Muireann Bradley

Fri Aug 7th at 8pm

The Abbey Tavern

Tickets €20 ex booking fee from Universe.com

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★★★★ "Gamble is a confident, self-produced debut by an exciting new voice" - The Guardian 

 

Zoé Basha is a Dublin-based musician, carpenter, and feminist. Her original pieces and traditional songs explore the crossover between the pulse of American ragtime, the sway of Appalachian mountain songs, and the fervour and solemn ornamentation of Irish traditionals. With her signature sound of playful, syncopated guitar, country fiddle, electric organ, drums, and a booming voice reminiscent of some old jazz record you can’t quite put your finger on, Zoé Basha is a particular kind of americana, brewed in Dublin.

 

Her debut album ‘Gamble’ - self-released in April 2025 - was awarded ‘Folk Album of The Month’ by The Guardian, and received 4-star reviews on RTE Radio 1 Arena. Basha’s debut album and title track were shortlisted for the 68th Annual Grammy Awards in two categories: Best Folk Album, and Best American Roots Performance. 

 

Traveling by thumb, freight trains, and taking the scenic route with rust-bucket vans, Zoé Basha played music in the streets for years to sustain the journey. Of French and American origins but with some pretty persistent traveling shoes, she was pulled between Ireland and the traveling life for the last decade. ‘Gamble’ tells the stories of her roamings, through adventures and musings of intimacy, sorrow, celebrating the fleeting, and questioning the whole lot. The album is an intimate exploration of identity, grief, the deconstructing of societal norms, and the complexities of human connection, all delivered with a mesmerising voice that echoes the vulnerability and depth of her diverse influences. Inspired by the greats of times passed, such as Billie Holiday, The Mills Brothers, Jimmie Rodgers, Joni Mitchell, Texas Gladden, Edith Piaf and The Steve Miller Band– as well as her peers in the Irish folk music scene, Zoé Basha savours the sounds of golden eras with contemporary nuance and shameless honesty.