In an interview with the Irish Times in August 2014, fiddle player and band founder Martin Hayes said that the quintet were all eager to begin work on new material.

[11] In December 2015, The Gloaming entered Real World Studios in Wiltshire, England to record material that had mostly been written and previewed during the group’s 2015 touring schedule.

Hayes added that the music on The Gloaming 2 possibly had a euphoric and joyful quality, a sentiment shared by bandmate and fellow fiddle player Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh.

For example, “The Pilgrim's Song” comprises two extracts of poems by the mid-20th century Irish poet Seán Ó Ríordáin – “Oilithreacht Fám Anam” and “A Sheanfhilí, Múinídh Dom Glao”, both taken from Eireaball Spideoige (1952).

Its album sleeve was designed by Marc Bessant, with the cover art image – entitled 'Flying Lesson' – created by US conceptual photography duo Robert and Shana ParkeHarrison The Gloaming 2 was released in February 2016 to positive reviews.