Radie Peat – “Willow Garden”

Radie Peat has released “Willow Garden”, a traditional murder ballad, ahead of her debut solo album, *No Human Tongue Can Tell*. The song’s history traces a path from Ireland to the Appalachian tradition, illustrating how a folk song can survive in one place after disappearing in another.

Peat says the tune was recorded in an 1810 Irish collection under the title “Rose Connolly”, though without lyrics, and that it later became established in America. The song’s final verse was written down by Matt Kinman from an older man in the mountains of North Carolina. A live performance video was filmed at the Hut in Phibsboro, Dublin; the album is due out on 13 November on Rough Trade.