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| If you missed Ian’s interview with Mike Murphy on Kansas City’s Talk radio 710KCMO on July 17th, here’s a summary. Ian Byrne was on the show promoting The Elder’s new CD, “American Wake,” and telling stories of growing up in Ireland. He mentioned Colorado several times during his interview which is very exciting for us here in the Rocky Mountains. Michael Murphy starts the program off my calling Ian a “big star, like Mick Jager.” Ian laughs and says, “without the lips.” The Elders just completed a week tour of Colorado, which included shows in Vail, Woodland Park, Manitou Springs and Breckenridge. After a few days back in Kansas City, The Elders came back and performed at The Irish Festival in Littleton, CO. When asked about the altitude in Colorado, Ian commented “Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.” That pretty much sums it up. Ian says, at the show in Vail, they were given oxygen bottles to suck on. I think we need to get the band here to perform more often so they can get used to our thin air. Ian brought a few tunes from their upcoming CD, “American Wake,” to be released Labor Day weekend at the Kansas City Irish Festival. They played the new tune which was just finished the previous evening. “American Wake” is about the 1847 famine in Ireland. When the Irish were immigrating, many members of the family (especially older ones) were left behind. Thinking they’d never see each other every again, families would have wakes at the harbor before saying their goodbyes. When you think of this, it’s really sad, but Ian says wakes in Ireland are a “heck of a party.” “Haverty Boys” from the new CD is about 2 lads who got themselves in trouble in the local pub. It’s about Ian’s “tough granny” who goes into the pub and “whacks them in the arse with a big fat stick.” Ian wrote this tune in 15 minutes. “Moore Street Girls” is about a part in an old area of Dublin where there’s a street market. A place to get fruits and vegetables, the market girls are real characters. Last year when The Elders went to Ireland, Ian took the boys to visit the area and fond it was not the same as he remembered. No more Moore Street girls. “Nations of Love” is a heart felt song about the Magdalene Laundries which were considered a sort of institution, orphanage, or even like a prison. It was a place run by nuns for pregnant young girls or for girls who looked “too mature” and were distracting to others. Many of these girls would end up there for their entire lives. Mike Murphy asks “about The Elders sound.” Ian mentioned the music students in Colorado at the Irish Fest the previous weekend. “They looked like dogs in the back window with their heads going back and forth. Trying to figure out what they were listening to.” The Elders play with a conglomeration of Irish, Scottish, Welsh, American, and what ever else they want to throw in. With a “natural” sound of guitars, violin, accordion, tin whistle, and the beat thumped out with bass, bodrhan, and drums. Ian is from Co. Wicklow where he grew up with great stories and puts his experiences in the songs. Songs about “fightin’, drinkin’, and dyin’, with an occasional love song.” The biggest show The Elders have played at was in Joplin, MO. They played with REM, Journey, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and The Doobie Brothers. It was a “sea of body and heads.” In Estes Park, The Elders play 3 shows a day and are the Ceilidh band for the New Years Party held at The Holiday Inn during the festival. 50, 000 people a day attend the Festival in Estes Park. He says they have a great following in Colorado. This year, The Longs Peak Scottish Irish Highland Festival is September 4th-7th. The members of The Elders have played in other bands in their careers, but when it comes down to it, they are a bunch of no nonsense guys. When going into the recording studio, everybody drops their ego in an invisible bucket outside before going in. They are there “for the creativity.” I can tell you from meeting them they are great bunch of down to earth guys. They are good to their fans and answer every email they get. |