Tuam’s Seamus Ruttledge set to release his second album

Date Published: {J}

By Declan Tierney

He describes himself as a Huckleberry Finn character while critics who have seen him perform say that his songs are neither depressive nor pretentious.

Next month one Tuam’s most enduring musicians Seamus Ruttledge will launch his second album – just over a decade after his first – and he is excited about the prospect.

Seamus has already played tracks from the new album at concerts in both Galway city and Tuam and they have been very well received.

In fact Seamus has been described as Tuam’s answer to Leonard Cohen and many of his songs reflect on his childhood and his experiences growing up in an orphanage in Salthill.

Some of his material is dark but there are many lighter moments in his live performances which have become part and parcel of the annual arts festival in Tuam.

His new album is entitled Songs to Have with Your Tea and it follows his debut album called New Boots, New Shoes which came out in 2000.

One of the songs on that album, Gomey, proved to be one of the hits on the compilation album Songs from the Broken Wheel, which featured original tracks from a variety of Tuam based artists.

Seamus’ new album was recorded and produced at Sun Street Studios in Tuam by Kenny Ralph and Leo Moran and has been two years in the making. Leo features prominently on some of the tracks.

Recently Seamus performed at the Tuam Arts Festival and was joined on stage by Leo along with Dan Trayers from Stonelakes and Mouse McHugh.

He has yet to set an exact date for the launch of the new album but Seamus said he was looking forward to the event and would have several guests on stage with him for the occasion.