Shelley Bukspan Album Launch +Dandelion

Shelley Bukspan’s first solo album was named after the New York borough she was born in. ‘The Bronx Age’ is a celebration of a life-time’s love affair with musical influences and a passion for different genres and stylistic harmonies. Shelley moved from The Bronx to Israel at the age of 6 and came to Ireland in her early 20s. She spent the first 2 years playing with jazz musicians in Cork city and, after relocating to Dublin in 1988, she teamed up with Conor Brady and Eamon Flynn to form ‘Bird’, an urban soul/rock ensemble. Bird’s E.P ‘Chances’ was championed by Prince’s A&R who used one of the tracks ‘At Last Our Time Is Here’ on their Paisley Park answering machine.

Shelley’s extensive musical adventures include many TV appearances. Her debut TV performance was with musical director Bill Whelan (River Dance) for Saturday Live and include appearances as lead vocalist with Keltic Posse with whom she performed as part of the Montreux TV Special. Other successful collaborative projects were ‘Elevator Raves’ in Ormond Quay with Tonie Walsh and ‘Alternative Miss Ireland’. Shelley’s collaboration with a young producer, Simon Fitzpatrick, who used her voice for a new remix of the 80s hit ‘Maniac’, was later adopted by D.J Marc McCabe who added a rap and turned it into the Irish E.D.M. anthem ‘Maniac 2000’. Shelley joined Marc to perform the song to a massive audience at Electric Picnic 2017.

Shelley has collaborated with the RTE Concert Orchestra and The Modern Gospel Ensemble. In 2014 she worked with legendary Jamaican Reggae artist Dave Barker (Dave and Ansel ‘Double Barrel’) on Mark Lamar’s BBC live session with the Supertonic Sound Club. Her voice features in BAFTA Award winning director Neasa Hardiman’s film Sea Fever, and Shelley’s original music, the instrumental version of ‘Happy’ (a song on her forthcoming album), features in movie ‘Blue Iguana’ starring Oscar winner Sam Rockwell. Over the years she contributed vocal arrangements and performed with many more Irish artists and producers, including Bronagh Gallagher Mary Black, Mary Coughlan, Mick Pyro, Gavin Murphy, and John Walsh, to name but a few. More recently she recorded a new version of ‘At Last Our Time Is Here’ with long-time collaborator Eamon Flynn which will be released in early 2022. Shelley is Head of Vocals at BIMM Institute Dublin where she has mentored hundreds of students since the college opened its doors in 2011. The Bronx Age – Album The Bronx Age will be released on Felix Records on November 19 th . To record the 9 tracks for her debut album Shelley teamed up with co-producers Stephen O’Brien (Hal) and Ray Boyle (The Ultra Montanes). A number of tracks on the album were written over a 15 year period whilst balancing motherhood, her many professional projects and her teaching career. The end result is a deeply personal album of songs, shaped by every decade of a life immersed in music. ‘The Bronx Age’ reflects the love, spirituality, wisdom, depth of knowledge and diverse cultural and musical influences she has explored throughout her life. The nine tracks on ‘The Bronx Age’ run the gamut from gospel and soul to prog and folk.

Shelley Bukspan is available for interviews and live sessions. BAND: Shelley’s live band includes Cathal McKenna (Vernon Jane), Ciara O’Connor (Dua Lipa), Cian Hanley (JVMM/Laoise), Ray Boyle (The Ultra Montanes) and Jorden Bukspan (Bronagh Gallagher/Horseslips).