Sisters Erie

History

County Laois beginnings

The Flynn sisters grew up in a musical family, singing and playing together long before they became a working band. During 2008 and 2009, they performed at school events, community gatherings, and local functions in County Laois. The name Sisters Erie was in use by 2009; the sisters regard 2010 as the year their sound came together as a band.1 2

An appearance at the Laois Music Showcase in Portlaoise in April 2010 was an early step beyond those local gatherings. Their major early milestone followed in January 2011, at the Danny Kyle Open Stage at Celtic Connections in Glasgow. The Glasgow appearance helped move the band toward recording its first EP.1

First release and U.S. performances

Sisters Erie released the four-track debut EP The Coming Storm in spring 2012. That summer, a visit to family friends in the United States grew into their first small international run, with help from Katie, a Flynn family friend. Their first U.S. performance was at Katie’s Irish Pub in Burlington, Vermont, followed by appearances at Black Moon Coffee in Silver Hollow, Vermont, Canoe Club in Hanover, New Hampshire, and The Harp in Amherst, Massachusetts.1 3

Members and instrumentation

The sisters share the singing rather than keeping one permanent frontperson. Gael and Ryanne take many of the leads, while Aileen and Mary bring distinct voices to both lead parts and harmonies. The balance shifts with each song, drawing on the familiarity of four musicians who grew up listening and responding to one another.2

• Aileen Flynn plays keyboards and sings lead and harmony. Her clear, controlled voice lends itself to traditional ballads and quieter songs, where an understated delivery carries the story.
• Mary Flynn sings and plays guitar, harp, flute, whistles, and other stringed instruments. Her warm, dark-toned voice anchors harmonies and suits the band’s more reflective material.
• Gael Flynn sings and plays fiddle, flute, and pipes. Her rich, ringing voice and energetic fiddle playing are prominent in the band’s dramatic and driving songs. War pipes are an occasional feature of special performances.
• Ryanne Flynn sings and plays bodhrán, other traditional percussion, and drum kit. Her lively, conversational singing, rhythmic energy, and rapport with audiences are central to the band’s stage presence.2

Musical style

Sisters Erie combines the melodic and rhythmic language of Irish traditional music with the breadth of a folk rock ensemble. Fiddle carries a central melodic role, while bodhrán and related percussion often drive the rhythm. Acoustic guitar, bass, keyboards or piano, harp, and other strings fill out the arrangements; drum kit and clean electric guitar appear when a song calls for them.2

The sound remains rooted in voices and acoustic instruments even at its most forceful. Much of its energy comes from the sisters’ harmonies, the interplay of fiddle and percussion, and changes in pace and intensity. Onstage, they trade leads and answer one another in harmony, making their shared musical upbringing part of the performance.2

Recordings

The Coming Storm

Released in spring 2012, The Coming Storm is the band’s debut EP. Its four songs give each sister one lead vocal, beginning with two songs they brought into the band and closing with two originals.3

1. Step It Out Mary — written by Sean McCarthy; arranged by Sisters Erie; lead vocal by Aileen Flynn.
2. The Queen of Argyll — written by Andy M. Stewart; arranged by Sisters Erie; lead vocal by Gael Flynn.
3. An Ode to Nuada — written by Mary Flynn; arranged by Sisters Erie; lead vocal by Mary Flynn.
4. The Castles of Ireland (“AFC”) — written by Ryanne Flynn and Mary Flynn; arranged by Sisters Erie; lead vocal by Ryanne Flynn.

The sisters had known Step It Out Mary for years. Their arrangement lets the troubling story beneath its buoyant chorus emerge gradually, with Aileen’s measured lead bringing that darker reading into focus. The Queen of Argyll offers a warmer, more expansive counterweight. Its arrangement took shape at an informal Glasgow session during the January 2011 visit, when Gael took the lead and the other three sisters found the chorus around her.3

Mary’s An Ode to Nuada is a restrained meditation on the man beneath the legendary king, exploring a wholeness that neither loss nor restoration can change.5

The Castles of Ireland (“AFC”) begins as a sincere celebration of the Irish landscape before turning into an exuberant comic complaint about the ruins around every corner.6

Beat the Sunrise

Beat the Sunrise, released in 2016, extends the band’s original songwriting. Its songs include Running Underhill, whose tale was one of Ryanne’s childhood favorites: The Road Under the Hill. The album gives the four sisters room for character songs, storytelling, drinking songs, and quieter reflections.7

Performances

Wind & Rain Tour (2013)

Sisters Erie returned to the United States in 2013 for the Wind & Rain Tour. Its nineteen performances ran from September 1 to October 4, beginning at O’Brien’s in Los Angeles and moving east through the Southwest, Texas, the South, the Mid-Atlantic, and the Northeast. The tour ended at Katie’s Irish Pub in Burlington, returning the band to family friends and the room where they had first played in the United States the previous summer.1 4

For the detailed itinerary, see Wind & Rain Tour (2013).