Irish Folktale Inspires Ulster Musician Bróna McVittie’s New Single

Ulster singer, musician and biologist Bróna McVittie has unveiled Humpy, the second single from her forthcoming album Supernatural, due for release later this year.

Known for blending traditional song with nature-infused lyricism and experimental soundscapes, McVittie has built a reputation as one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary folk music. The County Down-born artist has been praised by The Guardian for her music's ability to “take you on its wing and give you fresh visions”.

While her previous single, The Stolen Child – an ethereal reimagining of W.B. Yeats' celebrated 1886 poem – shimmered with harp, voice and atmospheric sub-bass textures, Humpy takes a markedly different approach. The new track is a bold electronic statement, pulsing, hypnotic and otherworldly, while remaining firmly rooted in the ancient Irish folklore that has become a hallmark of her work.

A trained biologist with a lifelong fascination for mythology, McVittie has carved out a unique space in modern folk music through her fusion of traditional storytelling, natural imagery and innovative production.

Her previous albums, We Are the Wildlife (2018), The Man in the Mountain (2020) and The Woman in the Moon (2022), established her as a pioneer of what has been described as cosmic folk. The releases earned praise from MOJO, Uncut, The Independent and BBC Radio, while leading to performances at WOMAD, Celtic Connections, the National Concert Hall in Dublin, Kings Place in London and festivals throughout the UK and Ireland.

Humpy draws inspiration from The Legend of Knockgrafton, the fifth tale in McVittie's recently released illustrated folklore anthology A Way with the Fairies. Originally collected by Thomas Crofton Croker and published in Fairy Legends and Traditions of the South of Ireland in 1825, the story follows Lusmore, a hunchback weaver from Tipperary whose musical sensitivity wins the favour of the fairies. After hearing the fairies sing their simple refrain, “Dé Luain, Dé Máirt” (Monday, Tuesday), Lusmore adds “Dé Céadaoin” (Wednesday), delighting the fairy folk so much that they remove the hump from his back. However, when another hunchback attempts to replicate his fortune without sharing Lusmore's musical gifts, he incurs the wrath of the fairies and is burdened with a second hump.

On the track, McVittie combines Irish Gaelic vocals (the fairy song) with English lyrics to create a catchy dance track.

Speaking about the inspiration behind the song, McVittie said: “It's impossible not to fall in love with this story, no matter which version you know – it's classic Irish tragicomedy at its best. The nursery rhyme-like refrain chanted by the fairies became a major inspiration for my song.”

Humpy is Out Now.

Watch the lyric video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mf9b8d5_Uqc&list=RDMf9b8d5_Uqc&start_radio=1