I Draw Slow

I Draw Slow formed in 2008 as an Irish folk and Americana ensemble that unites Dublin sensibilities with Nashville traditions through precise instrumental work, strong vocal performances, and a profound attachment to American roots traditions. Siblings Dave Holden and Louise Holden lead the songwriting, and the band issued its first recording, the well-regarded Redhills, in 2011, followed by White Wave Chapel, Turn Your Face to the Sun, and the self-titled I Draw Slow.

The group draws from Doc Watson, Joni Mitchell, the Carter Family, Neil Young, and Hank Williams. Its original lineup joined fiddle player Adrian Hart, claw-hammer banjo specialist Colin Derham, double-bass player Konrad Liddy, and the Holdens—Dave on guitar and vocals, Louise on vocals. The ensemble fuses bluegrass, Appalachian folk, old-time country, and Americana, and it placed its debut album Redhills with Pinecastle Records in 2011. Veteran producer Brian Masterson, whose credits include the Chieftains, Van Morrison, and Norah Jones, oversaw the 2014 follow-up White Wave Chapel. In 2017 the band signed with Compass Records and delivered its third studio album, Turn Your Face to the Sun.

The COVID-19 pandemic prompted a period of isolation in 2020. Recovery from that collective experience shaped the fourth album, I Draw Slow, which appeared in 2022 and expanded the group’s roots foundation with retro-pop, jazz, and ambient textures.