About Síomha

Independent Irish artist Síomha (pronounced She-vah) is a musician, filmmaker and songwriter whose work moves between music, storytelling and socially engaged practice. Rooted in the Irish language, landscape and traditions of the West of Ireland, her work explores connection, identity and the stories held within people and places.

Her debut album Infinite Space, described by The Irish Times as “a seriously accomplished and self-confident debut”, is a collection of songs in both Irish and English. A kind of cosmic, folk-informed, jazz-tinged, post-pop, it was produced by Grammy-nominated Tyler Duncan and features an international lineup of musicians including Joe Dart (Vulfpeck), Louis Cato (Bobby McFerrin/Snarky Puppy), Martin Atkinson Borrull (Toucan) and violinist Jeremy Kittel (Bela Fleck/Chris Thile). Síomha’s voice is full of raw, heartfelt experience, instantly moving audiences and creating a deep sense of connection.

Alongside her music, Síomha’s artistic practice has expanded into film and socially engaged work, exploring the connections between language, culture, community and place. Through projects including Hometree’s Dinnseanchas residency and Cumas Ceantar Uíbh Ráthaigh’s TOCHAIL arts research residency with TASC, she has worked with communities in the West of Ireland exploring local knowledge, climate justice, housing and the future of rural places.

Her first short film Tábhairne na hUíne grew from the relationships and trust built during the Dinnseanchas residency in Dromid, continuing the conversations, stories and sense of place that developed through that work.

Born into a family steeped in music, Síomha was raised on a rich diet of jazz, trad, folk and soul. A chance encounter in her teens with an Italian gypsy jazz player led her to study manouche jazz guitar while living in the south of France. This formative experience, along with years of travel across America, Canada and Mexico, shaped her distinct musical voice.

Síomha has toured extensively across Europe, the UK, North America and Australia, captivating audiences with her unique sound at renowned festivals and performances worldwide. She has been a regular guest of folk legend Paul Brady and has performed at festivals including Electric Picnic, Celtic Connections, Cambridge Folk Festival and Fête de la Musique in Paris. She was nominated for Song of the Year at the Irish Folk Awards in 2022, selected as an Official Showcase Artist at Folk Alliance International 2023, and awarded The Music Network Performance Residency at Centre Culturel Irlandais, Paris.

She has recorded with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, arranged and conducted by Cormac McCarthy, and was invited by Metropole Orkest’s artistic director to collaborate with the orchestra, following recognition of the originality of her songwriting, musical vision and production. The resulting recording brought together Síomha’s distinctive songwriting with the expansive sound of one of the world’s leading jazz and pop orchestras.

Always proud of her Irish heritage, Síomha performs her songs in both Irish and English and is part of a generation of artists bringing the Irish language into contemporary culture. She is passionate about social and environmental justice, using her platform to speak on issues she cares about and questioning the structures within the music industry. This extends into the way she works as an independent artist, from creating merchandise using vintage clothing to releasing records made from recycled vinyl. Her work is rooted in creativity, community and a desire to make choices that reflect the kind of world she wants to be part of.