Dublin-based traditional Irish duo Varo (Lucie Azconaga and Consuelo Nerea Breschi) released their second album The World That I Knew on May 9.

A collaborative album produced by John 'Spud' Murphy (Lankum), it features some of the most acclaimed names in the Irish folk music world in 2025: Ruth Clinton (Landless, Poor Creature), Cormac Mac Diarmada (Lankum, Poor Creature), Alannah Thornburgh, Inni-K, John Francis Flynn, Anna Mieke, Niamh Bury, Lemoncello, Junior Brother, Ian Lynch (Lankum), Branwen (Rufous Nightjar), and Slow Moving Clouds, among many other musicians too.

Five years in the making, The World That I Knew began a month into lockdown. Lucie and Consuelo began working on a meaningful project related to the challenging and historical times the world was experiencing, selecting 10 songs, written between 30 and 300 years ago, that speak powerfully to our present moment.“Through the passage of time, political, social and cultural contexts vary, but the core of people’s experiences remain the same,” say Varo. “Themes like loneliness, heartbreak, racism, homesickness, and human connection are universal. These songs still speak truth.”

Buy The World That I Knew: https://varodublin.bandcamp.com/