They're Hardly-Strictly Irish
Suzuki Cady and Jimmy Murphy, the duo known as Hardly-Strictly Irish, are relatively new to the North Bay but they've been everywhere this year
A new, local band is rocking the Bay Area — to high acclaim. In their own words, band members Suzuki Cady and Jimmy Murphy, of Hardly-Strictly Irish, “play lush, country-folk/popular songs and Irish tunes on fiddle, mandolin, guitar, bodhrán, and vocals.” They are commensurate acoustic musicians with decades of experience between them.
“We just stepped out at the beginning of 2025,” Cady said during a recent interview. “We’ve been ramping up since then. We have booked 70 shows this year, met loads of great people and garnered a sizable following.”
“We believe it is medicinal. We believe hop jigs and polkas are good for you.”
Cady, born in New York City and raised in Denver, began her music career at age 7 when she joined a chorale group. She moved to San Francisco after college and never left Northern California. She’s lived in Sebastopol since 2019 with her husband and their son, who graduated from Analy in 2024.
In addition to her role in the Cady & Murphy duo, Cady plays in a string trio and co-founded two bands: New Wild Hog and The Pure Drops. She is fluent in numerous dance traditions — including Flamenco, Afro-Brazilian and rollerskate dancing — and also runs Suzuki Cady Design and teaches 6-week, sliding-scale Irish music classes from her residence.
This year’s tour brought Hardly-Strictly Irish to venues throughout Sonoma and Marin counties, as well as to San Francisco, Cupertino and Sunnyvale.
“I think our unique mix of Irish music and non-Irish popular songs sets us apart from other acts,” Cady said. “And, I’m still buzzing from our show last weekend for 70+ people at Reichwage Winery in Sebastopol. It was a gorgeous setting, people were spread out all over, some brought blankets, and a couple of our fans came down from Ukiah with their own dance floor!”
While Cady and Murphy’s repertoire spans country-folk and popular American songs, their love for Ireland and its traditional music runs especially deep.
“Jimmy Murphy and I have been immersed in traditional Irish music for decades,” Cady said. “We believe it is medicinal. We believe hop jigs and polkas are good for you. Jimmy will call out, ‘Here’s your daily dose of polkas!’”
The duo met at a jam session at a mutual friend’s house. “But I always say it was divine intervention,” Cady said. “Jimmy is a wonderful music partner. I’m grateful to be working with him.”
Singer/guitarist/mandolinist Murphy, a member of numerous Bay Area-based musical ensembles, has been a part of California’s traditional Irish music scene for over 20 years. Cady, in addition to having played Irish folk music for many years, is of primarily Irish descent and has traveled around Ireland on several occasions, playing music and visiting friends.
“There’s a reason you find so many musicians every single night in the pubs of Ireland,” she said. “‘Chunes,’ as they call them, are a way of life, an ongoing conversation, and a drug that funnels you into a different reality. I spent many years playing in sessions myself and still feel bewitched.”
The year is not yet over, and Hardly-Strictly Irish still have several more gigs on their schedule. On Saturday, Nov. 29, they play Finnegan’s Marin in Novato; Sunday, Nov. 30, finds them at a free, family-friendly event in Railroad Square; while Wednesday, Dec. 3, they play at San José Public Library in Almaden — followed by two private events later in December.
“I lose myself within the magnificence of music,” Cady said. “It is a fascinating world within a world. There is so much to learn and explore.
“Music is an anchor to sanity in a crazy world,” she added. “And analog music in particular brings warmth and humanity into our automated, digital reality. I consider it important work and a joy to provide live, acoustic music for others.”
For upcoming Hardly-Strictly Irish events check out: www.suzukicady.com/events. Reach out to Suzuki Cady at suzukicady@gmail.com.
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Thank you, Sebastopol Times, for yet another vision into the great town that we call home. And thanks to all those who make up Sebastopol and its environs. Let's make this bubble of ours a better and better place for all who come here.
Caught them at Reichwage Winery - lovely people and a really nice show