The Cornermen release new single ‘Stretched On Your Grace’

October 2022. John Houston leads the group. Their origins are closely connected to South Moreton Boxing Club, where the band operates as a charity supporting men's mental health and suicide prevention.

"Stretched On Your Grace" is the band's latest single, released ahead of their upcoming studio album, Tramps and Hawkers. The album contains ten tracks and continues the band's focus on traditional songs. It mixes familiar repertoire with covers associated with Shane MacGowan and Christy Moore. Arrangement choices are deliberately spare: vocals supported by fiddle, guitar and bodhrán, aiming for the feel of an intimate pub session.

The Cornermen describe this release as the second batch of traditional songs they've recorded. The sonic intent is simple and direct: unadorned performances that evoke a small-session atmosphere—"the hush descends, and a song rings out." That approach puts emphasis on melody, lyric delivery and the rhythmic pulse provided by the bodhrán rather than studio production flourishes.

Since forming, the band has played more than fifty shows. They've taken support slots for artists including Ian Prowse and Damien Dempsey, building a live resume that spans pub sessions and larger appearances. Those performances feed both their audience development and their fundraising activity.

The Cornermen have concrete plans for the coming year: they will join Damien Dempsey's Christmas Residency at Dublin's Vicar Street and expect further touring in 2027. The release of Tramps and Hawkers later this month is the immediate next step, and the band is positioning that record as a pub-session-style collection with a mix of traditionals and notable covers.

The Cornermen's work combines two practical objectives: preserving and performing traditional songs in a straightforward acoustic format, and using performance income to fund support services for men. For listeners who prefer acoustic folk and session-style records, Tramps and Hawkers offers a deliberate, minimally produced presentation. For community-minded listeners, the record ties directly into ongoing mental-health funding at South Moreton Boxing Club.

• Vocal-led arrangements where fiddle, guitar and bodhrán set tone rather than dense production.
• Interpretations of songs linked to Shane MacGowan and Christy Moore alongside established traditional numbers.
• A sense of live-room immediacy intended to reproduce the feeling of a late-night pub session.

Stream the single "Stretched On Your Grace" on launch platforms and look for the full album Tramps and Hawkers when it releases later this month. If you follow the band, watch for live dates tied to Damien Dempsey's Dublin residency and broader tour dates announced for 2027.