The Shaker Hymn are a five-piece alternative indie rock band from Cork. Having known each other since childhood, the catalyst for what would become The Shaker Hymn was a two month American excursion early in 2012. A remarkable road trip ensued, involving acoustic support slots to Chelsea Crowell. It was on this trek that brand new, future-embracing songs were crafted; songs that would shortly enter the repertoire of the fledgling Shaker Hymn.

Following national airplay of their first two critically acclaimed singles ‘Hunter & The Headman’ and ‘The Runaway’, the band’s debut album, Rascal’s Antique, was released on 30th May 2014, on the band’s own label, Heavy Noids Records. In late 2015, the band released two new singles of raucous fuzz infused psych-pop to serve as a taster from their forthcoming album ‘Do You Think You’re Clever?’ released on April 1st 2016.

The group began to record their third album in 2017 straight to a 4 track tape machine and released ‘Dead Trees’, an exciting product of the recording sessions with producer Brendan Fennessy, soon after. Following an Irish tour with Pale Rivers in Spring 2017, the group went on a hiatus due to unexpected health concerns. While the group took a break, songwriters Caoilian Sherlock and Robbie Barron began to put together demoes of folk influenced songs inspired by the duos favourite artists such as John Prine, Steve Gunn, and Joan Shelley.

The five tracks that make up ‘The Shape Of The Sea’ EP, due out on April 10th, are songs from these recording sessions. Some are a few years old, written on the road while on tour in the US over five years ago. Others are brand new, finished together, bouncing lyrics off each other between the live room and the studio. When the two realised the songs would be used as more than mere demoes, they asked some friends and collaborators to join them to finish off the EP. Drummer and producer Brendan Fennessy lends his percussive insight to most of the songs. While on ‘The Hearts Of Some’, Marlene Enright, Choice Music Prize nominee for 2017’s ‘Placemats and Second Cuts’ provides arresting harmonies.

The first single ‘Brother (Love In Flight) is out on February 20th with an Irish tour of acoustic shows to follow, the first of which is a show at Levis, Cornerhouse in Ballydehob on February 22nd.