Dublin folk singer Macdara Yeates – shares new single ‘Alexander’ from his upcoming album ‘Mudlark Ballads’

Mudlark Ballads, the upcoming album from Irish folk singer Macdara Yeates, arrives on streaming platforms, CD and vinyl on September 4th 2026. Ahead of the release, Macdara shares ‘Alexander’, a doleful Irish love song in which a would-be suitor draws on mythology, scripture and ancient history in a desperate attempt to woo his love.

Reaching across centuries of stories and legends, the narrator summons a cast of mythological figures to make his case, before invoking the song’s namesake, Alexander the Great. Through these grand comparisons, the song transforms a simple declaration of love into an epic journey through history and mythology.

“Don’t place your mind on riches, love, or on such worldly store,

But think on Alexander, dear, and you’ll love me the more,

For when he conquered Asia, he sat and wept full sore,

For there was but the one wide world and he could gain no more.”

Macdara Yeates is one of the leading voices in Dublin’s rich and fertile folk scene. Following his raw, a cappella debut, Traditional Singing from Dublin (2024), Mudlark Ballads sees Yeates step into a brand-new sound world, combining strings, found-sounds, found-percussion, drones, spoken interludes, bells, kazoos, handclaps and more, all with his signature blend of centuries-old Irish folk songs.

Described by Irish Music Magazine as “a true connoisseur of the art of balladry,” his stentorian voice has garnered wide acclaim and featured on stages across Ireland, England, Scotland, the United States, Belgium, Denmark and beyond.

In 2012, Macdara co-founded the Dublin folk collective The Night Before Larry Got Stretched, an early proving ground for young traditional singers, including members of Lankum, Landless, Ye Vagabonds, Lisa O’Neill and more. In the intervening years, he has become a central cog in Dublin’s folk ecosystem, leading community song projects, performing with acclaimed trad ensemble Skipper’s Alley (2013–2017), and, finally, stepping into the fold as a solo artist.

His debut album, Traditional Singing from Dublin, earned a spot on MOJO magazine’s Top 10 Folk Albums of the Year and received two nominations at the RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards, including Best Folk Singer, alongside Ríoghnach Connolly, Cathy Jordan and Christy Moore.

Produced by Gilla Band’s Daniel Fox, Mudlark Ballads is a collection of old Irish folk songs set against a rich, contemporary backdrop. Alongside classics such as the seven-minute epic Matt Hyland, the album includes the first commercial recordings of De May Bush and De Kilmainham Minit – two forgotten Dublin street songs uncovered in the archives of the National Library of Ireland.

Mudlark Ballads will be available on all major streaming platforms on September 4th 2026 with CD and vinyl available via Bandcamp. The release will be followed by a tour of Ireland and the UK across the Autumn/Winter of 2026, with US and European dates to be announced in 2027.

ALBUM LAUNCH TOUR

Sep 18-20 – Durham Folk Festival, Durham

Oct 9 – The Róisín Dubh, Galway

Oct 11 – DeBarra’s Folk Club, Clonakilty

Oct 14 – Oh Yeah! Centre, Belfast

Oct 18 – Coughlan’s, Cork

Oct 22 – Sandino’s, Derry

Nov 1 – The Sugar Club, Dublin

Nov 4 – Cecil Sharp House, London

Nov 7 – Glossop Labour Club, Glossop

Nov 8 – Red Deer Folk Club @ Zapato, Marsden

Dec 1 – Kitchen Garden Café, Birmingham

Dec 2 – Samuel Worth Chapel, Sheffield

Dec 9 – Irish Cultural Centre Hammersmith, London

For more information, visit linktr.ee/macdarayeates