Screaming Orphans

Despite what the name may imply, the four Diver sisters of the Screaming Orphans had a lovely childhood in County Donegal, Ireland, and often talk about how wonderful their parents were. They formed the band in their teens and when asked years later why they had named the band, “Screaming Orphans,” lead singer and drummer Joan, replied, “Why not?”

The Screaming Orphans are at least the second sibling band in the family. Their mom, Kathleen, sang with her brothers Richard and Barney in the Richard Fitzgerald Ceili Band. In their youth, the sisters (in birth order) — Marie Thérèse, Grainne, Angela, and Joan  — often sang with their mom at events around town. Later, they performed in Ireland as the Diver Sisters.

Once they went off to Dublin for college, their music moved in a slightly less traditional direction and they changed the band's name to Screaming Orphans. Now, Marie Thérèse on keys, accordion, and vocals, Grainne on guitar and vocals, Angela on bass, violin, and vocals, and Joan on drums and vocals, have spent the past 20 years writing songs, perfecting harmonies, and touring extensively in Ireland and the United States.

They appeared on the David Letterman Show, topped the iTunes World Music charts, and recorded with the Chieftans and Peter Gabriel. They’ve released more than 15 albums since 2001, some are pop, many are in the Irish/folk genre, and two are Christmas albums. They have a decidedly “Irish” sound when performing a pop number, and their Irish music, with their soft harmonious voices, offers foot-stomping reels, ethereal ballads, and a slightly more modern sound that is uniquely their own.