Solo Projects
Shapes That Are Different
Shapes That Are Different, the debut album of Birmingham musician Hugh Sheehan, was released on 2nd June 2023 via Hybrid Forms. The genre-bending record, will not be confined to any one box. The album, a sincere and open-hearted debut, is a deep dive into the experience of growing up as a queer person in 90’s Birmingham.
“I’m totally obsessed with shame,” says Sheehan. “I just want to put it on a table and stare at it and inspect all of its facets. Perhaps that speaks to how deep its tendrils have stretched into my psyche. Shame is so universal—ubiquitous—but also so individual and isolating; and so this album is me figuring out what it means to me,” he continues.
In addition to closely examining shame, Shapes That Are Different sees Sheehan calling into question many of the conflicts inherent to queerness - ruminating on topics such as the quandary of assimilation vs radicalism; the unknowability of desire; and the codification of desire through language and semiotics, curriculums, and even dating and hookup apps.
Recorded partly at his family home in Birmingham, as well as in Helsinki, London, and The Isle of Lismore; Shapes That Are Different is a confluence of Irish folk songwriting, indie-adjacent production, and electronic sound design. It’s available now on limited edition vinyl, CD and digital.
“Sheehan offers a poetic ode to queer iconoclasm, examining the daring power inherent in queer existence” - Under the Radar
Twine
Concert Music
POISSONS TROUBLES for low-voice choir and diatonic button accordion - 15 minutes - score
ACTS OF DISCOVERY for 13-piece chamber ensemble - 1 hour - score sample
THE IDEOMOTOR EFFECT for percussion quartet; multi set-up - 14 minutes - score
Full list of concert works here
Collaborative Projects
Maija Kauhanen & Hugh Sheehan
Maija Kauhanen and Hugh Sheehan form an artistic duo that uses the Finnish traditional instrument kantele together with electronics and other extra-musical objects. Their work explores the internal characteristics of sound, the slowly developing complexities of a performance, and the impact of audience and performer position on a performance, and is concerned with notions of parity and polarity.
In Summer 2023 the duo were in residence at Tero Saarinen Company, working In the company’s studio which features an immersive audio system by Genelec, devising work that utilises spatial audio, and conducting experiments in both the audience’s and performers’ position, in movement and gesture.
Hugh Sheehan (ENG) – accordion, vocals, synthesisers, harmonium, guitar, sound design
Maija Kauhanen (FI) – kanteles, vocals, synthesisers, sound design
Timo Alakotila & Hugh Sheehan
In their dynamic partnership, pianist Timo Alakotila and accordionist Hugh Sheehan breathe new life into the Irish musical tradition. Specialising in arranging tunes from trad’s rich repertoire, as well as showcasing Hugh's own compositions, the duo's performances are a celebration of creativity and reverence.
Hugh's lyrical accordion playing, steeped in the Irish accordion tradition, finds a perfect companion in Timo's deft hands. With an exceptional ear for arrangement, Timo weaves intricate accompaniments around the melodies. The duo's music is a testament to the power of collaborative symbiosis, where tradition meets innovation, weaving together their respective musical heritages of Finland and Ireland, resulting in performances that are both authentic and refreshingly inventive.
Dormant Projects
Sheehan and Grey
Sheehan and Grey is an accordion and fiddle duo from Birmingham, England, and Loch Ness, Scotland, respectively.
Kyrano
Lore
Experimental improvisatory music on sax and electronics with Greg Sterland
Sheehan/Lautamaja
Sheehan/Lautamaja combine the accordion traditions of the northern and western-most points of Europe - Finland and Ireland. The duo combines the two diatonic instruments in a unique setting (Leija playing the G/C system, Hugh the B/C), with their arrangements exploring the limitations and idiosyncrasies of their instruments and respective traditions.