Ireland in Music Presents Fiachna Ó Braonáin and Peter O'Toole of Hothouse Flowers with Clare Sands and Enda Gallery

Hothouse Flowers are an Irish rock group that combines traditional Irish music with influences from soul, gospel, and rock. Formed in 1985 in Dublin by Liam Ó Maonlaí and Fiachna Ó Braonáin (and later joined by Peter O’Toole), they started as street performers, rising quickly to tour throughout Ireland. Rolling Stone magazine called them "the best-unsigned band in Europe." In 1986, Bono from the band U2 took notice of the Flowers from a television performance. They released their first single, "Love Don't Work This Way," on U2's Mother Records label.

Their first album, People (1988), was the most successful debut album in Irish history, reaching No. 1 in Ireland and No. 2 in the UK. The group's second album, Home, was released in June 1990. In 1989, the Flowers collaborated with the Indigo Girls on their song "Closer to Fine," and in 1992 joined Def Leppard to record three songs that were included as B-sides on Def Leppard's single "Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad" from their album Adrenalize.

The band played a live version of their cover "I Can See Clearly Now" on the premiere episode of Amazon Prime's The Grand Tour, first made available to stream in November 2016. The song reached to No. 1 on the iTunes Rock Chart Singles in the UK.

When Kildare-born musician and producer Enda Gallery released his debut album under his old name “delush” in spring 2020 during peak COVID breakout, it slipped out nearly unnoticed. As Gallery now reaches a pivotal point in his career, he is re-releasing The Journey to Zero under his own name.

Currently working from County Clare, Gallery has collaborated with international artists including Kid Simius, Dead Rabbit and Nobody’s Face, and is currently writing and producing for Tolü Makay, Willzee, and Strange Boy. The Journey to Zero—an expansive reference to Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey—is described by Gallery as a journey to the source of all creation, our journey home. The record’s lead song, "The Greatest Gift," is performed alongside singer Tolü Makay and was part of the TV show Ireland in Music (RTÉ/PBS).

Clare Sands is an award-winning, sixth generation fiddler and multi-instrumentalist whose energetic folk sound is rooted in Irish traditional music. 

The Cork-born artist, who also has deep family roots in Northern Ireland and County Wexford, released  her debut album, Join Me at the Table, in October 2016 to critical acclaim. Recorded by musician and producer Christian Best of Monique Studios, Cork, and self-composed with Clare playing the majority of instruments, it is an eclectic mix of jazz, folk, and trad. Clare’s latest record, The Basement Sessions (2019), saw her work with renowned novelist and playwright Cónal Creedon and award-winning producer Jimmy Smyth. It is a five-track EP recorded in her Cork City basement after travelling around Cuba and Central America. 

In 2020, Clare completed her master's in composition and creative practice, and worked as artist in residence with Áras Éanna, Inisheer, exploring composition based on the soundscapes and landscapes of the island. Sands was also awarded the traditional arts bursary from the Arts Council to continue exploring what lies between the contemporary and the traditional, and pushed the boundaries of Irish music.