Bushplant live at Solfest, Cumbria UK, summer 2009

With the inevitable lineup changes over the years they have seen many members come and go, but the present core 4-piece lineup has remained consistent for quite a while now. Their fiddler Mary Custy is a world famous musician in her own right having several solo albums to her name, and has collaborated with many other well-known Irish and international acts. Mary has toured extensively as far afield as Australia, Switzerland, the UK and the USA, while Bushplant have appeared all over Ireland, in France, the Canary Islands, and the UK. Notable musicians to have passed through the ranks of the mighty Bush have included John Lambe on uileann pipes, the very wonderful Michele Bonamy on sax and flute, and the rip-roaring Trevor Hansbury on various guitars, not to mention most of the Keane family at one time or another. Newest regular Kevin Ryan on whistle and flute brilliantly filled the summer gap while Mary was away in Spain, and their very first gig together at Hawkfest 2008 in Devon foreshadowed further flights to far flung festivals, notably Solfest above.

Interview with Mary and some live footage at the Roisin Dubh in Galway.

Bushplant are a highly experienced gigging band, playing professionally both as themselves and in various combinations on average twice a week, every week. Individual members are constantly sought after as guest musicians and sessionists for musical projects, and singer and frontman Gerry Molloy is acknowledged as a consumate showman and a true veteran of the music stage. They are also in constant demand for local festivals and alternative events.

Bushplant have recorded 3 albums and several EPs and are distributed via local label Ginger Jam Music and are available worldwide on iTunes , Amazon, Rhapsody, Napster, eMusic, Last.fm and many others. Despite being approached by major labels they have chosen to remain at liberty to pursue their own way in the world. They have already served over 10,000 free downloads from their official website and elsewhere to date.

In 2006 Bushplant released their most innovative single to date - entitled "Make Somebody Happy Here", the single is a pounding beast of a thing, sounding like the bastard spawn of an illicit liaison between Alabama3 and S-Express at a Clare fleadh and fostered by Hawkwind, all the while delicately embroidered with the silvery fiddling of Mary Custy, a star in her own right with 3 solo albums of her own.

Bushplant live at Dolan's, Limerick

Due to much magnificent munificence on the part of Chris Hehir of Chilli Studios in Dublin, the band released their third album, 'Janus', which is a rattling great rollercoaster ride taking the listener from pure folk fiddling to techno, drum'n'bass and swooshing great chunks of pyschedelia. The album has been so named to celebrate the way that their music is informed by the past while looking forward to the future at the same time, and the myriad dichotomies inherent in their entire makeup.

The Bushplant sound is a unique combination of rock and folk. Irish and World traditional folk tunes furnished by Mary Custy are given an injection of rock and techno to produce an infectious and irresistible dance groove, while their original material reflects the breadth of sources drawn on by the other members, ranging as it does from Canned Heat, Neil Young, Rush, and Hawkwind and so also producing such musically diverse styles as reggae, techno and drum'n'bass.

The Bushplant ethos has always been informed by a strong awareness of environmental issues, both local and global. They have contributed tracks to a fundraising album to help protect the local ecologically fragile Burren area, and this album 'For Mullaghmore, The Sound of Stone' is still available globally after 10 years. The subject matter of many of their songs reflects these ongoing concerns of mankind's effect on our planet.

Bushplant roamed further afield recently to bring their unique sound to Hawkfest 2008 in Devon and have already been invited to appear on the much sought-after Drystone stage at Solfest 2009, they are in fact the first confirmed act!

This then is folk music like you've never known, it's pure New Clare Power! The official website has a load of free music downloads, a video interview with Mary, some live videos of the band onstage in Ennis and Galway, newspapers interviews, gigs, CDs to buy, online booking for gigs, an absolute clatter of pictures of the band including more pictures of Mary than is healthy, but dammit, why not? www.bushplant.com

  I kept my profile legible despite Thomas Myspace Editor! (www.strikefile.com/myspace)

Live at the Barge Rooms, Ennis - a bit rough but you'll get the idea...

All photos ©Gerry Doyle