Mooncoyne

Mooncoyne is a critically acclaimed Celtic band from Tacoma, Washington. Their music ranges from traditional Irish jigs and reels to contemporary Celtic ballads.

History

Mooncoyne, an Irish band based out of Tacoma, WA, began performing in the summer of 1995. Participants in a bluegrass and Irish jam session at the University of Puget Sound brought it together, which explains the band's original name, Puget Sounds. Subsequently, the band changed its name to Sláinte to emphasize its focus on traditional Irish music. The word Sláinte is Gaelic for "cheers" or "good health" and was chosen to reflect the band's desire to play "enjoyable, danceable, and spirited music for people of all ages." That multi-generational band had players whose ages spanned 35 years and was an early internet music success. After Sláinte dissolved, three core members (Starr, McCaffery-Lent, and Hooper) appeared as bobryken celtic until 2007 when that band morphed into Mooncoyne, adding Greg Youtz, Katie Youtz, Roderick Campbell and Martin Nyberg. Mooncoyne is currently working on a new album. After Sláinte dissolved, two other core members (Lawrence and Dumbeck) began appearing as Fiddlehead and another core member (Bremer) played with The Burren Boys. The other core member of Sláinte, Huskamp, has continued to play in a number of bands.