Artist: Trapper Schoepp
Hometown: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Song: “Secrets of the Breeze”
Album: Siren Songs
Release Date: April 21, 2023
Label: Grand Phony (US) / Rootsy (EU)
In Their Words: “During the height of the pandemic, I began paddle boarding obsessively on Lake Michigan. My friends and I would explore this Great Lake into the winter months, passing by ancient shipwrecks, floating icebergs and Wisconsin wildlife. It became an instant refuge, filling me with a sense of wonder I hadn’t felt since childhood. One December day, a strong gust of wind threw me off my paddle board into a pile of boulders onshore. I ended up in the ER with an injured foot and renewed sense of respect for Mother Nature and its many mysteries.
“It started as a pipe dream to get Irish dancers for this video but my brother Tanner noticed a dance school not far from his place in Milwaukee. … So I cold called ‘em and to my surprise, the owner of the Irish Dance School, Elyse Transon, said she’d choreograph the song for her classes. The setting was important, too. I’m fortunate to have a friend, Rory Modlinski, at the Irish Cultural Center in Milwaukee, which dates back to the late 1800s. It is a gorgeous and haunted space filled with Irish spirits. In the last few years, I fell hard for Irish music. From the Clancy Brothers, Pogues, Chieftains, Cranberries and everything in between. I found an uplifting quality in this tradition. It can break your heart and make you laugh at the same time. I hope some of that made its way into this song.” — Trapper Schoepp
Photo Credit: Joseph Cash
