The term “old soul” is overused, yet Muireann Bradley effortlessly lives up to it. Just 17 years old, her debut album, I Kept These Old Blues, channels interwar/rural blues into a set that’s genuine and evocative, accompanied by understated vocals. VG checked in with Muireann from her home in Ireland.
How did a young person in Northern Ireland discover American country blues?
I was hearing old blues before I was even born. My mother tells how my father used to hold a speaker to her belly when she was carrying me, so I could listen to Blind Lemon Jefferson or Charley Patton. When we were colicky as babies, he would walk around the kitchen rocking and jiggling us to the sounds of Blind Blake or Memphis Minnie until we settled. My father was also a very good guitar player who could copy old blues perfectly – our house always had more guitars than people in it.
Your playing has that Piedmont flavor of ragtime.
I don’t think there’s any hiding the fact that Rev. Gary Davis, Blind Blake, Elizabeth Cotten, and Mississippi John Hurt have had the most influence on the way I play at the moment, but I also love Lonnie Johnson and Robert Johnson. I’m just beginning to dive deeper into the blues of the Mississippi Delta, and Texas players. From a more-modern standpoint, I really like Ari Eisinger, Stefan Grossman, Guy Davis, Roy Book Binder, Jorma Kaukonen, Mary Flower, Erin Harpe, Alvin Youngblood Hart, Woody Mann, Steve James, Dave Van Ronk, and John Fahey.
Have you worked on a particular fingerstyle technique?
When I started learning, I was picking in the style of Mississippi John Hurt, with the thumb playing alternating bass notes and the index and middle fingers playing the treble strings. But after I’d been playing a couple of years, my father encouraged me to learn to play like Rev. Gary Davis or Doc Watson, using only the index finger to play the treble strings.
What was it like to record I Kept These Old Blues.
The album was recorded in Valley Music Studio, in Ballybofey, Donegal, just five minutes from where we live. It is a small home studio run by producer/engineer Terry McGinty. I tried a couple of bigger commercial studios, but from the moment I met Terry, he put me at ease.
For most of the tunes, we did two takes and then chose the best one, which in nearly every case was the first. The album took the best part of two years to record, as Covid and other situations threw up obstacles along the way. But we got there.
“Candyman” and “Frankie” are standouts.
They’re probably my two favorites to play, especially “Candyman.” I never tire of playing it and don’t think I ever will. If I pick up a guitar in standard tuning, that’s the first song I play.
You play Waterloo acoustics. What do you like about them?
The Waterloos are amazing guitars. I have a 2017 WL-S Deluxe and a 2020 WL-14 X. My father originally bought them for himself, but I’ve played them so much that they’ve kind of become mine. Most of the songs on the album were played on the WL-S Deluxe, which is a re-creation of a late-’20s Stella. It’s ladder-braced with a carbon fiber T-bar instead of an adjustable truss rod, and a super-thin varnish finish. It’s loud for such a small guitar, and so resonant that it seems to make the whole room vibrate.
What kind of strings do you use?
Mostly D’Addario Nickel Bronze lights, but I really like Elixir Nanowebs on certain guitars. I’ve also been trying Darco Phosphor Bronze after hearing Mark Stutman, of Folkway Music, recommend them. I was very happy with them
Do you own any authentic vintage guitars?
A lot of vintage Gibson blues boxes have passed through our house over the years; my father was always buying and selling, but I think his G.A.S has eased off over the last few years. The one that survived all the trading is a 1934 L-50 round-hole archtop like the one Sam Chatmon played. It’s probably my favorite guitar for sheer playability and has by far the most comfortable neck profile of any guitar I’ve ever played.
What’s next for you – focus on music or will you be off to university?
I’m playing it by ear for now and waiting to see how everything goes. My parents, of course, want me to go to university, especially my mother, who is an English teacher. Maybe I can do both!
This article originally appeared in VG’s January 2024 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.
