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Press Kit] Siúcra: quality Irish music In one short year, the trio Siúcra pronounced shoo-kruh) has introduced acoustic music fans to skillfull, inventive arrangements of traditional Irish music. The girls (and guy) of Siúcra are aggressive, energetic players with old-school roots. They're not above modern harmonies and rhythms, but their focus remains on the power of the tune and the tradition. Siúcra ("sugar" in Irish gaeilge) consists of Beth Leachman (vocals and bodhran), Shannon Heaton (Irish flute and whistles), and Matthew Heaton (guitar). Singer Beth Leachman learned sean nos (old style) Irish singing from renowned singers such as Rosie Stewart and singer/collector John Moulden. Irish flute and tin whistle player Shannon Heaton came of age in Chicago, where she played with many fine traditional musicians. Trips to Clare and Galway have helped her to further hone her own unique approach to Irish playing. Matthew Heaton's eclectic guitar background includes playing lead guitar with Chicago rock band The Flavor Channel, composing and performing for nuevo tango group Orquesta Atipica, and a master's degree in classical guitar.Siúcra was formed in Boulder, Colorado, with the simple goal of making high quality Irish music in an area without much Irish music. Beth explains, "we met at a party, we learned that we all play Irish music, that we're all really invested in the tradition, and that we shared a lot of common repertoire and complimentary musical ideas." Initially, the group worked with additional players (bass, tabla, fiddle), but ultimately decided to remain a trio. "The thing we really got from trying to add someone was learning how to get the depth of sound of a quartet with just the three of us," says Matthew. "Playing with a bass player influenced my guitar parts, playing with a percussionist influenced Beth's bodhran playing, and playing with guest fiddle players has lent some new twists to the tunes -- we definitely welcome those influences, but we just work best as a trio." They released their debut cd a place i know in February, 2000. "We chose Akashic Studios just west of Boulder because of the great sounding room, the terrific engineer (Prassanna Bishop) and the overall great vibe there," says Shannon. "We wanted to make a good, clean record, without a lot of overdubs and studio tricks." The trio's strong musicianship, deep love of Irish music and ever evolving wardrobe make Siúcra's future look sweet indeed.
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