18-year-old blues sensation Muireann Bradley, a remarkable talent hailing from the small town of Ballybofey in County Donegal, Ireland, signs with Decca Records / Verve Forecast to re-release her acclaimed debut album, I Kept These Old Blues, on 28th February 2025.
Muireann’s journey from playing in her bedroom to performing on Jools Holland’s Hootenanny this year has captivated audiences, establishing her as one of Ireland’s brightest emerging stars. Now she is poised for a global breakout. Fans can pre-order the release, and listen to the remastered version of ‘Candyman’ today.
“Signing with Decca & Verve Forecast is a dream come true for me” says Muireann. “I get such an incredible thrill when I think about my debut album being re-released on such historic and iconic labels which are so synonymous with legends like Billie Holiday, Nina Simone, and Ella Fitzgerald, as well as amazing contemporary artists like Melody Gardot and Jon Batiste.”
Speaking about today’s release of ‘Candyman’, which was the first single she recorded for the album back when she was just 14 years old, Muireann says, “’Candyman’ is a song that I have known and loved for as long as I can remember. It is one of the most fun things you can do on a guitar once you’ve mastered it and it’s often the first tune I play when I pick one up. As a small child, I would sit at my father’s feet as he played and sang the song. It was traditionally sung as a call and response between a male and female voice, and I loved to sing the high part.”
The album is an astonishing first glimpse at the breadth of Bradley’s talent – both as a guitar virtuoso and a singer. Her astounding fingerpicking and original interpretations of blues classics created a loyal fanbase of listeners and collectors alike. The first pressing sold out everywhere and is already regarded as a collectible among in-the-know music fans – truly remarkable given Bradley was just 15 years old when she recorded it. Now remixed and remastered by Grammy-nominated mastering engineer Kevin Reeves, ‘I Kept These Old Blues’ demonstrates the kind of assuredness and skill to be expected of a musician five times her age, on blues standards such as Blind Blake’s ‘Police Dog Blues’ as well as Rev Gary Davis’s ‘Candyman’. Each track was recorded live in the studio and represents one entire take of her singing and playing guitar simultaneously, with most of the final masters being either first or second takes. Not only does this highlight her immense skill, it also reflects the authentic recording styles of the era these classics were originally recorded.
The newly remastered album will also feature previously unheard track ‘When The Levee Breaks’, which Muireann performed on The Late Late Show and wowed her fellow guests, Oscar and Golden Globe-nominated actors Paul Mescal and Andrew Scott.
Muireann enchanted crowds at this summer’s Green Man Festival, opening the main stage on the final day, just her and her guitar (see ‘When The Levee Breaks’ for their session series here). Following a packed headline show in Dublin in November at the iconic Vicar Street venue, a string of live dates including shows in York, Bristol, Liverpool and Brighton, she played a stunning show at London’s EartH Theatre in Hackney on 7th December.
Muireann’s signing with Decca Records solidifies her place as a torchbearer for the new generation of blues, paying homage to the genre’s history while bringing her own fresh perspective to the stage.
