|
SAINTS AND SINNERS
The Young Dubliners are excited for the release of Saints and Sinners,
their second album on 429 Records--and first batch of original material
since 2005's critically acclaimed Real World. After taking an exciting
retro, rootsy labor of love detour to give a shout out to the masters of
Irish song past and present on their 2007 429 Records debut "With All Due
Respect, The Irish Sessions", the Young Dubliners drew inspiration from
the trials and tribulations of the past few years on the road where they
have encountered their share of, to borrow from an Irish proverb, "poets
and patriots, saints and sinners", for the new album.
Seamlessly blending their rock and Celtic influences into a high energy,
anthemic and lyrically poignant mix, the band whose lineup since 2002
includes co-founder Keith Roberts (vocals, guitar), fellow Dubliner
Brendan Holmes (bass, vocals), American-born members Bob Boulding
(guitar, vocals), Chas Waltz (violin, keyboards, harp, mandolin, vocals)
and Dave Ingraham (drums, percussion)--jumps energetically from ballad
to barn burner, documenting as they go the vibrant yet chaotic world
they find themselves in. From edgy political tunes to the travails of
life in an internationally touring band, Saints and Sinners chronicles
and tackles it all with joy, wit, enthusiasm and a profound belief that
things can get better. They're joined once again by Uillean pipe and
pennywhistle master Eric Rigler, famed for his film work on the Titanic
and Braveheart soundtracks, who has appeared on the bands last three
albums and is a regular touring member.
"We really set a very high standard for ourselves as songwriters", says
Roberts. "We live on the road, but were aware that if every few years
we dont give our fans the highest quality songs we can, that level of
excitement and anticipation may not last forever. Weve never been about
hit singles, but we have always been focused on making the 12 tracks per
project the best they could be. We consider ourselves songwriters first
and never just jammed styles together to sell albums. Our goal has
always been to keep getting better and make the songs mean something.
When we did Real World, it was the beginning of when we started writing
with a fun, personal realization of where we were in our lives as
artists and family men, combined with an awareness of our political
surroundings".
Beginning with the raucous title track, SAINTS AND SINNERS continues in
the spirit of that dual mindset as the Dubs mix free-wheeling party
rockers like HOWAYA GIRLS and the vocal harmony-laden jam BACKSEAT DRIVER with anthemic and politically charged tunes like the 80s vibing
THIS TIME. While THIS TIME taps into the raw frustration of the past
eight years, the band saves its most biting commentary for the U.N.s
inaction on giving aid to ravaged places like Darfur and not adequately
addressing global poverty on the acoustic ballad IN THE END. The moody
rocker BUY YOU A LIFE is a plea for people to look beyond themselves
and, as Roberts puts it, "look out for each other during difficult
times".
The hypnotic, mid-tempo pop rocker MY TOWN was written before the
recent presidential election, from the perspective of a small towns
working men who had previously given up hope for better economic
circumstances, but who are now optimistic that their social situation
could change. On the more personal side, I DONT THINK I'LL LOVE ANYMORE, whose second verse is sung by Dead Rock West lead singer Cindy
Wasserman, is a gently swaying traditional ballad about the consequences
of poor communication in a relationship. These heavier themes are
balanced by tongue in cheek tracks like the densely percussive,
supercharged ROSIE, about a guy trying to sell his girl on the idea
that marriage is overrated (and expensive!!).
The explosive instrumental rocker SAOIRSE, featuring guest artist,
blues rock great Kenny Wayne Shepherd, is a clarion call from the Dubs
that defines their longtime mission as American and Celtic rock
ambassadors. The title means freedom in Gaelic, Roberts says, and
to us, that means we have the liberty to take this style of music and
push and pull it in every direction. The vibe of the song goes from
Irish to rock back to Irish and rock again, with Kenny's blistering
blues on top of it. ''We've always defied pigeonholing because our sound
is the result of Irish and American guys coming together and drawing
from a little of everything.''
Keith Roberts pokes his usual cheeky fun as he looks back on seven
albums and thousands of blistering U.S. and European performances since
he and his buddies debuted their feisty brand of Irish rock at The Irish
Rover pub in Santa Monica, California in 1988.
"Had I known then that wed have such longevity and would still be out
there doing 180 to 250 shows a year I probably would have come up with a
different name", says lead vocalist and acoustic guitarist. "When people
say were no longer so young, I reply, well, the Fine Young Cannibals
never ate anyone!" (Original band member) "Paul OToole and I were two
young lads from Dublin who had moved to L.A., so the name was given to
us by early fans and it made sense at the time. The cool thing is, weve
stayed young at heart, doing our best to grow into the name rather than
let the name grow out of us".
Beyond the power and energy that infuses and defines their must-see live
performances - which was captured on their 1998 concert recording Alive
Alive O - Roberts believes that the Young Dubliners success over the
years is a direct result of the strong songwriting on acclaimed releases
like Rocky Road (1994), Breathe (1995), Red (2000), Absolutely (2002)
and Real World. As the band developed and its members became better
acquainted with their individual strengths and weaknesses, the writing
process became more fully collaborative. Rather than simply having
individual members bring in fully developed songs, now for the most part
they come in with songs in progress and flesh them out together, staying
open minded about their individual contributions and being cool about
tweaking where its warranted.
Building a fervent fan base comparable to that of jam band rockers like
Phish and Dave Matthews Band, The Young Dubliners have over the years
become notorious for the whirling jig pits that erupt at their live
shows. Keith Roberts and Paul OToole first met on L.A.'s vibrant pub
scene circa late 80s at a time when Roberts was composing some Irish
ballads and thought casually about assembling a rag-tag team of fellow
Irish transplants and like-minded American rockers. From their humble
beginnings at the Irish Rover, the band evolved through various
personnel changes into a pugnacious, crazy but coolly irresistible force
of nature that eventually made its way into the studio to record their
debut EP Rocky Road.
By 2000, the band had morphed into a septet without OToole, and upon
releasing the critically acclaimed Red became an international
sensation. Actor Gabriel Byrne hired the band to write the theme song
for his television show Madigan Men and they spent much of 2001
touring Europe with Jethro Tull and the U.S. as headliners and as
openers John Hiatt and Robert Cray. The Young Dubliners were also
plucked to rev up the crowds at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake
City. That same year, the band, with the return of Waltz (who had left
in 1995), the Dubs scaled back down to a five-piece, launching a period
of renewed creative vigor.
After participating in a number of headlining and co-headlining US tours
(Johnny Lang, Collective Soul, Great Big Sea, and others, the quintet
settled down to record Real World - an album influenced by their
predecessors (Waterboys/Pogues/U2/Big Country) and most importantly,
life on the road. During the interlude between Absolutely and Real World
came an event which drew the band in. Roberts underwent a throat surgery
which required months of vocal cord rehabilitation. Reflecting on that
time, he says, "My surgery made us all aware of how close we came to
losing it all. Our determination to succeed is even stronger than
before." The raw live energy of their next project With All Due Respect,
The Irish Sessions, was a unique and inspiring way to fill their
audience in on the great writers and poets whose legacy the Young
Dubliners are, album by album and show by show, boldly carrying on
today.
"Even with all the touring we do, the thing that keeps us going is the
one thing that never gets old," says Roberts. "And thats playing those
older songs people love and then mixing in a new song and hearing a
positive, excited reaction from the crowd for the first time. Weve had
our share of tough gigs too, but all it takes is that one great show,
those perfect moments of band and audience communication, to appreciate
what were doing up there and why. Its all about the joy of performing,
watching the people dance and hearing them sing along."
Contact: Kurt Nishimura SILVERLAKE MEDIA 323/663-6303
Kurtnishimura@earthlink.net
With All Due Respect, The Irish Sessions
Fans have been waiting long and impatiently for the Young Dubliners take
on the great songs born of Ireland and finally, they will be rewarded by
429 Records' release of WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, THE IRISH SESSIONS. Keith
Roberts and his raucous band of Irish transplants and local Los Angeles
musicians locked themselves away in the studio for seventeen days at the
end of 2006 to focus on creating a definitive shout out to the masters
of Irish song past and present. Roberts refers to the song selection as
the best of the best representing poets, playwrights and
vagabonds, Indeed, centuries old traditional melodies shimmer bookended
by distinctive romps through the songcraft of Shane McGowan which brush
up against the wistfully sad lyrics of Irish poet Patrick
Kavanagh.
The Irish Sessions is nothing if not a labor of love for the
Young Dubliners. What was once a project that seemed to take forever to
come to fruition ironically came together in a rapid fire recording
session. Great thing too as the album retains a remarkably raw live
feel. Although better known for their brand of hard hitting original
Celtic rock music, reinterpreting the work of other Irish songwriters
takes the band to passionate new heights. The songs evoke deep emotions
that burst through the organic production. Produced by Tim Boland and
mixed by Ken Sluiter, Sessions remains poignant while unearthing
the rocking soul found in the traditional and the modern.
Says Dubliners irrepressible lead singer/founder Keith Roberts of the
overwhelming demand for an album of Irish covers: ''They asked for it,
so we gave it to them! And had a lot of fun along the way.''
Real World
The hard-rocking Irish band, the Young Dubliners owe everything to their
fans. "They keep us honest, expecting good music both on the road and on
the albums," mentions frontman Keith Roberts.
The inspiration
for Real World, the group's third record on Higher Octave, is
drawn from the trials and tribulations of being a real, working band and
their life on the road. "We are all aware of how lucky we are to be
making a living by doing what we love. Without being on the road and
playing to our fans, that just wouldn't be possible," Roberts explains.
Building a fervent fan base comparable to that of jam band rockers like
Phish and Dave Matthews Band, The Young Dubliners have become notorious
for the whirling "jig pits" that erupt at their live shows.
In
fact, the group's origins can be traced back to Los Angeles' vibrant pub
scene in which Dublin natives Keith Roberts (vocals, guitar) and
Paul O'Toole first met. Roberts was composing some Irish ballads at the
time and thought a band might be in the offing. Assembling a rag-tag
team of Irish transplants and like-minded American rockers, The Young
Dubliners grew into a pugnacious music machine resulting in their debut,
the Rocky Road EP (1994). It exhibited a hefty rock sound that
made them a club favorite. Breathe followed a year later with the
addition of Chas Waltz (violin, keys, harmonica, etc).
By 2000, the band had morphed into a septet without O'Toole and released
the critically acclaimed Red. The presence of the band
sky-rocketed: Gabriel Byrne requested the band to write the theme song
for his television show Madigan Men and they spent much of 2001 touring
Europe with Jethro Tull, and the US as headliners and as openers for
acts such as John Hiatt and Robert Cray. The Young Dubliners also revved
up the crowd at the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City. That same year, the
band scaled back down to a five-piece - Roberts, Brendan Holmes
(Bass), the returning Waltz (who had left the band in 1995), Bob
Boulding (guitar) and David Ingraham (drums) - and released
Absolutely. "It really was a reflection of the band," says
Roberts. "It's got the sense of humor of the band, along with the
balls-y lyrics that maybe in the past I couldn't bring myself to write.
You put it all together and you get this good-feeling, upbeat album.
That record captures us at the time, Absolutely. The return of Chas
Waltz, multi-tasking on fiddle, keyboards, harmonica, mandolin, and
backing vocals, heralded a renewed creative vigor. "My leaving had more
to do with previous obligations than with creative differences," he
explains. "When Keith asked if I was interested in coming back, I was
ready to get back to being part of a band and touring again."
After going on a number of headlining and co-headlining US tours (Johnny
Lang, Collective Soul, Great Big Sea and others), the quintet settled
down to record Real World - an album influenced by their
predecessors (Waterboys/Pogues/U2/Big Country) and most importantly,
life on the road. From Irish-flavored anthemic rock to rowdy pub tunes,
lead singer Keith Roberts voice is stronger than ever and the
songwriting, performance, and production show a new maturity and
artistic ambition. Roberts notes, "Since Absolutely, we've become
a much tighter band. It's the first time we've had the same members for
two albums in a row, plus we've had the benefit of relentless touring. I
think those two factors have really come together to make us sound and
write better." During the interlude between Absolutely and
Real World came another event which drew the band in. Roberts
underwent a throat surgery which required months of vocal cord
rehabilitation. "My surgery made us all aware of how close we came to
losing it all. Our determination to succeed is even stronger than
before," he reflects.
Among the 12 rollicking tracks on the
album (all of which were composed or arranged by the Young Dubliners),
"Touch The Sky" stands out as a potent rock hit, with its killer hook
and positive lyrics. "I've noticed recently that I can't write a song
about how miserable life is without supplying some silver lining,"
Roberts says, laughing. "OK" and "Waxie's Dargle" have already proven to
be live favorites, while "Evermore" takes on a very personal spin. "It
is one of my favorites and means a lot to me as I wrote the song for my
son," says Roberts. All in all, each of the tracks witnessed a
collaborative effort by each of the members, allowing for the album's
cohesive and rock-solid sound. The album, however, does boast a number
of guest players. Ian Anderson - a cohort gained from the band's
Jethro Tull touring days - joins the group on "Banshee" and Eric
Rigler (Titanic / Braveheart) provides Uileann Pipe on a number of
tracks. Roberts also singles out the record's producer, Tim
Boland, for the album's superior production.
Musing about
the band's sound, Roberts sums up the Young Dubliner's approach to their
music, be it Celtic, Irish, or just plain rock. "I like to think that
our take on songwriting and performance makes the Young Dubliner's sound
unique and original. Our band is made up of Irish and American natives
who draw influences from just about everywhere. Our strength is in the
sum of our parts. We play as a band, as one." | 
|
