There is something very natural and homely about a band growing from a jam session between a group of friends. Having developed through playing together in their local pub in 2010, Limerick born Hermitage Green have been making waves in Ireland every since. With a unique sound, it’s no surprise that their popularity is fast growing. We caught up with the five lads recently to find out a bit more about their sound, touring, and their plans for 2013.
For those who haven’t come across them already, Hermitage Green have developed their own trademark sound. Boasting some unusual instruments alongside a four-part harmony, we asked Dermot to explain the set-up in more detail – “The music is very different, that’s what we try to achieve. There’s no drum kit, for instance, so it’s not your traditional rock band. It looks more like a folk/bluegrass band because we’ve got djembe, bódhran, tenor banjo, dobro, it’s just a complete mixed bag of everything. There’s a couple of shakey eggs as well.” So where does a band from Limerick pick up these tribal and exotic influences? Dermot went on to explain just where they found them – “Well it’s kind of what everyone could bring to the table really, and that was what everyone was able to play. And that’s what makes it so unique to listeners I think, and that’s what’s been our success so far. It’s such a fresh sound for people.”
This week sees the band facing a sold out Whelan’s – a daunting prospect for any young band. With a headline date in the Academy lined up for 2013 already, how are they feeling about it the progression? Barry spoke to us about preparations for their Academy gig – “We’re headlining the Academy on March 2nd 2013. We’re very excited about it. We’re getting away for a couple of months after Christmas. With travel early on, it’s nice to get away for the first few months of the year. We’re going to Australia, South Africa, Las Vegas, Abu Dhabi- so we’ll be just off the back of that, just home maybe two weeks, so perfect timing.”
Breaking into international waters is tough for any band, and with a pretty serious international tour on the horizon how are they getting ready? We found out how five lads manage touring together – “It’s good- when Dan doesn’t drive! When he drives, it’s a bit of a disaster. We’ve got the van, the whole shebang. We’ve even lived together for a while so we’re well accustomed to each other. We’ve got a lot of travel ahead of us after Christmas with all the touring we’re doing and stuff. There’s never any major arguments. We’ve very well behaved boys.”
So with five creative guys working together, who’s in charge of songwriting or does teamwork come into play? The band were very quick to place Darragh Griffin in the spotlight to chat to us about this one – “My process for writing whatever song, I don’t really have one. I would have said at the start that it was write the music first and then write the lyrics, but in recent weeks there’ll be various times where I’ll write the lyrics first and put them with music. It’s kind of whatever strikes me at the time. I like to try and have a rough idea of what I want to write a song about.
For those who haven’t heard, Hermitage Green recently played a gig for the Irish rugby team before their recent Argentina game, joining the likes of Mumford & Sons. The band’s resident rugby expert (and former Munster and Irish team member) Barry spoke about the gig – “We just got a call from Declan Kidney asking would we play. It’s something they do every year. They’ve had Snow Patrol, Mumford & Sons, Christy Moore – so when we got the call, obviously we snapped it up straight away”. With such a history with the team, was this a particularly important gig to Barry? He had a bit to say about what the whole experience meant to him in particular – “I know all the lads, so it was great for me, after being away from them for so long to get back in and see them all.”
Although their Whelan’s gig is totally sold out, Irish fans won’t have to wait long to see the five lads again. Along with their headline Academy gig next March, there’s also a few videos in the works which will no doubt be appearing soon, and the band seem really excited at the prospect – “…as an approach to putting original and new material out there. As for our following, we have Facebook and Youtube to thank for everything. It’s amazing.” According to the band, we can expect to see some new material in video form over the Christmas break as a bit of a taster for next year’s album- a fine Christmas gift to for both new and old fans.
Enthusiasm and ambition is a refreshing quality in any band, and these five guys have shown it in bucketfuls. They’re certainly ones to watch, and with their fresh sound, to catch live – if you can manage to get tickets before they disappear.