By Kate Bartlett
Tuatha Dea is a progressive Americana band with a Rock edge, a Celtic-Appalachian influence and a fearless attitude for pushing the boundaries of modern roots music. Their music thrives on a perpetual energy backed by expansive vocal ranges, steady, driving percussion, electric instrumentation and the melodic sounds of acoustic instruments like fiddle, guitar, penny whistle, bagpipes and even didgeridoo. The band will be playing the Jamestown Regional Celtic Festival this upcoming August 23-24th at Lake Side Park in Mayville, NY.
Band co-founder Danny Mullikan recalls how the band formed organically, almost inadvertently. “I was always a fan of Celtic rock bands, and I frequently attended festivals and drum circles,” says Danny. “While playing in a drum circle at the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games in North Carolina, I met my future wife, Rebecca. We connected through the music, and decided to form a band.”
In its early years, around 2009, Tuatha Dea was primarily a family venture, between Rebecca, Danny, his son Brandon and daughter Tesea. It grew naturally, incorporating more of Rebecca’s family and friends. Having grown up in Appalachian traditions, everyone sang in Rebecca’s family. “They all grew up singing together in blood harmony with no formal training,” says Danny.
Tuatha Dea is a very inclusive band, a larger group, starting around 9 or 10 members, now typically 7 or 8 musicians. “We’ve welcomed various musicians into the group over the years and have found inspiration and excitement in showcasing individual’s unique musical talents. Almost no one is turned away; we find a way to incorporate any musical talent and highlight their unique abilities.”
Danny plays hand drums and guitar, occasionally accompanies his wife Rebecca on vocals. Instruments range from the conventional (bass guitar, drum, violin) to more non-traditional (didgeridoo, perry whistle, bagpipes, Native American flute) forming a unique, layered sound with fun, eclectic energy. “Our music is somewhat hard to describe, you have to hear it to understand, but it’s somewhat surprising in a sense. We’ve best described our sound as ‘Appalachian Celtic Rock’, as we’re not a typical Celtic band. While we’ll play the occasional ballad, most of our songs are a fast paced, upbeat, tribal sound with a unique vibe. Our music is reflective of the individual band members, and varies from year to year, and show to show.” Tuatha Dea plays mostly original music, but will occasionally play traditional music adapted to their sound.
The name, pronounced ‘Two-a Day’, is old Irish and is taken from Irish Mythology of the Tuatha de Danaan (Children of the goddess Danu). According to Danny, legend depicts them as magical beings who defeated Irelands indigenous tribes and were considered to have supernatural powers. After being defeated by another invading group and being run underground the Tuatha de Danaan became the origin of the Irish Fae or Faery Folk. Tuatha Dea is a shortening of the name and roughly translates to “Children of the Gods”.
While Tuatha Dea is based in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, they play concerts and festivals all around the country. They frequent The Middle Tennessee Highland Games, Central Florida Scottish Highland Games and North Texas Irish Festival, as well as Americana Festivals around the country. They also play mainstream music festivals including The Montauk Music Festival in New York and Bristol Rhythm and Roots in Virginia. They’ve played the Jamestown Regional Celtic Festival for several years, and are looking forward to playing this upcoming August 23-24th at Mayville Lakeside Park.
Danny is inspired by playing with his fellow band members. “We have an incredible time playing together,” says Danny. “The truth is, if I wasn’t playing with these musicians, I wouldn’t be playing at all. I’m inspired constantly by their talent. The band members are all family to me, and I’m so grateful to be able to connect with them on a personal and musical level.”
Danny reflects on his inspiration for creating music. “It’s incredible to be able to make something out of nothing. To create a song from nothing; to create music where there once wasn’t any. As a musician and a songwriter, my goal is to take the listener to different places, to convey feelings and thoughts through music that can’t be explained through words alone. It’s incredible to be able to reach such a wide variety of people, and form a connection through music. It’s universal. Music is powerful and it can connect us on common ground, helping us focus on our similarities rather than our differences. We really are all more alike than we are different.”
For more information visit https://www.tuathadea.net/ and follow on Facebook @ Tuatha Dea listen on YouTube and other streaming platforms. For tickets to their concert at the Jamestown Regional Celtic Festival on August 23rd at 5pm and Sunday August 24th at 930am visit https://www.96thhighlanders.com/festival.html