The Wellermen have released, 1778, a stunning new EP of standards that captures the band as they exist today - featuring our focus track 'The Galway Girl'.
At the core of the record is the band’s unmistakable signature: their captivating bass led harmonies. Bobby Waters and Luke Taylor’s rich, sonorous voices anchor a five-part vocal that gives the music both weight and clarity, allowing the arrangements to remain expansive without excess.
Spanning traditional material from Ireland, America and Canada, 1778 reflects both their heritage and forward momentum. From the rousing ‘Barrett’s Privateers’ to the stark ‘O Death’, alongside reworkings of ‘The Galway Girl’, ‘Star of the County Down’ and more, the EP moves effortlessly between joy, grief and storytelling. Recorded in Sussex with additional work in Dublin, it captures a band rooted in tradition but pushing confidently into new territory.
Listen to ‘The Galway Girl’ on the Premier League playlist.
Speaking about the EP, the band say, “Our first two albums were made before we ever performed live, and we have been lucky enough to take them from the studio to the stage. With the 1778 EP we’ve brought the stage to the studio, taking some fan favourites from the road and capturing the raw energy and fun of our stage performances on record. It marks a whole new chapter and the first release for us as a five-piece, but it certainly won’t be the last!”
A true transatlantic outfit, The Wellermen bring together the East Coast folk sensibilities of bass vocalists Bobby Waters and Luke Taylor with the British musicianship of Jonny Stewart and Seb Payne, alongside the theatrical energy of West End performer Sam Pope. Though they only met in person in 2023, the chemistry is undeniable, and 1778 marks a defining step in their evolution as musicians.
