Interview With Flook #703

We chat with Flook about their new EP on the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast #703 . Subscribe now!

Flook, Jigjam, Mac and Cheese, Austral, Mànran, Clare Sands, Aisling Urwin, Marc Gunn, The Secret Commonwealth, David Mitchell, Tuatha Dea, Willowgreen

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VOTE IN THE CELTIC TOP 20 FOR 2025

This is our way of finding the best songs and artists each year. You can vote for as many songs and tunes that inspire you in each episode. Your vote helps me create this year's Best Celtic music of 2025 episode. You have just three weeks to vote this year. Vote Now!

You can follow our playlist on YouTube to listen to those top voted tracks as they are added every 2 - 3 weeks.

THIS WEEK IN CELTIC MUSIC

0:10 - Jigjam "Red Paddy on the Ridge" from Phoenix

4:47 - WELCOME

7:54 - Mac and Cheese "Aberdeen Jig" from Big Fun

10:41 - Austral "Billy Gray" from Thylacine

14:52 - Mànran "Speybay Switch" from Mànran

20:44 - Clare Sands, Aisling Urwin "Ghost on the Waves" from Gormacha

24:58 - FEEDBACK / FLOOK INTERVIEW

33:18 - How Flook Got Started

39:26 - Flook "The Crystal Year / Foxes' Rock" from Ancora

44:35 - Flook's New EP

48:36 - Flook "The Farther Shore / Winter Flower" from Sanju

55:34 - Rapid Fire Questions

1:02:38 - Flook "Tie the Knot in Georgia / Ed's Big Five - O / Faqqua" from Sanju

1:08:37 - THANKS

1:10:48 - Marc Gunn "Peggy Gordon" from The Bridge

1:15:06 - The Secret Commonwealth "Mad Tom of Bedlam" from Licensed Beggars

1:19:03 - David Mitchell "Ward's Brae, Holmes' Fancy" from Contours

1:22:08 - Tuatha Dea "Irish Eyes" from Irish Eyes

1:27:31 - CLOSING

1:28:12 - Willowgreen "Johnny Teasie Weasle" from Willowgreen III

1:31:22 - CREDITS

The Irish & Celtic Music Podcast was produced by Marc Gunn, The Celtfather and our Patrons on Patreon. The show was edited by Mitchell Petersen with Graphics by Miranda Nelson Designs. Visit our website to follow the show. You'll find links to all of the artists played in this episode.

Todd Wiley is the editor of the Celtic Music Magazine. Subscribe to get 34 Celtic MP3s for Free. Plus, you'll get 7 weekly news items about what's happening with Celtic music and culture online. Best of all, you will connect with your Celtic heritage.

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Promote Celtic culture through music at http://celticmusicpodcast.com/.

WELCOME THE IRISH & CELTIC MUSIC PODCAST

* Helping you celebrate Celtic culture through music. I am Marc Gunn. I'm a Celtic musician and host of Folk Songs & Stories. This podcast is for fans of Celtic music.

We are here to build a diverse Celtic community and help the incredible artists who so generously share their music with you. If you hear music you love, please email artists to let them know you heard them on the Irish and Celtic Music Podcast.

Musicians depend on your generosity to release new music. So please find a way to support them. Buy a CD, Album Pin, Shirt, Digital Download, or join their community on Patreon.

You can find a link to all of the artists in the shownotes, along with show times, when you visit our website at celticmusicpodcast.com.

Email follow@bestcelticmusic to learn how to subscribe to the podcast and you will get a free music - only episode. You'll also learn how to get your band played on the podcast. Bands don't need to send in music, and You will get a free eBook called Celtic Musicians Guide to Digital Music. It's 100% free. Again email follow@bestcelticmusic

🌿 CELTIC SPRING CHALLENGE PSA 🌿

This April, join the Celtic Spring Challenge — a refreshing way to celebrate spring, connect with music, and make a positive impact on your community.

Here's how it works:

🎵 Listen to Celtic Music — For 30 days, put on your favorite Celtic tunes while you walk. Whether it's lively jigs, soulful ballads, or the soothing sounds of bagpipes, let the music inspire your steps.

🚶‍♀️ Walk for at Least 30 Minutes — Enjoy nature, clear your head, and get moving. Bonus points if you find a scenic path that feels like a trip to the Highlands!

♻️ Pick Up 3 Pieces of Trash — While you're out, take a moment to leave the world a little cleaner than you found it. Every bit helps!

Whether you're a die - hard Celtic music fan or just discovering the genre, this challenge is a fantastic way to enjoy the season, stay active, and give back to your community.

Share your journey with #CelticSpringChallenge — we'd love to see your favorite tunes, scenic walks, and recycling wins!

Are you ready to step into spring with purpose and a killer playlist? Lace up your shoes, press play, and let's go!

THANK YOU PATRONS OF THE PODCAST!

You Make the Music Happen! I'm in awe of your generosity. You're the heartbeat of this podcast—the reason I bring you fresh Celtic tunes every week.

Your kindness fuels everything. It covers our brilliant engineer, our talented designer, and the Celtic Music Magazineeditor. It spreads this music far and wide. It even lets me buy the music you love and gives me the time to craft each episode just for you.

And as a patron, you're more than a supporter—you're part of the music! You get exclusive, ad - free episodes, free downloads, and the power to shape the Celtic Top 20.

All this for as little as $4 a month—less than a cup of coffee, yet enough to keep the music alive and thriving.

Join us today. Let's make this music last forever.

A special thanks to our new and continued Patrons of the Podcast: Jay Bower, Mary Wright, Katherine N. Friedman

HERE IS YOUR THREE STEP PLAN TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST

1. Go to our Patreon page.
2. Decide how much you want to pledge every month, $4, $12, $25.
3. Keep listening to the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast to celebrate Celtic culture through music.

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TRAVEL WITH CELTIC INVASION VACATIONS

Every year, I take a small group of Celtic music fans on the relaxing adventure of a lifetime. We don't see everything. Instead, we stay in one area. We get to know the region through its culture, history, and legends. You can join us with an auditory and visual adventure through podcasts and videos.

In 2026, we're traveling to the Celtic nation of Galicia in Spain.

We'll dive deep into the history and legends of the Galician Celts, uncovering their connections to Ireland, Scotland, and beyond. We'll walk the same lands where Celtic warriors once roamed, hear the myths passed down through generations, and experience the magic of authentic Galician Celtic music, alive with passion and history.

This isn't just a trip—it's a journey into the heart of a Celtic culture unlike any other. Will you join us?

Learn more about the invasion at http://celticinvasion.com/

#celticmusic #irishmusic #celticmusicpodcast

I WANT YOUR FEEDBACK

What are you doing today while listening to the podcast? I'd love to see a picture of what you're doing while listening. Is there a new Celtic CD or Celtic band that you heard of or saw? Send a picture.

Email me at follow@bestcelticmusic.

The Carroll Sisters emailed: "Hello Marc! We are excited to tell you that we recorded our second album! We are still in the process of mixing it and we hope it will be out in early summer. In the meantime, we are trying to navigate the ever - changing music business and thought maybe you could help us. You mentioned an album pin idea in at least one of your podcasts. Do you have any more information on that? We will be performing at several festivals that are normally good for artist merch, but we are unsure about actual hard - copy album sales. Since you are such a great advocate of local artists and you know the business so well, we thought maybe you could point us in the right direction.

Thank you so much for your support and valuable advice!

Emilie and Nora Carroll

Carroll Sisters Band"

Amelia Hogan emailed: "Hi, Marc. Thanks again for featuring my work on your podcast! I wanted to let you know about my new album, "Burnished". I have several pre - release tracks up on Bandcamp right now, the official pre - release to my Kickstarter backers is March 1, and the official album release is set for April 1. I've already filled out the permission form, so you're welcome to use it or any of my other previous work on your podcast. I'm also available for an interview to talk about my process and being a Sean Nos (old style) singer in the US, if you're looking for additional content for your podcast. I look forward to hearing from you! Thanks"

John Sharkey White, II emailed: "After all these years of listening to the podcast, I have to say that your version of "Peggy Gordon" is my favorite of your personal music. It's hauntingly beautiful. Your voice floats above the soft harp in the background. But that's just my opinion; I could be wrong. ;o)"

John also responded on a podcast chat where I wrote: "I thought it was funny this morning to hear an ad on the public edition of the podcast from Amazon Music because they no longer allow the podcast on the streaming service🤣🤣"

He responded: "I don't use Amazon. Why won't they allow the podcast?"

Here's my response: "I don't specifically know because I haven't actually looked it up. But if I was to guess, I can think of two reasons.

One reason is competition. Both of those platforms are music discovery platforms. The podcast is also about music discovery. So I'm sure that doesn't help.

The second reason makes a lot more sense. That is monetization. I suspect that they are required to pay royalties for all music streamed on their services.

They have AI that recognizes copyrighted songs and if there are a whole bunch of them in a single podcast and they can't easily monetize that

This explains why YouTube recently started allowing the podcast to be published again because they have an AI that recognizes tracks and they pay royalties for music played"

If you want to join the conversation, visit our Patreon page and join our Patrons of the Podcast.