Traditional Irish music is moving on from jigs and reels and Na Fianna are definitely shaking things up.
The band, consisting of brothers Ciaran and Hugh Finn and cousins James O’Connor and Peter McMahon, describe themselves as a “Celtic-rock fusion”.
“Someone said if Mundy and the Sawdoctors had a child, it would be us,” jokes Hugh. “I think that sums us up.”
Not to be confused with the band who competed in the All-Ireland Talent Show on RTÉ a few years ago, the current lineup has been playing together for just over 18-months, after forming at the Willie Clancy Festival in Co Clare.
Though together for a relatively short amount of time, the group has already played all over Ireland and across Europe and the US. They released their first single, Toora Loora Lay, in June, followed by an album, Unearthed, and they are also maintaining a small army of young fans on social media.
“Our music is based on trad, but we are influenced by other genres, too. We can still play the jigs and reels, but we find ourselves moving away because that’s what we want to do,” says Ciaran.
“Lots of bands influence and inspire us, but we just want to do our own thing. I think that’s important. We’re not trying to copy anyone.”
However, the group admits that acts such as The Dubliners and Planxty have opened doors for them.
“There’s always a market for Irish music abroad. Those acts opened things up all over the world. We’ve played in Norway, Germany and the US,” says Hugh.
Though gigs are easy to come by, airtime on mainstream radio stations during peak times can be an issue for Irish bands – especially those playing more traditional music.
“If you go to Spain, you’ll hear Spanish music on the music. It’s the same in France, Brazil and Africa. Over here, you just get music from the US and the UK on mainstream radio. It’s a shame we’re lacking,” says Hugh.
However, Na Fianna are breaking that boundary, having been played nationally and regionally. They also enjoyed a boost when Dermot and Dave on Today FM featured them on their Homegrown Heroes slot.
Love of music
They have been playing since childhood, but never planned to make a living from it.
“I don’t think anyone who plays music thinks like that,” says James. “It just evolved for us, and the work we’ve put in has opened a lot of doors for us.”
Ciaran left his job in Cork – by his own admission – to “learn how to play the fiddle in Dublin”, while his brother Hugh pursued a career in music after redundancy a few years ago.
“I went to college and I became a horticulturist and got a job landscaping, but was let go during the recession and it made me go back to music. Now I’m making a living from it,” says Hugh.
“It’s happened to a lot of people in Ireland. They’re finding their craft. For people who think there’s no work in music, they’re wrong. It’s hard at times, but I’d far rather play banjo every day rather than sit in traffic or work in a bank. Everyone has talent, but they don’t get to use it because someone else told them otherwise.
“We’re a bit rebellious though,” he adds.
From the Ploughing to Norway and the Gold Coast in Australia, the lads have a diverse list of bookings in the diary, and it certainly reflects their ambitious plans for the future.
“A few months ago, we saw The Script play at Croke Park. We looked at each other and said: ‘We’re going to do that,’” says Ciaran.
“The masterpiece album will come out in 10 years’ time,” he grins.
Catch Na Fianna at the Ploughing on Thursday at 1pm. www.nafiannamusic.com.
Read more
All about Ploughing 2015
Traditional Irish music is moving on from jigs and reels and Na Fianna are definitely shaking things up.
The band, consisting of brothers Ciaran and Hugh Finn and cousins James O’Connor and Peter McMahon, describe themselves as a “Celtic-rock fusion”.
“Someone said if Mundy and the Sawdoctors had a child, it would be us,” jokes Hugh. “I think that sums us up.”
Not to be confused with the band who competed in the All-Ireland Talent Show on RTÉ a few years ago, the current lineup has been playing together for just over 18-months, after forming at the Willie Clancy Festival in Co Clare.
Though together for a relatively short amount of time, the group has already played all over Ireland and across Europe and the US. They released their first single, Toora Loora Lay, in June, followed by an album, Unearthed, and they are also maintaining a small army of young fans on social media.
“Our music is based on trad, but we are influenced by other genres, too. We can still play the jigs and reels, but we find ourselves moving away because that’s what we want to do,” says Ciaran.
“Lots of bands influence and inspire us, but we just want to do our own thing. I think that’s important. We’re not trying to copy anyone.”
However, the group admits that acts such as The Dubliners and Planxty have opened doors for them.
“There’s always a market for Irish music abroad. Those acts opened things up all over the world. We’ve played in Norway, Germany and the US,” says Hugh.
Though gigs are easy to come by, airtime on mainstream radio stations during peak times can be an issue for Irish bands – especially those playing more traditional music.
“If you go to Spain, you’ll hear Spanish music on the music. It’s the same in France, Brazil and Africa. Over here, you just get music from the US and the UK on mainstream radio. It’s a shame we’re lacking,” says Hugh.
However, Na Fianna are breaking that boundary, having been played nationally and regionally. They also enjoyed a boost when Dermot and Dave on Today FM featured them on their Homegrown Heroes slot.
Love of music
They have been playing since childhood, but never planned to make a living from it.
“I don’t think anyone who plays music thinks like that,” says James. “It just evolved for us, and the work we’ve put in has opened a lot of doors for us.”
Ciaran left his job in Cork – by his own admission – to “learn how to play the fiddle in Dublin”, while his brother Hugh pursued a career in music after redundancy a few years ago.
“I went to college and I became a horticulturist and got a job landscaping, but was let go during the recession and it made me go back to music. Now I’m making a living from it,” says Hugh.
“It’s happened to a lot of people in Ireland. They’re finding their craft. For people who think there’s no work in music, they’re wrong. It’s hard at times, but I’d far rather play banjo every day rather than sit in traffic or work in a bank. Everyone has talent, but they don’t get to use it because someone else told them otherwise.
“We’re a bit rebellious though,” he adds.
From the Ploughing to Norway and the Gold Coast in Australia, the lads have a diverse list of bookings in the diary, and it certainly reflects their ambitious plans for the future.
“A few months ago, we saw The Script play at Croke Park. We looked at each other and said: ‘We’re going to do that,’” says Ciaran.
“The masterpiece album will come out in 10 years’ time,” he grins.
Catch Na Fianna at the Ploughing on Thursday at 1pm. www.nafiannamusic.com.
Read more
All about Ploughing 2015
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