Originally from Belleek in Co. Fermanagh, singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, Fil Campbell has been a performing musician and singer since she was a teenager. Fil was brought up on the folk songs and music that was popular around the localities and townlands of Fermanagh and Donegal.
Since the 90’s Fil and her husband Tom McFarland who hails from Belfast have been singing and playing as a musical duo. Their unique combination of blending vocals, guitar, and percussion plus the ability to mix their original compositions with traditional and contemporary songs — punctuated by the Irish gift of chat and craic — has won the hearts and minds of audiences around the world.
Fil is well known locally for her work presenting both television and radio shows alongside her keen interest in community choirs and working with adult singers. With a critically acclaimed catalogue of eight studio albums and several independent recording projects the repertoire of Fil Campbell and Tom McFarland is both varied and eclectic.
Tom, working out of his own Ballyneddan Studio where he is at home both as an engineer and producer has played drums and percussion for singers as diverse as John Wright, David Knopfler, Finbar Furey, Ben Sands and many more.
As a percussionist he is much in demand as a bodhran tutor and session player making appearances on numerous recordings. Tom’s interest in percussion stretches to instruments from all over the world. In his live work he plays, the bodhrán, the African Djembé, Latin American congas and bongos, the cajon, and basically anything else that can be shaken or hit including your normal drum kit.
Time has really flown by since their last release – six years. The pair say they’re excited to share the latest offering with the album Shoreline, it’ll be available from the start of April 2023. The cover art is taken from a painting by the wonderful Colum McEvoy who illustrated Tom’s ‘The Birds’ Song’ book.
www.filandtom.com
