Two Time Polka
Two Time Polka formed in Cork in 1994 and have developed a distinctive sound that has its roots in Cajun, Zydeco, and Bluegrass music. They have built up an enviable reputation for turning out excellent live shows, including numerous performances at Irish festivals such as The Kilkenny Country Roots, The Dun Laoghaire Festival of World Cultures, The Cork Jazz Festival, The Galway Arts Festival, The Waterford Spraoi, The Cork Folk Festival to name but a few. The band has also done several European tours and has played at the legendary Glastonbury Festival and more recently Italy’s Premier International Folk Festival ‘Folkest’.
The band has released 2 CD’s to date, From Pana to Louisiana in 1999 and About Time Two in 2003.
Two Time Polka can look back on 2005 as being one of their most successful years on the road to date. The year began with their first US album release on Toucan Cove Records, which saw the band getting major exposure Stateside and in Canada. So far the band have clocked up over 200 air plays on radio across the US. A subsequent tour of the States followed in August, which included the recording of one of the concerts for future release on DVD.
Meanwhile, on the home front, Two Time Polka kept up their usual busy schedule of playing at some of the countries top music festivals starting in May with the Kilkenny Rhythm ‘n Roots festival and finishing in October with full houses at their gigs at the Cork Jazz Festival. The band also fitted in two very successful trips to Europe, in July they played four concerts in the north of Italy and in August they made a welcome return to Belgiums premier World Music Festival, Paulusfeesten, in Ostend.
This summer sees Two Time Polka take to the road in Ireland bringing their unique take on American Roots music to an ever-growing fan base.
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“With a unique blend of their own - a strange concoction of bluegrass, cajun, country and just plain old rock ‘n’ roll - on a night out with Two Time Polka you can be pretty sure there will be some serious leg shaking at some point.”Â
Jennifer Byrne, Folk World:(German based Web Magazine)
“Possibly nobody knows more about making a Saturday night worth a Sunday morning than Cajuns and Irishmen. Theirs though was a twain unmet until now.”
Jack Hurst, No Depression Magazine (Nashville, USA)
“This intriguing and interesting band has crossed Irish, American and European roots styles with a courage and conviction rarely seen anywhere else.”
John O’Regan, Irish Music Magazine
“Authenticity and integrity are at the heart of everything Two Time Polka do.”
Paul Dromey, The Irish Examiner
Press Release. “About Time Two” A New CD from Two Time Polka.
Cork band Two Time Polka are proud to announce the release of their new CD “About Time Two” (TTP003CD). This is the follow up to their very successful debut album “From Pana To Louisiana” which prompted Hot Press magazine to write about it “This is a magnificent achievement. It’s seeped out of the Cork swamps, God only knows what other fabulous creatures lurk in her murky depths, though there can hardly be too many gems like this one.” The CD was also listed as essential listening in the Cork chapter of “The Great Record of Irish Music”. “From Pana to Louisiana” received much airplay when it was first released on RTE, RnaG and many local stations such as Clare FM and as is the way with independent recordings Two Time Polka are now just getting their first airplays on radio stations in the US. Aine Hensey, broadcaster and award winning presenter selected track no. 2 “Tom and Jerry” as her signature tune for her weekly programme Ard Trathnona on RnaG. To all the bands amusement we even turned up as a music question on the third level colleges quiz show “Challenging Times”!!
“About Time Two” threads the same pathways and back roads of American roots music that “From Pana to Louisiana” started out on. All the signposts are still there, whether they’re pointing towards the Bluegrass of Kentucky or the swamp pop of South Louisiana. The music on “About Time Two” resonates to the sound of Saturday night dancehall whether it is in the joyous vibrancy of the Two Step or in the sepia toned nostalgia of its waltzes. “About Time Two” in essence is a studio album but it doesn’t betray the bands approach to their live performances. All the essential “Two Time Polka” ingredients are here, tunes that will want to make you get up and dance and song settings that will linger with the listener long after the first hearing.
The album features several guest musicians. Mel Mercier - Percussion; Noel Barrett - Bass; Aisling Fitzpatrick - Cello; Eileen Healy - Fiddle; Jason O’Driscoll - Bass and acoustic guitars, vocals and 5 string banjo; Aine Whelan - Vocals; Hank Wedel - Slide guitar; Mick Power - Dobro guitar; and Leon Barron - Electric guitar, who has also been treading the boards with the band over the last year playing electric guitar.