Born out of an experiment and a foray into the unknown /////// (or seacht líne) is the brainchild of the brothers’ Burnside, Joshua and Connor. As the nights grew dark and long, the brothers began to toy with new instruments in their respective isolations, Joshua in Belfast and Connor in London.

The project soon grew legs, evolving into a loose and rambling cacophony of traditional folk arrangements in the spirit of Northern Irish post-rock. With influences in Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh, Dirty Three, the Olllam, and Lankum, /////// soon developed its own characteristics and personality, one that fought against the uncertainty of a COVID-19 and echoed warmth, nostalgia and love.

“I started learning the fiddle during the lockdown, and it was a great distraction for a while. But I knew that if I didn’t use it in a creative project then I probably wouldn’t keep it up. The whole idea of /////// was really just to have a bit of craic – the band name started off as a bit of wind up, and then it stuck. Even the idea of something being ‘post-trad’ is a little bit ridiculous’’

With performance and live music still months from a return, a crucial component in the brothers and trad music’s identity, the new releases from /////// encapsulates the swirling compositions and swooping melodies and permeating warmth of a traditional session.

“So, I would come up with a melody on the fiddle and send it over to Connor in London and he would come up with a beat and record that, and then this would go back and forth until the tracks started making sense. Although there are few words on the EP, we wanted themes like family, nostalgia and home to be a core element of the music, hence the old family photos we’ve used for each track.’’ – Joshua