IRISH music legend Sharon Shannon has announced a special release which will comprise a new album and a selection of some of her greatest recordings to date.
The Co. Clare native, who has carved a name for herself internationally as one of Ireland’s best traditional musicians, will release a box set titled Now & Then next month.
Having released her first album in 1991, Shannon has had a string of best-selling albums and concert tours since then.
Sharon Shannon pictured in Whelan's, Dublin in 1991She admits it was quite the task to create a new album and go through her back catalogue to select further recordings for inclusion in her latest project.
“Putting together this box set was a mammoth task,” she reveals.
“It started off with the recording of a brand-new album which is called 'Now'," Shannon explained.
"I'm really, really proud of it, and I can't wait for people to hear it.
“Apart from the new album, I hadn't heard any of the rest of the albums for years and years, so I enjoyed listening to them all again, and of course, each one brought up lots of great memories of recording and touring the various albums with various different band line ups.”
Shannon has been making music for more than 30 years (Pic: Emilija Jefremova)Now Shannon, who admits she still loves making new music, is excited to get the box set out to the public.
“I absolutely love being in the recording studio making new albums,” she said.
“I just love hearing brand new music coming to life, and it's one of the things that l love doing most in my life, and I hope to keep doing it for many more years to come.”
As well as Shannon’s new album, Now, the box set features 12 of her previous studio albums on reformatted digisleeve CDs, as well as a career journey coffee table photo book which is over 100 pages long.
Shannon pictured at the Grouse Lodge in Westmeath in 2003“The book of photographs was also a great and very, very long trip down memory lane,” Shannon says.
“With help from my friend Daithi Turner, I traipsed through over 36,000 digital photos, plus multiple boxes and bin bags full of physical photos that I have at my home in Galway and my family have at home in Co. Clare,” she added.
“I can't wait to see the final production, and I'm really excited about it.”
Sharon Shannon's Now & Then box set will be released on October 27.
There are also 100 signed limited edition versions of the box set, which will be available on a first come, first served basis.
Both versions of the boxset can be pre-ordered here.
