The Gothard Sisters - Dragonfly (2021)

When we set out to write the songs on the new album, Dragonfly, we agreed that we wanted to make it into the kind of album that we originally fell in love with when we first started listening to Celtic music.

At the time, one of our favorite things to do as a family was to listen to the new Celtic folk music of the 80s and 90s while driving through the mountains on camping trips. What drew us to the genre over and over again was how it was both joyful and cool at the same time.

Dragonflies have flown the earth for 300 million years and symbolize our ability to overcome times of hardship. They remind us to take time to reconnect with our own strength, courage, and resilience.

The new songs touch on these themes, from searching for wisdom in “Wise One,” the joy of adventure in “Dragonfly,” to the power of music and community in “Shadow and Sun” and “Long Road.” There’s the story of a long-lost gold mine in “Meet Me at Dawn,” as well as energetic new instrumental tunes “Hurricane Ridge,” “Wildflower Jigs” and “Chasing the Sun.”

This album is the most authentic Gothard Sisters record to date, and combines layers of fiddle, mandolin, acoustic guitar, djembe, bodhran, whistles, and vocal harmonies with modern recording techniques and production.