Cathie Ryan draws from the timeless culture of Ireland and the interior culture of her own experience to tell stories of strong women, hard times, and human joys. The ancient lilt of the traditional Gaelic singer can be heard in her pure, honest soprano, dancing wild and easy with Motown grooves and modern folk lyricism. Cathy grew up in Detroit, the daughter of Irish immigrants who kept the old music alive in their home, while encouraging their children to explore the other sounds swirling around them. Cathy, whose modern immigrant's lament "The Back Door" has become a standard, first gained attention for the "pure music" of her singing and her masterful songwriting during her seven-year tenure with the influential Irish ensemble, Cherish the Ladies. Cathie performs beautiful ballads with rafter-raising jigs and reels from her new album, Somewhere Along the Road (Shanachie), accompanied by Greg Anderson on guitar and bouzouki, Hanneke Cassel on fiddle, and Ivan Goff on flute, whistles, and uillean (bellows) bagpipe.