After thirty years as one of the world’s leading Celtic Rock bands, The Young Dubliners have begun work on their tenth studio album (with longtime producer Irish-born Tim Boland) while still maintaining their busy tour schedule. They have returned to the road post-pandemic stronger than ever and determined to bring their fusion of Celtic and rock music to as many people as they can. The band is Keith Roberts (vocals / guitar), Chas Waltz (Violin, keys, vocals), Justin Pecot (guitar, vocals), Dave Ingraham (drums) and Ethan Jones (bass guitar). With a batch of incredible new songs and an undeniable energy, the band is excited to bring their show to festivals, theaters and clubs around the world. “We want to be the band who reminds the world how important a good gig can be to our sanity after what we’ve all been through,” says Roberts. For only the second time the band is looking to its fans to finance the album instead of a traditional record company. “The business has changed so much over our lifetime that it no longer makes sense for us to take money from a label and then owe it all back,” adds Roberts. “Making all our supporters co-producers is a far more rewarding way to make a record and allows us to maintain control all the way”. The Young Dubliners have released nine albums to date. In recent years, the band has appeared twice on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live, had songs featured in TV shows (Sons Of Anarchy, Human Target) and toured extensively as a headliner and as the opener for such a diverse list of artists as Collective Soul, Jethro Tull, Johnny Lang, Los Lobos and Chris Issak. Although the Young Dubliners sound is most commonly called Celtic Rock, that label can often be misleading. The Irish influence is certainly there, but it’s not the only influence that bursts through on their albums or live shows. After all, several of the band members have no Irish roots of any kind. “That was always the idea,” Roberts said. “The sound was intended to be a hybrid because we all come from different backgrounds. Even though I am from Ireland, a lot of the music I listened to growing up wasn’t Irish at all, but when I got here, I got homesick and developed a new appreciation for Irish Music. In truth the Celtic riffs can just as easily come from the American band members. Everyone writes now so you never know what you’ll end up with.”

Ex-Avondale Ramblers play Celtic rocknroll throughout Chicagoland.

The Joyce Family playing Irish Music classics