Colum Sands has performed in over thirty countries around the world, confirming the universal appeal for the songs and stories with which he observes the minute and often humorous details of life. A member of the internationally renowned Sands Family from County Down, Colum established his reputation as a songwriter with the release of his first solo album, Unapproved Road in 1981. Songs like Whatever you say, say nothing, and Almost every circumstance were soon in the repertoire of artists from Billy Connolly to Maddy Prior and June Tabor. His second album The March Ditch inspired a special BBC television documentary and songs like The man with the cap and Looking the loan of a spade confirmed his unique ability to observe locally and appeal universally. On his travels around the world he soon discovered that many of his songs had arrived before him, carried by other singers in the folk process and on recordings by fellow performers like Andy Irvine, Tommy Makem and Liam Clancy, Roy Bailey, Mick Hanley, Gerard van Maasakkers, Rosemary Woods, Iain Mc Intosh and Enda Kenny.