Introducing Dear Willow, a new Irish trad and folk band bringing together powerful vocals, traditional instrumentation and contemporary songwriting. Formed in December 2024, the five-piece make their debut with House Is Not Your Home, an honest and emotionally resonant song that explores the impact of Ireland’s housing crisis on a generation struggling to find a place to call home.
Featuring Katie Phelan (lead vocals), Dave McCabe (guitar/vocals), Eoin Brosnahan (banjo), Aoife Nolan (fiddle) and Ian Bailey (drums/cajon), Dear Willow combine the character and storytelling of Irish folk with a contemporary perspective on the issues shaping the lives of young people today.
For Dear Willow, releasing House Is Not Your Home is about more than introducing the band. It is about opening a conversation. The band hope the song will resonate with those who have experienced the difficulties of finding a home in Ireland, as well as those who have watched friends and family leave in search of a better future.
Their message is clear: young people deserve the opportunity to build a life in their own country, and the reality of the housing crisis should not be ignored. House Is Not Your Home is the first chapter in Dear Willow’s story — an introduction to a band with something to say, and a song that speaks directly to the times in which we live.
