CONTACT US FOR ANY QUESTIONS
LEAHY Management
E: mgmt@leahymusic.ca
Booking
CANADA
Nicole Rochefort
AIM Booking Agency
E:nicole@aimbookingagency.com
P: 416-953-5752
www.aimbookingagency.com
U.S.A.
Trish Galfano
Myriad Artists
E: trish@myriadartists.com
P: 919-967-8655
www.myriadartists.com
Media Contact
E: mgmt@leahymusic.ca
CONTACT US FOR ANY QUESTIONS
The Leahy Family
The Leahy Family’s first ‘professional performance as a group happened in 1973 at the Ontario Open Fiddle and Step-dance Contest in Bobcaygeon, Ontario. Frank and his wife Julia, along with their four eldest daughters and son, aged 5 – 10 years old, took the stage to entertain while the judges tallied competitors scores. In their first ever coordinated set of stage clothes (purple and white polka dot outfits), they played fiddles and step-danced their way into the heart of the audience.
This concert was the first of many. The family grew to include 11 sisters and brothers and became known as The Leahy Family. For the next 15 years, they lived a musical life – playing, writing, recording, and performing throughout Canada, the United States, and Ireland. During this period of time, their extraordinary life as a musical family of 11 siblings was captured in an Academy Award winning documentary called, The Leahy’s Music Most of All. It wasn’t until 1989 that the family band took a five year hiatus as several of the members started attending university and college.
A New Sound (1994 – 2014)
A life without music together proved to be too much for the siblings, so in 1994, a small group of them began playing together again on weekends at small pubs in both Toronto and Ottawa. Without any clear plans to resume their life as a band, they played for the love of music and the joy that it brought them. Before long, they developed a following and a group of fans who encouraged them to record a CD. Along with financing, a studio and producer by the name of Lance Anderson were sought so that five of the siblings could record the music they were playing at the time. Soon after, their first CD was born. With new music and new opportunities beckoning them, it became necessary for the group to choose a professional name with which they and their music could be identified. And so with the birth of this CD came a brand new name, which officially ushered LEAHY into the next chapter of their musical life.
Having signed with a major record company, LEAHY crisscrossed Canada, US, and Europe sharing their music and introducing the world to a new sound that fused their early traditional roots and step-dancing with contemporary styles and influences. Elements of folk, pop, country rock, and classical found their way into LEAHY’S music and stage performances which appealed to a broader audience.
LEAHY’s most recent collaboration was with 3-time Grammy winner, David Bottrill (Peter Gabriel, Rush, Smashing Pumpkins, Afro Celt Sound System) on their newest album, Good Water. David shepherded the band and their 10 new original offerings. Together, Bottrill and LEAHY created a sonic tapestry that fused their Celtic roots with elements of choral, classical, rock, country, and pop music.
With their widespread success, LEAHY remains committed to serving the music. “Our style is deeply rooted in our Canadian and Celtic heritage, but it also includes many other contemporary sounds and approaches. Sometimes we play traditional instruments in non-traditional ways, because our musical instincts take us in many directions. We love the pure and the progressive, the gentle and the fierce — the range of emotions that music can uniquely express. We love it all! Combining traditional roots music and instruments with genres like folk, jazz, classical, pop, and rock, is very natural to us.”
As the band evolves, so too does the family with several of the members playing music and touring with their own families. All the while, LEAHY continues to move forward embracing the changes and building on the music that beckons them forward.
“We’ve always played music as a family, but to pursue a professional life in music together, we had to learn how to accommodate all the changes that naturally occur in life — like having families ourselves. This meant that some tours didn’t always include everybody. At a certain point, our children started traveling with us, which led to them making guest appearances on the show.” Today, some of the band’s children continue to join them on stage and contribute to the music in significant ways – from composing and performing, to inspiring and influencing some of the band’s musical choices.
With change as a constant companion of the group, the configuration of members has changed throughout the years to accommodate the personal lives of the siblings. Some people married and started families of their own, while others took time to pursue individual projects. What remains the same is their passion for music, their desire to share it, and the electric experience of seeing them perform live.
As a family and a band, LEAHY continues to evolve. “The music still leads us, and we do our best to follow. With so many more musicians, dancers, and vocalists in the family now, every performance is quite an experience!”
LEAHY is currently working on a special project that includes new music and video recordings of their multi-generational band and family. Set to be released in the Fall of 2023, they’re on the edge of yet another new chapter in their career.
The Leahy Family
The Leahy Family’s first ‘professional performance as a group happened in 1973 at the Ontario Open Fiddle and Step-dance Contest in Bobcaygeon, Ontario. Frank and his wife Julia, along with their four eldest daughters and son, aged 5 – 10 years old, took the stage to entertain while the judges tallied competitors scores. In their first ever coordinated set of stage clothes (purple and white polka dot outfits), they played fiddles and step-danced their way into the heart of the audience.
This concert was the first of many. The family grew to include 11 sisters and brothers and became known as The Leahy Family. For the next 15 years, they lived a musical life – playing, writing, recording, and performing throughout Canada, the United States, and Ireland. During this period of time, their extraordinary life as a musical family of 11 siblings was captured in an Academy Award winning documentary called, The Leahy’s Music Most of All. It wasn’t until 1989 that the family band took a five year hiatus as several of the members started attending university and college.
A New Sound (1994 - 2014)
A life without music together proved to be too much for the siblings, so in 1994, a small group of them began playing together again on weekends at small pubs in both Toronto and Ottawa. Without any clear plans to resume their life as a band, they played for the love of music and the joy that it brought them. Before long, they developed a following and a group of fans who encouraged them to record a CD. Along with financing, a studio and producer by the name of Lance Anderson were sought so that five of the siblings could record the music they were playing at the time. Soon after, their first CD was born. With new music and new opportunities beckoning them, it became necessary for the group to choose a professional name with which they and their music could be identified. And so with the birth of this CD came a brand new name, which officially ushered LEAHY into the next chapter of their musical life.
Having signed with a major record company, LEAHY crisscrossed Canada, US, and Europe sharing their music and introducing the world to a new sound that fused their early traditional roots and step-dancing with contemporary styles and influences. Elements of folk, pop, country rock, and classical found their way into LEAHY’S music and stage performances which appealed to a broader audience.
LEAHY’s most recent collaboration was with 3-time Grammy winner, David Bottrill (Peter Gabriel, Rush, Smashing Pumpkins, Afro Celt Sound System) on their newest album, Good Water. David shepherded the band and their 10 new original offerings. Together, Bottrill and LEAHY created a sonic tapestry that fused their Celtic roots with elements of choral, classical, rock, country, and pop music.
With their widespread success, LEAHY remains committed to serving the music. “Our style is deeply rooted in our Canadian and Celtic heritage, but it also includes many other contemporary sounds and approaches. Sometimes we play traditional instruments in non-traditional ways, because our musical instincts take us in many directions. We love the pure and the progressive, the gentle and the fierce — the range of emotions that music can uniquely express. We love it all! Combining traditional roots music and instruments with genres like folk, jazz, classical, pop, and rock, is very natural to us.”
As the band evolves, so too does the family with several of the members playing music and touring with their own families. All the while, LEAHY continues to move forward embracing the changes and building on the music that beckons them forward.
“We’ve always played music as a family, but to pursue a professional life in music together, we had to learn how to accommodate all the changes that naturally occur in life — like having families ourselves. This meant that some tours didn’t always include everybody. At a certain point, our children started traveling with us, which led to them making guest appearances on the show.” Today, some of the band’s children continue to join them on stage and contribute to the music in significant ways – from composing and performing, to inspiring and influencing some of the band’s musical choices.
With change as a constant companion of the group, the configuration of members has changed throughout the years to accommodate the personal lives of the siblings. Some people married and started families of their own, while others took time to pursue individual projects. What remains the same is their passion for music, their desire to share it, and the electric experience of seeing them perform live.
As a family and a band, LEAHY continues to evolve. “The music still leads us, and we do our best to follow. With so many more musicians, dancers, and vocalists in the family now, every performance is quite an experience!”
LEAHY is currently working on a special project that includes new music and video recordings of their multi-generational band and family. Set to be released in the Fall of 2023, they’re on the edge of yet another new chapter in their career.
