Luka Bloom: Return Of An Irish Troubadour

Irish folksinger Luka Bloom has been charming listeners for decades" Since the late '70s, he and his warm guitar work have grown in maturity and fame.

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Luka Bloom.

courtesy of the artist

Luka Bloom.

courtesy of the artist

Bloom's musical sensibilities surfaced at a young age. Born to an artistic family (his older brother, Christy Moore, is a well-known Irish singer), Bloom was on stage by age 14 using his real name, Kevin Barry Moore. The young guitarist honed his songwriting abilities, and when a bout of tendonitis hit, he developed his warm strumming style to accommodate it. Over the years, Bloom has taken to playing his electro-acoustic through a bass amp, lending his folk music a deeper, more ethereal quality.

Nearly three decades after his debut, Bloom has put out 17 albums, compilations and covers projects. His latest release, Eleven Songs, is a return to his raw beginnings, with haunting melodies and the singer's light Irish brogue bringing out the emotive details in each track. In this interview, Bloom discusses his influences, including bands like U2 and The Clash, and details his own songwriting process.