shows. Their instrument choice mirrors the nature of their music, seamlessly mixing traditional folk instruments such as mandolin, banjo, and tin whistle with the established rock foundation of guitars, bass, and drums. The band’s lineup features four vocalists, who also play these instruments echoing the singalong nature of celtic folk music. Instead of relying on traditional folk songwriting, Black Water County often brings a modern pop-punk songwriting approach into their overall sound. The lyrics explore themes like friendship, community, heartbreak, drinking culture and working-class life.
