Music at Madden’s Podcast #041 “Perfectionism, Sessions & Finding the Balance” with Stevie Dunne

Joining us in the snug this week is prominent banjo and guitar player Stevie Dunne.Originally from the small fishing port of Clogherhead in County Louth, Stevie now lives just outside Belfast, where he has been a pivotal figure in the traditional Irish music scene for over 20 years. Widely regarded as one of Ireland’s finest banjo players, Stevie has released three acclaimed albums: About Time in 2010, Banjo in 2012, and Live at the Crosskeys Inn in 2018.In this episode, Stevie chats about first picking up the guitar, discovering the banjo, and the stories he has gathered from years of playing sessions and performing. He also speaks honestly about how perfectionism can often get in the way, and how the balance between work, home life and session playing now suits him perfectly.Stevie also reflects on coming to Belfast to train as a nurse, how nursing became such an important part of his life, and why music continues to fit so naturally alongside it.A warm, thoughtful conversation about tunes, tradition, stories, balance and finding joy in the music.