FROM a rainy evening in their local pub in Ballincollig, Co Cork, to sold-out tours, millions of online views and a performance for President Michael D. Higgins, The White Horse Guitar Club have become one of Ireland’s most distinctive and best-loved musical collectives.
The eleven-piece band began in 2012 after publican Joe Carey put out an open call at The White Horse pub. What started as a casual gathering around songs and stories has grown into a celebrated musical force, known for rich harmonies, emotional resonance and soulful reinterpretations of folk, Americana and traditional Irish music.
“It’s a band built on camaraderie, friendship and joy – sometimes a missing facet in music,” says founder Joe Carey. “All eleven of us sing in unison, harmony and melody. The sound of eleven guitars shouldn’t work on paper – but it does.”
Their cover of Townes Van Zandt’s If I Needed You has been viewed over 1.7 million times on YouTube, and BBC broadcaster Cerys Matthews has called them “a band that is taking Ireland, and the rest of the world, by storm.”
President Higgins himself has praised the group’s “authenticity” and music that is “good for the heart and soul – the music knows no borders.”
On Friday October 3 the group will release Sos Beag, their second studio album. Recorded upstairs at The White Horse in Ballincollig – the very place their journey began – the record is, in the words of co-founder Joe Philpott, “a quiet call to pause, reconnect, and lean into the power of shared song.”
“Sos Beag is our attempt to make space for the quieter truths,” he says. “Songs sung shoulder to shoulder. Melodies that rise and fall like tides. Music that reminds us we’re not alone.”
The title – Irish for “a small break” – reflects the band’s philosophy: in a world that rushes, this album slows down. Featuring both original compositions and carefully chosen covers, the record captures the essence of a group that plays not for perfection, but for connection.
To mark the release, The White Horse Guitar Club will embark on a 16-date tour of Ireland. The shows follow a string of sold-out appearances at major venues such as Cork Opera House and St Canice’s Cathedral, and festival slots at Electric Picnic and All Together Now. Tour dates and pre-sale ticket access are available now at whitehorseguitarclub.com.
