Interview: Art Chowder Magazine

The Gothard Sisters take Celtic Music to the World

By Sue Eller - Art Chowder Magazine
Issue 48 - December 2023

The Gothard Sisters, Greta, Willow and Solana, play contemporary Celtic music. As a result of more than 14 years of performing, touring, writing and recording music, they have accumulated fans throughout the country and internationally as well. They have shared their music at performing arts centers, listening rooms, and festivals across the United States, including a show at the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage in Washington D.C.

Their music attracts a worldwide audience, thanks partly to the internet and social media. They have over 17 million streams on Spotify, a large following on social media, and 13 million views on YouTube. The sisters did two tours in Japan — over 50 shows in 2019 and 2022 — with Min-On Global Music Network. They have even made appearances in schools across the United States.

How did these three sisters from Edmonds, Washington, achieve such impressive success? Hard work and perseverance played a large part. Each of the sisters studied classical violin with private teachers, particularly the late Lawrence Fisher, for over ten years. They were members of the Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestras and various chamber music programs in Seattle. The sisters also underwent formal competitive Irish dance training for many years, studying with Tony Comerford.

“We’ve had teachers for some of the other instruments like voice, guitar, bodhran and more,” Greta, the eldest sister, shares. “It’s always great to get wisdom and guidance from a good teacher, even if you already have a lot of musical knowledge.” All three sisters sing, play the violin, and do Irish step dancing. In addition, Greta plays guitar, Willow plays mandolin and bodhran, and Solana plays bodhran, djembe and pennywhistle.

The Gothard Sisters started performing professionally for the local farmer’s market in Edmonds. The girls would play for tips for five hours on Saturday mornings. Greta remembers, “It was a really enjoyable way to play music together and get to know many of the vendors.” After that, they played as a classical violin wedding trio for several years and finally were able to follow their true interest — Celtic music. They became a Celtic band, playing at local fairs and festivals regionally, then nationally, and eventually achieved recognition internationally.

Why did the three of them begin this adventure? “It was a bit of an accident, really, and we didn’t intend for it to become a career,” Greta says. “We liked playing music together, and initially, we started doing performances in order to raise money to travel overseas for the Irish dance world championships.” As they spent time performing together, they became more interested in the concerts and the music and realized if they put all their effort into it, they could try making music a career.

The Gothard siblings have a bit of Irish, Scottish, and English heritage — in fact, the name Gothard (pronounced GAW-third) is an old English name meaning Good and Hardy. Their primary exposure to Celtic music was from listening to it at dance competitions and hearing it on the NPR radio program, “Thistle and Shamrock.” They fell in love with the genre, especially with the bands and songwriters writing new Celtic music. They found it joyful and hardy and claimed it would make them feel like dancing. When they started writing their own music, agreeing on Celtic music as their favorite genre was easy.

Greta, Willow and Solana have been to nearly 48 states in the U.S. so far, and beyond our borders they have played in Canada and Japan. They also worked on a Disney cruise ship for several summers, which docked at ports in Northern Europe, the Panama Canal, and the Mediterranean, but they haven’t played in Europe yet. (They would still love to do that!)

In 2019 and then again in 2022, they were amazed when they did two large concert tours with Min-On Global Music Network in Japan, claiming it to be a life-changing experience, introducing Celtic music to people all over that beautiful country. Now they have done over 50 performances in 48 cities in Japan. They enjoyed playing original songs, Celtic favorites, and well-known Japanese songs.

The Gothard Sisters market their music in many ways. They say the internet has been amazing in getting their music out to the world. For example, their website has a wealth of information and opportunities to purchase CDs and downloads. They have music videos on YouTube, other social media platforms, and their website. The sisters also love touring and performing concerts all over the country. Their listeners come from many different places, whether in person or online. They confess it’s fun to see how the songs and tunes they love resonate with so many people.

When asked what her favorite part of the process is, Greta replied: “There are a few! One of the most magical times is when we’re working on the demo of a new song. It’s full of possibility, and experimenting with different instruments, arranging the song, and listening to it before the rest of the world, is a very special time.” Another favorite part of the process is performing live. For the three of them, there is nothing quite like being in a room full of people enjoying a musical adventure together. They all love singing together, away from the cares of normal life, work, or school, and every night is unique.

In preparation for their Christmas appearances, the Gothard Sisters have spent some time composing and arranging their music in the studio. The process always starts with a small idea of what mood they are going for. They look for a snippet of lyric, a melody, a groove, or even an illustration or a photograph that they would like to write a song to match. Then they work on ideas separately for a while and come together to hammer out a song structure. When they are happy with the form, the order, and the length, they record a demo and take turns arranging the song. “This is where we add layers,” Greta explains. They add more instruments, strings, keyboard synthesizers, digital effects, and additional percussion or drums. “It’s fascinating to observe how the song changes with our different perspectives adding to the mix. It truly comes from all three of us,” she continues. “The arrangement would sound much different if only one person contributed. I think that’s what gives our songs that unique Gothard Sisters flavor.”