The Breath

The Breath is Manchester-based guitarist Stuart McCallum and singer/flautist Ríoghnach Connolly. They met on the city’s gig circuit in the late noughties. An unlikely pairing though it was, he an acclaimed guitar whiz, ex long-time member of The Cinematic Orchestra and a softly spoken Manchester urbanite, she a folk singer with a larger-than-life personality and a powerful voice to match. Their connection was immediate; they formed The Breath in 2016, a singer-songwriter duo to present their contemporary take on alt-folk.

For them, it’s all about the song. Connolly is a storyteller and their exquisitely crafted, honest, personal, heartfelt songs are as likely to touch on childhood summers and first love as cultural dislocation, post- colonial injustices and grief. But it’s Ríoghnach’s impassioned delivery and extraordinary stop-you-in- your-tracks voice, coupled with Stuart’s understated brilliance that is so engaging.

The Breath have announced their new album, ‘Land Of My Other’ - ten original tracks of raw, gorgeous, acoustic-minded music. The project has yielded songs that tell stories in ways that soothe, stir, exalt, and touch emotional chords that will bring tears of lamenting joy to your eyes. ‘Land of My Other’ is set for release on vinyl, CD and digital via Real World Records on 13th October 2023.