Mayo act puts a spin on Streisand classic

A Mayo singer-songwriter backed by talented local musicians has released a new single which offers a fresh take on a Barbra Streisand classic.

Guiliano and Friends have crafted an acoustic version of “The Way We Were.” The single comes ahead of a new EP due in Late Autumn.

Spearheaded by Guilano Gnagnatti, Giuliano & Friends brings together Ray McHale on guitar, Donncha Butler on double bass and Tom Gilligan on percussion alongside Giuliano's own vocals, guitar and songwriting.

Giuliano has lived a double musical life. In Italy, aged 15, he formed the rock band The Spirituals, which is still performing today with its original line-up and in which he plays lead guitar.

The band began playing classic rock and instrumentals of the 1950s before embracing the British wave and US folk-rock in the years that followed.

Since moving to Ireland on and off since 2015, Giuliano has played acoustic guitar in folk clubs across Mayo, including Westport, Ballina and Killala.

Hailing from Ballina, guitarist, Ray McHale has been a well-known face on the Irish local and national rock and folk scene for many years. He could have been spotted in the UK of the 90's, gigging extensively as a hired gun in the Manchester/Leeds indie britpop stomping grounds, 

Donncha Butler studied piano and music theory as a child and has played bass guitar since he was 16. In retirement he joined a group of musicians playing in a "no amplifiers" pub, but found that his acoustic bass guitar was useless without amplification. The problem was solved by treating himself to a double bass and some conversion lessons.

Tom Gilligan is a drummer and author of “Irish Drummers Volume 1 – Interviews with 32 Irish Drummers”, and runs the website Irishdrummers.com. Over the years, Tom has recorded, featured on national media and toured across Ireland, the UK and North America