Nelson women’s folk band Cairde has released all four of its albums on the digital platform Bandcamp, with proceeds supporting local charity Cultural Conversations.
“It’s been a while since the band performed live,” explains founding member Evey McAuliffe.
“But our music is still in demand and with fewer people now having CD players at home or in their vehicles, we thought it time to make it available digitally.”
For 30 years, Cairde, which means friends in Irish, entertained audiences in Nelson and across New Zealand. While members came and went over the decades, the line-up of Evey McAuliffe, Anna Heinz, Sarah Lewis, Kate Sherwood and Carol Rose remained unchanged for the band’s final 20 years.
The group featured five-part vocal harmonies, often accompanied by guitar, piano, cello, double bass, flute and bodhrán, performing both traditional and contemporary songs.
Looking back on those years, Evey says: “We not only made music, we forged lifelong friendships and had so much fun along the way. We were always aware of our privilege in being able to live our lives so freely, mindful that women in other eras and other places did not and do not have such freedom to express themselves and simply enjoy life.”
The band will now use their music to support women who are new to Nelson, many of whom are former refugees.
Albums are available for $10 each through Bandcamp, with proceeds donated directly to Nelson charity Cultural Conversations.
To listen to Cairde’s four albums, download the Bandcamp app or visit cairde.bandcamp.com to purchase albums or individual tracks.
