Category: Rising Stars 2011

Chayka – Carrying On

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Q1. Where are you from?

Ferbane, Co. Offaly

Q2. Musical influences?

Sheryl Crow, Etta James, Aretha Franklin, Jeff Buckley, PJ Harvey to name but a few.

Q3. What’s your song writing process?

Since I’ve joined Chayka, our writing process is a team effort of the lads jamming out songs, mostly Ric writing random lines down as the musics being played, with myself and the others adding what we think might go well also. It’s a nice big team effort, not afraid of open criticism : )

Q4. Most bizarre gig experience?

A few years ago I was playing an acoustic gig in a big pub in town, the only people there were a few who were pretty drunk after watching some football match all day. A big fight broke out on the dance floor with chairs flying everywhere.. we didnt know whether to stop or just keep playing – we kept playing: ) So since then I carry chicken mesh for all gigs, u never know when a Blues Brothers incident is gonna happen again – Il be prepared tho.

Q5. If you could share the stage with anyone, who would it be and why?

Sheryl Crow, Susan Tadeschi or Joe Cocker in his hayday – what a voice!

 

In their own words

Chayka are a 6-piece out fit hailing mostly from Kildare. They have been creating music together since the late nineties in some guise or another. Their current moniker, Chayka, was adopted in early 2007. Since then they carried on to record a limited run E.P. “Looking for an Enemy” and were subsequently offered a Recording Contract in November 2008 from a well respected Danish Label.

More recently, frontman Stevie Byrne departed but was seamlessly replaced the dulcet tones of Emilene Kavanagh. The current line-up Emilene Kavanagh, Alison Reynolds, Ken Richmond, Sean De Burca, Jonny Kelly & Riccardo Panza have kept themselves busy gigging while producing their long awaited long player set for release in late 2011. It promises to be a soulful encounter infused with the natural varying influences that this 6 piece provides.

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Murder Plan – Inside Outsiders


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Q1. Where are you from?

Bayside in Dublin

Q2. Musical influences?

Nick Cave, Tom Waits, the Beatles, Nina Simone

Q3. What’s your song writing process?

The music is generally written first and loosely arranged. We hen let it sit for about two weeks until one of us comes up with a theme. Once the theme has been decided we start experimenting with melodies and rough placeholder lyrics. Then we’ll go through about 6-10 drafts of the song, we’ll settle on that, here will be a few more rewrtes along he way and the song is done.

Q4. Most bizarre gig experience?

Playing in St Stephen’s Green shopping centre with the Soul Festival in 2008, there were kids lying on the floor looking at us with their grandparents – a surreal demographic cross-section of a crowd and a super gig, also the biggest venue we’ve ever played [it's probably bigger than the O2 in fact]

Q5. If you could share the stage with anyone, who would it be and why?

Any of the afore mentioned influences (even the dead ones) and Charlie Sheen, simply for the experience.

In their own words…

Murder Plan are a Dublin-based vaudeville blues band. Their sound can be described as a little bit chaos peppered with enchanting mania. With songs & styles encompassing rock, tangos, Balkan gypsy sounds, blues & jazz, they mix & match motifs like a drunken arsonist in a Parisian police line-up.

The band is made up of Stephanie O’ Keeffe (vocals), Dara Melinn (guitar), Steve Flynn (bass), Donal Melinn (drums) and Cathal Melinn (piano). None of the Melinns are related to each other and their coming together to form the band is a funny story that they sometimes recount at live shows, though it’s not something they reveal on a regular basis.

They’ve been playing together since May 2006 and still manage to hold down day-jobs in the Adult entertainment industry while rocking like crazed geologists throughout the night.

Their live performances tend to be classy, macabre affairs with a touch of humour and lots of energy for all to see. Roll up, roll up…

For Free MP3s, Pics & More Information Visit: www.murderplan.com

 

The Whatmans – Soldier

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Q1. Where are you from?

Jolly Jolly Navan….

Q2. Musical influences?

The Who, Oasis, The Stone Roses, The Doors…..Anything rockin’ really.

Q3. What’s your song writing process?

I write a song at home and then bring it in to the band and we just play around with it until it works. Johns writing a bit now aswell, but it pritty much goes the same way.

Q4. Most bizarre gig experience?

Theres been a few, some of which probably wouldn’t read to well though. Strange one actually one night. There was a wheel chair toilet in one venue we were playing, but it was out of order and the sign on the door read ‘Please use toilets upstairs’. Someone really dropped the ball with that one!! At the same gig there was a fella crying. He was about 15. He was just standing against a pillar crying infront of everyone. Bit bizarre. Something to do with his band being really bad was the reason for it .

Q5. If you could share the stage with anyone, who would it be and why?

Shane McGowan or Liam Gallagher. Imagine the carnage that would take place after. Or ‘The Who’. To play on stage with legends like that would be great. They are genius!!

 

In their own words

Irish Indie-Rock outfit ‘The Whatmans’  were formed in 2007. John Brennan (vox), Padar Mulvey (guitar & vox), Elizabeth Oakes (keys & vox), Francis McGinn (bass), and Aidan Carolan (drums), make up the band.

In 2010 the band were crowned ‘Indie Week’ band of the year, and after touring Britain and North America, the band recorded their debut album, ‘Fire Up The Masses’ with producer Fintan Moore. Lead single ‘Kiss The Mind’ landed in the Irish charts as the ‘Highest New Entry’ in its debut week and has since picked up acclaiming reviews and awards from all around the globe. The Whatmans have been viewed over 90,000 times on YouTube with their three videos, ‘Kiss The Mind’, ‘Devil Shoes’ and ‘Messiahs and Monkeys’.

‘Fire Up The Masses’ is due for release in July of this year and pre-downloads will be available on iTunes and 7digital by the middle of May.

The album itself is a back to basics Rock’n'Roll album. Loud guitars, melody driven bass riffs, thumping drums and euphoric keys are all combined together to make a sound which leaves one standing in awe. Brennan’s vocals are the cherry on the top of this Rock’n'Roll masterpiece, delivered to perfection with a swagger and style that draw you in, rock you up, and spit you out. The lyrics speak of political views, heavy drinking, peace, love and anger. Everything has attitude, even the beautiful and massive ‘Soldier’, which could well be this bands calling card. Its an absolute legend of a track, just pure brilliant.

Overall, ‘The Whatmans’ are a well oiled Rock’n'Roll machine and ‘Fire Up The Masses’ is the perfect debut album for these five Irish souls.. Sit back and strap yourself in. ‘The Whatmans’ have landed. You have been warned!!

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International Racket Squad – Radio Revolution

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Q1. Where are you from?

Johnny: We’re a bit of an international melting pot… Miguel our bass funky player, and Angelo our dreadlock percussionist are Brazilian, our drummer Hubert is Polish – and Paddy and myself, who sing and play lead and rhythm guitars come from exotic climes of Dublin and Kilkenny respectively.

Q2. Musical influences?

Paddy: All the way from James Brown, The Clash to more contemporary musicians like Outkast, Daft Punk and LCD Soundsystem.

Q3. What’s your song writing process?

Paddy: We have two songwriters Johnny and myself. The seed for a song can come from many sources…I sometimes wake up with a tune in my head and he mumble the different elements into the voice recorder of my phone. Later I’ll try and reconstruct the sound with real instruments. Usually the feeling of the song will evoke a mental picture and this will be the source of the lyrics. Then Johnny adds harmonies and we hand it over to the rhythm section who give it the Racket Squad treatment and funk it up.

Johnny generally has a rough idea for a song and bash around with a guitar or keys until he finds something he likes. He’ll then make up a melody using rough lyrics and plays around with it for a week or two. I’ll add harmonies and help tighten up the lyrics if he wants me too. Then over to the rhythm section again.

Q4. Most bizarre gig experience?

Paddy: Probably that gig in the Dail bar, where time Enda Kenny smashed the whiskey bottle he was drinking, and shouted “Stick em up and I’ll fight you” after we sang “The government wants to take my money”. Brian Cowen just stood there with his pint of Guinness and looked on in bemusement…. Ok well maybe it didn’t quite happen this way :)

Q5. If you could share the stage with anyone, who would it be and why?

Johnny: A James Brown concert in 1983, in which the hardest working man in show business invited both Michael Jackson and Prince to the stage for a little jam. Micky J woos the ladies with some funky dancing, while Prince is piggybacked to the stage on the back of a gigantic body guard dressed in a leopard wrestler’s outfit! There was a whole load of fun on that stage.

 

In their own words

Even ten years ago, it would have been difficult to imagine a Dublin band with roots as diverse as International Racket Squad – a motley crew of Irish, Brazilian & Polish musicians who have a love for dance, rap, reggae, ska, rock, popular Brazilian music, funk and Afrobeat.

The accomplished Brazilian-Polish rhythm section provide an interesting foundation for the high energy performances of the two Irish frontmen on guitar and vocals. Despite the range of influences each man brings to the band, their sound and style is very distinct – though it’s hard to ignore the less subtle influences on band members of The Clash, Primal Scream, and even James Brown.

The live setting is a natural habitat for this band with music that feels tailormade to fill the dancefloor. Although their performances are upbeat and energetic, the subject matter also gives expression to deeper personal themes, and socio-political commentary.

The band have just taken up a monthly residency at one of Dublin’s best live venues – The Globe Bar on South Great George’s St, where a full house and dancing on the tables are likely occupational hazards. This band have also been regular guests at the Turks Head in Temple Bar.

To find out more check out their website and Facebook.

 

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Brendan Flynn – Take a Bow

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Q1. Where are you from?

The ever sprawling metropolis of the city of Tullamore, Co. Offaly

Q2. Musical Influences?

I’ve been influenced by a wide range of people, my dad used to play saxophone in a showband so music has always been in my life. My teens were filled with great bands such as Therapy?, RATM, Sepultura et al. As I picked up the guitar and began to progress with the songs I could play, I would jam to everything from James Taylor to Marilyn Manson. As long as the music was good I’d listen to, and play along with, it.

Q3. What’s your song writing process?

For me the music always comes first and easiest. I can feel my way through the melody until I have tune I’m happy with. The lyrics I find a little more difficult, but the chords tend to write the tone of the song. I try my best to keep it upbeat and positive as most of the experiences I write about are.

Q4. Most bizarre gig experience?

Well it’s more a post-gig experience, but when I was younger and playing in a band with my friends, we’d played an amazing gig in Mount Temple GAA hall. It was quite a small space for the amount of people that attended and every band that played was really on top form so the atmosphere outside was great. As we were waiting for the bus to bring us home the conversation turned to how many people could actually fit into the phonebox outside the hall….Turns our 9 people 2 guitars and a set of drumsticks is max capacity…we may have gotten 1 more in, but our giraffe of a drummer was complaining that the light at the top of the phonebox was burning his neck!!!

Q5. If you could share the stage with anyone who would it be and why?

Jimi Hendrix & Rory Gallagher double leads, Phil Lynott on base, Dave Grohl on drums and me, a very happy and in awe bunny, on rhythm. We could all share the vocals (I won’t be greedy). With this line up I don’t really need to give a why, but whatever about the show the after party would be cracker.

 

In their own words

Brendan Flynn first picked up a guitar and began playing in ernist when he was about 15. He formed a band call DAS with 3 school friends and they gigged for the next 2 years before going their separate ways to continue with 3rd level studies. This was a great experience for him both for developing his own musical style and playing technique on the guitar.

He continued to play guitar, but it was mostly just a private passion. Around 2 years ago he was diagnosed with a medical condition that is far too boring and dull to go into here, but the knock on effect of this was that it ceased his joints and so made it nearly impossible for him to play his guitar. Only after this event did he realise how paramount his music was to him and, more importantly, that he wanted to write his own music and have it be heard.

Luckily this has been treated and within the last 12 months Brendan has been able to get back to what he loves doing best, playing and writing music. This is the first time Brendan has entered his music to a competition like this, but with a renewed, confidence and vigour there will be plenty more music to come.