The Irish band We Banjo Three is just at the tail end of a twenty-date tour of the United States. Two sets of brothers – Enda and Fergal Scahill, and Martin and David Howley – make up the group, with banjos, fiddle, mandolins, guitars and tenor guitars, banjolin and vocals all at their disposal. Enda Scahill spoke to The Journal of Music this week about his experiences on the Bringing the Banjo Back Home tour, which finishes at the University of Whitewater, Wisconsin on Wednesday, 18 September. The band have also been selected to appear on the Horizons stage at the world music fair, Womex, in Cardiff in October.

How important is the United States as an outlet for We Banjo 3?

We Banjo 3 explore the rich history of banjo music from its roots in minstrely through the development of old time and Bluegrass music. As the banjo is the quintessential American folk instrument, America is a very important audience for us. The music that we play is however, broad-ranged and has wide appeal and is enjoyed by Irish audiences every bit as much as in the US. We’ve also recently played Cambridge Folk Festival in the UK and the band received a huge reaction.

Is the United States a crucial performing ground for Irish musicians?

Irish music is possibly the most well supported of all folk musics in the US. The large Irish/Celtic festival circuit is essential territory for Irish musicians. There are many and varied venue options in the US from well attended house concerts to Irish pubs to community theatres, Irish music schools, Celtic Societies and Performing Arts Centres. It is a huge country and therefore a huge market. As We Banjo 3 bridge the gap between Irish and American folk music we open up another entire market - the Bluegrass and Old Time festival circuit.

Do you get a different kind of audience in the United States?

America is unique in that their Irish festivals are enormous. Milwaukee Irish Fest for instance, will attract approximately 120,000 people exclusively to listen to Irish music. It is not uncommon for We Banjo 3 to perform to crowds in excess of 10,000 at these festivals. In Ireland there are wonderful audiences and educated, appreciative listeners but the mass appeal is not quite the same, particularly among younger, pop culture audiences. Perhaps because quality Irish music is available ‘on tap’ in Ireland to a certain extent. The American audiences are very appreciative of the distances that Irish bands travel to perform and it is not considered a great effort for people in the US to travel up to four hours to hear a band play.

What’s the hardest thing about being on tour, and what would make it easier?

The travelling distances in the US are possibly the hardest aspect of touring. It is very rare to have two consecutive gigs in the same state as the audiences are very disparate and people will travel hours to a gig. America is huge and a six or seven hour drive each day is not uncommon. Some gigs can be twelve or fourteen hour drives apart, and the cost of petrol has trebled in the last few years in the US. An easing of the visa processing rules and costs would make touring a lot easier too; It has gotten more and more arduous to obtain work visas. A six-berth sleeper coach with WiFi and an espresso machine would make touring life a lot easier!

Does a fair or festival like Womex offer real opportunities to musicians? What do you hope to gain from participating in it this year?

Showcases are the lifeblood for touring bands. Opening up new venues and new markets is essential. Womex offers us the chance to perform to over 700 international bookers and agents from the World Music genre. Our hope is to open up the European circuit and some Eastern markets to We Banjo 3’s music. We’ve cracked America and are now the number one most talked about band on the Irish circuit in the US. Womex is our opportunity to do the same in Europe and beyond.