Ulster singer, musician and biologist Bróna McVittie unveils ‘Humpy’, the second single from her forthcoming album ‘Supernatural’, released later this year. Where her previous single ‘The Stolen Child’ - an ethereal reimagining of W.B. Yeats’ beloved 1886 poem - shimmered with harp, voice and sub-bass atmospherics, ‘Humpy’ is a bold electronic statement: pulsing, hypnotic and otherworldly, while still rooted in the ancient Irish folklore that defines her work. 

Born in County Down, McVittie has carved out a singular space in contemporary folk music. A trained biologist and lifelong lover of mythology, she blends traditional song with nature-infused lyricism and experimental soundscapes: an approach praised by The Guardian for its ability to “take you on its wing and give you fresh visions”. Her previous albums: ´We Are the Wildlife’ (2018), ‘The Man in the Mountain’ (2020) and ‘The Woman in the Moon’ (2022), established her as a pioneer of cosmic folk, earning acclaim from MOJO, Uncut, The Independent and BBC Radio, and leading to performances at WOMAD, Celtic Connections, the National Concert Hall Dublin, Kings Place London and festivals across the UK and Ireland. 

‘Humpy’ is inspired by the fifth tale in McVittie’s illustrated folklore anthology ‘A Way with the Fairies’ ‘The Legend of Knockgrafton’ was collected by Thomas Crofton Croker and originally published in his ´Fairy Legends and Traditions of the South of Ireland´ (1825). Lusmore, a hunchback weaver from Tipperary communes with the fairies, developing their simple refrain: ‘Dé Luain, Dé Máirt’ (Monday, Tuesday) to include Dé Céadaoin (Wednesday). The fairies delight so much in his musical sensitivities they take the hump from his back. Word gets out about Lusmore’s luck attracting another hunchback to explore the same charm. He lacks any musical sensitivity to the fairy song and instead, vexing the fairies greatly, finds himself the bearer of a double hump, which precedes his death. The lyrics warn: 

Be careful 
Be careful 
What you wish for. 

Bróna here mixes Irish Gaelic vocals (the fairy song) with English lyrics producing an alluring and positively catchy dance track. Lithuanian artist, Karina Surpina’s illustration plays on the hunchback’s nickname of Lusmore (foxglove) with her enchanting illustration of the story’s mystical landscape, a visual that allows McVittie to develop an unusual lyric video for the track’, which you can watch below.

Brona says: “It’s impossible not to fall in love with this story, no matter which version you know - it’s classic Irish tragicomedy at its best. The nursery rhyme-like refrain chanted by the fairies, “Dé Luain, Dé Mairt” (Monday, Tuesday) became a major inspiration for my song Humpy.” 

As with the first single ‘The Stolen Child’, ‘Humpy’ offers a tantalising glimpse into the aural illustration that is ‘Supernatural’, McVittie’s fourth solo album and her most ambitious project to date. Produced by Thomas Gandey (Cagedbaby), the album is conceived as a companion to ‘A Way with the Fairies’, with each track reimagining a tale from the book through McVittie’s distinctive blend of harp, guitar, ethnic instrumentation and experimental electronics. The record explores a worldview in which fairies, spirits and otherworldly forces were once woven into daily life - felt in the fields, the hearth, the music and the land itself.  

While the forthcoming album is primarily a solo creation, it features three international guest artists: flamenco guitarist Antonia Jiménez (Spain), bandurist Anastasiya Voytyuk (Ukraine) and vocalist-composer Jausmė (Lithuania), each contributing to a single track and expanding the album’s reach across Europe’s storytelling traditions. 

With ‘Humpy’, McVittie continues to build the bridge between folklore and contemporary sound art, inviting listeners to step into a world where the strange and the beautiful coexist, and where ancient tales find new resonance through contemporary production styles and poetic imagination. 

´Humpy’ is available 6th June across all digital platforms 

The album ´Supernatural´ will follow around Halloween / Samhain 2026

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Order the Book here

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