The Galway International Retro Orchestra started as a project between a group of international musicians living in Galway city on the west coast of Ireland where they met one another while playing traditional Irish music. Eventually they found that they had a shared interest in other musical styles of the early 20th century. This included music from the klezmer traditions of America, Israel and Hungary, music from the Romani traditions of Romania and Eastern Europe, traditional music from the Scandinavian countries of Norway, Denmark and Sweden, and of course, early recordings of Irish music as recorded by groups such as the Flannagan Brothers and Dan Sullivan's Shamrock Band. With this album GIRO has brought influences from recordings produced in the 1920s through the 40s together with several original compositions.

The musicians of GIRO represent an equally varied background:

Anders Trabjerg of Denmark has called Galway home...