Ben Sands

Ben Sands lives in Newry, County Down, close to the mountains and the sea, and not far from the small farm where he and his six siblings grew up in the 1950s and 1960s. He sings songs - mostly his own. He writes songs - about life and love and the ways of the world. Some are whimsical, some are sad, and some are very humorous indeed. In between, he tells stories, some of which are true! He plays quite a few instruments as well - guitar, banjo, mandolin, whistles, keyboards, and fiddle - he has even been known to wrestle a tune from the uilleann pipes. Ben has been touring and recording with his sister Anne and brothers Tommy and Colum since the late 1960s. "The Sands Family" (www.sandsfamilyfolk.com) have recently released their 16th album - "Keep on Singing"; made countless television appearances; performed extensively in Ireland, the UK, Europe, Canada, and the USA (including Carnegie Hall); and shared microphones with such "folk luminaries" as Pete Seeger, Joan Baez, Tom Paxton, Harry Belafonte, and Arlo Guthrie... These days, the members of the "Family" still greatly enjoy getting together for special tours and festival appearances but are more likely to be found scattered far and wide, pursuing very successful solo careers. Like brothers Tommy and Colum, Ben has taken to songwriting with natural ease, and his songs are finding their way into many repertoires and recording studios. To date, Ben has released four solo albums, most recently the highly acclaimed "Take My Love With You" (Spring Records, 2010). The title track was written for and sung to Ben's daughter Kellie on her wedding day.