Emma Langford #CLMF26

Coughlan's, Douglas St.

Fri 25th Sep, 6:30 pm

Emma Langford marks ten years this year since the launch of her musical career, with a snappily titled tour and some cracking limited edition merch available at her shows.   
In 2016, a moment of creativity and vulnerability caught on video captured the imagination of the public, and proved to be the launchpad for the decade that has followed. Langford's song “Tug O’ War” was filmed on a broken ipad in her childhood bedroom in Limerick and shared online, generating a huge response – the then-26 year old was encouraged to release the song as a single, and she subsequently crowdfunded her debut EP. 

The enthusiasm of a newfound audience encouraged the artist to create and share more music, and opened up an avenue for a musical career which has seen her go from strength to strength over the last ten years. 

Her career, which she wryly describes as “a haphazard amble from one achievement to the next” has included multiple international tours taking in Germany, Switzerland, the USA, England, Scotland, Wales, Austria and Denmark. She’s shared the stage and collaborated with household names like the world-class Moya Brennan, Eimear Noone, Wallis Bird, Derek Ryan, Stocktons Wing, the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, Leslie Dowdall and RuthAnne to name a few. Her work has also been recognised with an RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Award, numerous nominations and a Grammy nod in 2021 as well as various funding awards and residencies, a Businesswoman of the Year award, and of course the release of two independent studio albums, Quiet Giant and Sowing Acorns. 

The title of her victory lap tour is drawn from a viral meme she herself created in 2019, and pokes fun at the ever persistent, well intended but slightly patronising question volleyed at independent artists the world over, since the dawn of, well, singer-songwriters… “and c’mere to me, are you still at the auld music?”