REVIEWS AND QUOTES FROM THE PAIRS NEW ALBUM 'Box On' AND OF SOME RECENT LIVE PERFORMANCES.

'Thrilling sophomore CD from a young accordion/guitar/banjo duo with a deep understanding of traditional music and of where, and how, to take it from here.'
- BBC Radio 2 Folk and Acoustic Website

"Imagination, energy, wit and brilliant playing. Shona and Damien are a force to be reckoned with on the folk scene."
- Fiona Talkington (BBC Radio 3's Late Junction)

'…incredible musicianship…taking their music to a higher level.'
- ****Rock'n'Reel

'Live, this duo rocks…'
- Irish Music Magazine

'…the musicianship sparkles with a combination of genuinely creative interplay and flexibility…'
- fROOTS

"'...this album is full of good tunes and ear-awakening arrangements, delivered with musicianship of the highest order.'
- eds (EFDSS magazine)

'Outrageously consummate banjo picking and stunningly empathic accordion …the music is so big-sounding that you have to remind yourself you're only listening to two or three instruments.'
- The Living Tradition

"Two instrumentalists at the top of their game, one of whom is also one of the finest singers around…A brilliant album."
- Jon Boden on 'Box On'

'Musicianship of the highest order…'
- Properganda 4

'…the future is bright for the duo, blessed with the skill, judgement and flair to maximise the opportunities sure to come.'
- Musician (MU mag)

"If I was to recommend one show to come and see, it would have to be this one."
- Derek Smith, Festival Director, Cwlwm Celtaidd Celtic Festival, Wales

SHONA KIPLING & DAMIEN O'KANE - Living Tradition
Box On
Focal Music FMCD02

What an astonishing album. The eye-catching, “well hard” sleeve to Box On belies its contents. Here you'll find ten impeccably played tracks, heavily influenced by the Irish tradition, revealing outstanding empathy between Shona Kipling (piano accordion) and Damien O'Kane (tenor banjo & guitar).

The duo's impressive compositions are entirely in keeping with their interpretations of traditional tunes; the music is played with masses of attack. Rhythm and timing are impeccable, the playing is consistently tight and intuitive – fast-paced tunes such as Flighty Girls, The End and The Road to Cashel leap out of your speakers and grip you. Outrageously consummate banjo picking and stunningly empathic accordion are supplemented on occasion by bouzouki, guitar, cello, bass, fiddle and bodhran. At times the music is so big-sounding that you have to remind yourself you're only listening to two or three instruments.

Damien's voice is another of the album's assets – befitting the thoroughly Irish character of the two vocal tracks. The very beautiful melody to The Red Haired Girl demonstrates Shona's outstanding expressive abilities - her playing is exquisite here, brimming with feeling. Derry-born Damien is a graduate of the Newcastle Folk Degree; Shona, from Co. Durham, is still studying there. Makes you wonder what the duo will ‘unleash' on an unsuspecting folk circuit once Shona's studies are complete; natural curiosity also makes me wonder what other talent is about to emerge from Newcastle University.

This album is dedicated to Shona's late father Dr. David Kipling, former head doctor for the Boxing Board of Control. His wish was that the duo should not make another album until they ‘really had something to say'. They've done just that, with eloquence, energy and passion. Dr. Kipling would be proud. Box on, Shona and Damien!

SHONA KIPLING AND DAMIEN O'KANE
**** Rock'n'Reel
Box On (FOCAL MUSIC LTD)

Pure Chance the 2002 debut from the inspired pairing of accordionist Shona Kipling and singer, guitarist and tenor banjo player Damien O’Kane won them plenty of critical acclaim and established their reputation as two of the most exciting young musicians on the scene. Box On looks almost certain to build on that reputation and will, in all probability, elevate them to the staus they so richly deserve.

It could have been a completely different story when, after the death of her father, Shona couldn’t bring herself to play anymore. However, a return to concert performance in 2005, after a year of not playing together, confirmed that the duo still had what it takes, as this excellent second album also proves. Whereas Pure Chance featured just the two of them, this time round they’ve invited a few friends to the party and the subtle contributions of guest musicians, among them Peter Tickell, Aaron Jones and Rachael McShane, fills out the sound when needed but never threatens to overshadow the main event, which is the almost telepathic interplay between O’Kane’s guitar and banjo and Kipling’s sparkling accordion.

Setting out their stall with ‘Dad’s Jigs’ that immediately get the feet tapping, they then showcase O’Kane’s fine singing on ‘Airdi Cuan’ before the sparks really begin to fly with ‘Ferret-Panting’, a set which probably best sums up their approach. Part traditional and part self-penned, it gives full rein to their incredible musicianship and also shows them to be taking their music to a higher level.

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PURE CHANCE QUOTES - Conspiracy Records 2003

‘Genuinely creative.....impressive degree of flexibility in their intuitive grasp of a healthy range of tunes’
fROOTS

‘These two gifted musicians have rapport which many longer serving duos would envy’
Songbook

‘Outstanding musicianship…’
Daily Telegraph

"Watch out Sharon Shannon, here comes the exceedingly good Miss Kipling"
Yorkshire Evening Press

‘This CD would make you want to catch them live’
The Living Tradition Magazine

‘…ease and professionalism that belies the young age of the artistes…an album to delight any lover of instrumental music.’
Irish Music Magazine

fROOTS magazine – No 245 - Album 'Pure chance'
Shona Kipling & Damien O’Kane (Conspiracy 0603001) Youthful duo (accordion and guitar/banjo), of largely Irish descent based in the north-east. Genuinely creative in both their playing and overall approach to rhythm, showing an impressive degree of flexibility in their intuitive grasp of a healthy range of tunes. Names to watch…

Irish Music Magazine
Shona Kipling is English with Irish roots and Damien O'Kane is Irish. Together they make music that crosses borders. The 10 tracks on offer here move through reels, jigs and waltzes with an ease and professionalism that belies the young age of the artists. The track "Glenda Lough" is a joy to listen to and takes on extra poignancy when we realize from the notes that it was written by Shona for a lady named Glenda, who she tells us was named after the Irish location. She moves from this into what she informs us is the only composition of Kerry box player John Brosnan, written when he was 14. The banjo comes to the fore on the inventively named "Banjo Solo" with Damien giving us two of his own compositions and "Tartar Frigate" by Matt Seattle. They include one vocal track, a beautiful version of "Lakes of Ponchartrain." Not to be outdone, Shona gives us "Accordion Solo" to balance that banjo track. This is an album to delight any lover of good instrumental music.

The Living Tradition Magazine - Album 'Pure Chance'
Shona Kipling & Damien O’Kane (Conspiracy 0603001)
Shona comes from Durham, with an Anglo-Irish background. Rising through the Comhaltas, her accordion playing has been influenced by the likes of Lynn Tocker. A finalist in the 2002 BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Musician Awards, she has also been an All-Ireland finalist. Damien came to Newcastle upon Tyne from his native Coleraine to study the Traditional Music course at the University, having been an All-Ireland banjo finalist. So did they team up in Geordieland or Ireland? No, Falun, Sweden, at a youth summer school, was when the first started playing together - a long way to go, but worth it for the end results. Was that the pure chance that inspired the title? Add to the boxes and banjo Damien's guitar and vocals and the ingredients are all in place for a fine debut album which draws inspiration from a variety of sources. Here we have traditional and more recent tunes from Ireland, England, Scotland, and, of course, Sweden, plus a pleasant version of The Lakes of Ponchartrain. There is a liveliness about their playing, with both these young musicians able to feed off the other, not afraid to embellish here and there without detriment to the overall sound, which is fluid yet tight, crisp and exciting. They also showcase a splendid solo track each. While there may be influences from other musicians, Shona and Damien are crafting a sound that is uniquely theirs and one which should grab the attention of festival and event organisers, as this CD would make you want to catch them live.


The Daily Telegraph - Album 'Pure Chance'
by Colin Randall
Shona Kipling & Damien O’Kane (Conspiracy 0603001)
When Shona Kipling broke her wrist in-line skating as a girl of 10, her father – a GP in County Durham – bought her an accordion for physiotherapy. Whatever impact her earliest efforts had on domestic tranquillity, she became rather good at playing it.

Still only 18, with BBC Young Folk award semi-finals and three all-Ireland finals under her belt, Kipling demonstrates maturity and inventiveness more commonly associated with musicians twice her age.
Made with another promising newcomer, Damien O'Kane, a guitar and banjo-playing product of Newcastle upon Tyne University's folk degree course, Pure Chance draws strikingly on shared north-eastern/Irish influences. Polished medleys of polkas, waltzes, reels and jigs dominate, but O'Kane handles the one song, The Lakes of Ponchartrain, well enough to suggest that his vocals should be given freer rein.

The pair can be proud of a first album on which they offer ample evidence of outstanding musicianship, and also seem to be having fun. Colin Randall

The Sage
Gateshead brochure May 2005 (featuring a concert by Damien O’Kane)
‘…a banjo virtuoso.’

Eagle Music Shop - Album 'Pure Chance'
Shona Kipling & Damien O’Kane (Conspiracy 0603001)
Excellent Irish Piano Accordion, Tenor Banjo & Guitar. A brilliant debut album from two exceptionally talented young musicians. Shona is by far one of the finest young traditional piano accordion players in recent years ...Damien plays the Irish tenor banjo in an excellent, controlled manner with great feel and interpretation, his guitar work is credible too! Watch this space.