Ballina-born folk music artist Sarah Keane has had a landmark year. Her debut album ‘Something Bigger’ took the airwaves by storm during 2025, her headline shows drew packed houses and Sarah has played support to internationally-known acts. Now comes an acoustic version of the album and a new video.
Hot Press described her first album, released at the end of 2024, as ‘…an enormously compelling listen.’ Her nine-track collection earned national radio airplay on RTÉ Radio 1, BBC Northern Ireland, 2FM and beyond, establishing Sarah as one of Ireland’s most promising emerging female voices.
She has supported CMAT, Jack L, Hothouse Flowers, Junior Brother and Aimee Carty in venues such as Cork Opera House and London’s Water Rats.
Known for her disarming lyricism and ability to transform everyday moments into deeply moving songs, Sarah has just released an intimate acoustic re-imagining of the record to mark its first anniversary.
The acoustic edition sees Sarah, originally from the Knockanillo area of Ballina, Co Mayo, and who formerly used the stage name Rowlette, return to the raw, stripped-back essence of the songs that first captured audiences across Ireland and beyond. This new version places her powerful vocals and trademark acoustic guitar front and centre, offering listeners a more vulnerable, immediate connection to the stories at the heart of each track.
“I’ve loved singing my songs for audiences and seeing their reactions in real time. From tears during ‘The House’ to the taps on the shoulder after gigs from people who ask me “What happened with the guy from ‘Letters’?”, there has been something incredibly special about performing these songs with just my guitar. Whilst I love the fuller sound of the album, I wanted to release a version that captures the intimacy of playing in front of a live audience.”
Accompanying the anniversary release is a stirring music video for one of the album favourites, ‘Thunder & Lightning’, which captures the song’s essential tension between desire and hesitation, and is now available to view on YouTube. The film features individuals candidly sharing their aspirations alongside the fears that hold them back from pursuing them.
Sarah’s acoustic version of ‘Something Bigger’ is now available at online music stores.
‘Thunder & Lightning’ is from the new acoustic album by Sarah Keane
