Martin Gilmore Music - March 2025

Howdy Y’all!

March is here, which means spring is almost here, which means things are picking up on the music front. It also means I have a bunch of chores to do. I need to fix the chicken coop, rebuild the fence around my garden, and so on. I decided not to go too crazy with the garden this year, but I can’t live without one. It’s a great reminder of how planting seeds and cultivating them make for a better and brighter future. Now is the time to start thinking about it and starting to look forward to summer. 

I enjoyed all of my shows in February. It was so great to see the folks in Cheyenne for my western program and the concert. I had a lot of fun at the Midwinter Bluegrass Festival, and we had a wonderful time at Swallow Hill. Thanks to everyone who came out for those shows. There will be some videos going up on my YouTube channel over the next few weeks if you want to see what we were up to. 

March is full of shows and new classes, as well as some special events. I also have a little preview of some stuff in April including a trip to Ireland with my dad to play some music. 

March 7th I will be at the Chautauqua Community House in Boulder, Colorado opening for the fabulous bluegrass band Jake Leg. I’ve been friends with some of those guys for over twenty years, and I can’t recommend them highly enough. If you have never seen Jake Leg this show will be well worth your time, and the Community House is a wonderful venue in a really great part of Boulder. I’ll be playing solo and featuring some new songs!

March 14th I will be playing in Alamosa with the Martin Gilmore Trio at Society hall at 7pm. Ian Haegele is busy that weekend, so the fantastic Eric Thorin will be filling in for him. I love the San Luis Valley, and Alamosa is a really cool town. I’m excited to be there playing music with these guys. 

March 15th we will be in La Veta at the La Veta Mercantile at 7pm. This has become one of our standby venues. It’s always great to be back in the Cuchara Valley and to see all of our Huerfano friends. Please come join us if you can!

March 20th I will be playing up at the Jamestown Mercantile at 7pm playing a solo songwriter’s set. It will be great to be back up in the foothills above Boulder at one of the coolest venues around. It’s well worth the trek up the hill to visit the Jamestown Mercantile which has a great mountain ambiance, wonderful food, and is a stalwart supporter of the Colorado music scene. 

As a heads up, I will be in Ireland playing shows across the country from April 4th-April 14th with my dad Steve Gilmore. I don’t have specific details yet, but it sounds like we will be mostly playing out west from Cork and up north to Mayo. Perhaps even a little further north than that. I’m also hoping to get back to the Tigh an Ceol in Ring, but I haven’t heard if that’s going to work out yet. Stay tuned, and stay in touch if you’re going to be around the island during those dates. 

A new session of my bluegrass ensemble class starts this Wednesday at 8pm at Swallow Hill Music Association. These classes run for eight weeks, we learn four songs, and then choose two to play at a final “graduation” performance. It’s a great opportunity for folks who are just getting into bluegrass, folks who want to expand their skills, or even if you want to try a new instrument. Anyone is welcome as long as they play a bluegrass instrument. Sign up now!

There are a couple of other things I wanted to highlight. 

First, I have started a new project called “The Songsmith Series” where I write and post a new song each week on my Patreon site. We are a month into the project, so there are four new songs there and many more to come. If you want to hear new music from me, and be part of the cool songwriter’s club (ha ha) come over and subscribe to my Patreon! For those of you who may not be familiar with Patreon, it is a platform where fans can support creators through monthly contributions in exchange for exclusive content, rewards, and behind-the-scenes access. It allows artists, musicians, and other creatives to sustain their work while building a closer community with their supporters. I know a lot of folks listen to music on streaming platforms, which is great, but those platforms don’t pay very much and have (of course) diminished the sales of CDs and albums over the years. 

You can subscribe to my Patreon at one of two different levels. For $5 each month you will get access to a new song each week, which you can only hear on my Patreon page. Subscribers at the $10 level receive the weekly songs, and a monthly lyric book to all the songs from that month. I also include special blog posts, behind the scenes content, performance videos, and more. Even small contributions can go a long way to supporting artists. 

Second, I’m thrilled to share that I have a new record coming out! Thea is a Light Blue is available for pre-order on Bandcamp starting today, and if you pre-order, you’ll get an exclusive preview.

This album is a stripped-down, intimate collection of songs—just me, my guitar, and the music. I recorded it at Swingfingers Studios in Fort Collins, where Aaron Youngberg worked his magic to make it sound incredible. The album features several original songs, some traditional tunes, and even a Hank Williams song (because I love Hank!).

The official release date is April 22, 2025, but you can pre-order your copy now on Bandcamp and be among the first to hear it.

Happy March! Hang in there we will all get through these cold and dreary days. There’s a lot more music ahead!

Martin