GREEN LADS
Welling Lights
Philippe Cousin
A rising star on the electro-Celtic scene, the Rennes-based quintet Green Lads have been taking the stage by storm since 2018. A band that pushes the boundaries of traditional music into the realms of electro-acoustic music.
Following three albums in 2020, 2021 and 2023, they return in 2026 with their fourth album, 'Welling Lights'. With this release, the five band members place light and energy at the heart of their new show. Conceived as a living experience, the new album invites listeners to explore, celebrate and share.
From the very first glance at the explosively designed cover, it is easy to imagine the diverse and contrasting energies that drive the quintet. Two fiddles, a flute, a guitar and uilleann pipes, accompanied by a dancer’s tap dancing, intertwine to weave a harmonious and unique blend.
Twelve tracks follow one another, almost all instrumental with the exception of the song ‘Let it Out’, all original compositions by one or other of the musicians. The album opens with ‘Celtic Eruption’ and the unbridled rolls of the drums, backed by the fiddles of Antoine Rozé and Fernanda Garcia Koschtschak and the flute of Antoine Morin. Following the first track comes the more subdued ‘Lost in The Green’, which begins with a long fiddle introduction. The other tracks follow suit, at times energetic, at times more subdued. The album concludes with ‘Maple Swirl’, a track characterised by purity and balance.
This time round, a number of guest musicians join the band: Pauline Kondrat, David Le Borgne, Anthony Debray, Elouan Delouche, Stéphane Noël and Giacomo Merigo. Add to that the fact that, on stage, the musicians pour all their energy into bringing this spellbinding and vibrant music to life, and you’ll have the full picture of this charming quintet.