Barry: guitar, vocals, banjuitar, harmonica;
McGinty: svengali, fixer, minder, guru, personal trainer. 'If McGinty says no, it don't happen.'
Influences
Stumpy Wall (history teacher), The Augustines (church folk group), Zozimus, Dublin, The Dubliners, Dylan, Velvet Underground, punk rock, The Pogues, Planxty, Irish folk songs, American folk songs, walking songs, drinking songs, bawdy-house songs, ballads, laments, the sea, the odd book, folks I meet, McGinty, stuff in general.
Sounds Like
'Patrick McCabe put to music' The Irish Independent
'[Last Night, as I was Wandering] is a purgatorial stripmall facade of Nightown, populated by ghosts who walk: Kelly, Kavanagh, Behan, Dylan, MacGowan, the brothers Palace and Louvin and James Clarence Mangan...here's a body of song which understands that any port town is also a portal town, a hell door that admits all manner of strange sailors, strumpets and shape shifters.' Hot Press
'Timeless ballads from the dark side...the lyrics reveal a finely honed literary sensibility' Evening Herald
'You could imagine Shane MacGowan or Luke Kelly blasting out these songs and if that's not a recommendation, we don't know what is' RTE Guide
'As Tom Waits can pull off the adoption of a range of whiskey-soaked characters of all ages, so can McCormack.' Capital Magazine
'McCormack sings with a voice beyond his years... he pulls you into the story; and when you come out the other side, your emotions are scrubbed raw. Since Luke Kelly, this town has not produced many singers who do it so well.' Foggy Notions
Jubilee Allstars, Barry's former band, were once aptly described as equal parts Velvet Underground, Leonard Cohen and Brendan Behan; the records Barry contributed to before leaving the band were influenced by, and showed the influence of, the Irish song and literary traditions and American roots and punk rock.
It was the former influences that were brought to the fore on Barry's debut solo album We Drank Our Tears (2003), which was critically lauded for eschewing the introspective, soul searching approach of most singer-songwriters in favour of songs inspired by the Irish storytelling tradition. Hot Press magazine called it 'A melting pot of Brendan Behan, Bob Dylan and Shane MacGowan...McCormack has created an album of contemporary folk songs rooted in a tradition that goes back generations.'
Perhaps ironically, it was encounters Barry had with American musicians, touring as support with acts like The Handsome Family, Adam Snyder and Joe Pernice, that made him eager to explore the song tradition of his own country, just as Americans have been doing for years.
The influence of The Dubliners and the Dublin street-singing tradition were apparent on Barry's second record, Last Night, as I was Wandering (2006), as well as his reading of local history. 'His city is a purgatorial stripmall facade of Nightown' said Hot Press, 'populated by ghosts who walk: Kelly, Kavanagh, Behan, Dylan, MacGowan, the brothers Palace and Louvin and James Clarence Mangan.' His hometown had also been the inspiration behind Jubilee Allstars’ second album Lights of the City, which saw the band gaining some renown as Dublin eulogists. Barry penned the title track, which The Guardian described as perhaps the greatest song ever written about urban gentrification.
His latest record Night Visiting (2008) is something of a departure in that the songs take on a rural feel in both setting and story. Inspired by local histories, short stories and folk songs, it is a skewed song cycle of murder ballads and comic story songs, further cementing the songwriter’s reputation as a unique voice in Irish popular music. After years of indolent scrounging, Barry has earned a modest, but honest, living as, amongst other things, a shop assistant (stationery supplies), postboy for a life assurance company, office temp, English language teacher and arts columnist.
Barry self-releases his records on the Hag's Head label.
Hi Barry McCormack, I Draw Slow are playing The Cobblestone, Smithfield in Dublin on Wednesday 24th June, supported by the amazing Thomas Kitt. Doors are at 8.30 and admission is €10, a small price to pay to see the citys two premier acoustic acts don't you agree? On the off chance you disagree, come down on wednesday next to the Cobblestone, Smithfield Dublin and we'd be happy to discuss it.
The Annesley House North Strand (Fairview) Dublin 3
The Hootenanny Launch Gig
2 Stages 7 Acts
Collaborations on the night from…
Matthew Devereux (from The Pale) Keiron Black (from The Amazing Few) Wally Page Stephen and Tony Boylan Mick Duffy and Niall O’ Shea Alan and Breda Trimble Q and more…
Kicks off at 8.30pm Admission: 5 Euro
Everyones welcome along-it's gonna be a great nite full of fun+frolicks, so come along+join us for lots of Hootenanny Maddness!!!:)
Hope you are SURVIVING these crazy economic times! Enjoy our new video "Whiskey Tonight" and stop by our site for a FREE download of the new song. Yes, something for FREE. Cheers!
FairplayCollective's Michael Brunnock has teamed up with his old band Little Palace and have just released a single entitled "Eviction" and can be down loaded at www.downloadmusic.ie
They have also released their third album called Invitation Time and is available in all good music stores.
Little Palace will be touring Ireland to support the release of their album and can be seen/heard at these venues.
March 29th CRANE LANE - CORK March 31st ROISIN DUBH - GALWAY April 1st DOLANS WAREHOUSE - LIMERICK April 3rd THE SPIRIT STORE - DUNDALK April 4th HEADFORT ARMS - KELLS April 7th WHELANS - DUBLIN April 9th THE BACKROOM - NAVAN
Hi there Barry McCormack! I Draw Slow are playing Downstairs in Whelans on the 4th of Feb, we'll be supported by the amazing Blood Red Mountain Band which should make for an unforgettable night. Doors at 8, €10 on the night or tickets can be bought in advance from WAV tickets. Hope to see you there!
Happy New Year... Stop by for a FREE download of "Whiskey Tonight", our first release in 2009 from the band's upcoming 7th CD - "Whiskey Tonight". The new song hits home with the same good time impact expected of an Indulger's song, heralding a return to our "rockin' pub sound". * * Stop by for your FREE download of the new song and all the best to you in 2009!
I just beat my high score on "After This Low" on Folk Band 2 on my XBox. Alas, the bridge on "The Old Bog Road" still eludes me. Happy Christmas, sir, and all the best for the new year.
hey barry, just popping by to bestow our greetings to you for the Festive Season & wish you every prosperity in the new year. is gig in whelans on 27th december? peace & love PACIFIX
