Brad Dunnells (lead vocals/guitar), Jason Tinney (harmonica), Jeff Malcom (bass), Laura Hein (keyboard), Jeff Trueman (drums), Skye Sadowski-Malcom (fiddle)
Influences
The Pogues, Johnny Cash, Jimi Hendrix, The Allman Brothers, Black Crowes
The Donegal X-Press has emerged as one of the premiere Irish-American roots rock groups in the country. This high-energy six piece outfit has gained praise and fans from New York to Ireland, Baltimore to Nashville and beyond. DXP blends a unique combination of traditional Irish music with American country and blues, folk and rock, rhythm and funk, which John O'Regan of "Roots Magazine" calls, "...creative ferocity not seen since The Clash's 'London Calling' period."
Brad Dunnells (guitar and vocals) and Jason Tinney (harmonica and vocals) began collaborating and writing songs in the late 1990s with the hope of rejuvenating Irish American culture. With this partnership, the Donegal X-Press was formed and it wasn't long before the band's populatiry and musical dimensions began to grow.
In the years since its formation, the group has gone from boozy bar crowds to sharing the stage with artists such as The Saw Doctors, Prodigals, Solas, Graham Colton, Black 47 and the Wolfe Tones. DXP has also written and produced five albums of original music: "Fr. O'Leary Memorial Boys Club", "Stand Alone", "Translations, "Quinn's Diaries", and "Whiskey, Bars, A Go-Go". In 2000, the "Irish Voice" (NYC) named the group among their "Best of 2001" and eventually dubbed them "Artist of the Year." In that same year, Brad Dunnells was the first American to win the National Song Contest for Peace held in Cork, Ireland. The 1st place winner, "Omagh," is featured on "Quinn's Diaries". In 2001, Donegal X-Press was named "Best Band" in the "Baltimore City Paper's" Readers Poll.
In addition to performing with the Donegal X-Press, the multi-talented individuals who make up the group have many side projects. Jeff Malcom (bass) and Skye Sadowski-Malcom (fiddle/vocals) co-founded and perform with the Annapolis-based group Man Down, while Jeff Trueman (drums) performs with the band Pale Stars, also native to Baltimore. Laura Hein (keyboard) is also a solo pianist and accompanist who performs throughout Maryland. Along with singer/songwriter Laura Cosner, Dunnells and Tinney founded the folk trio The Wayfarers, while Tinney has published two books of short stories and poetry-prose (Hilliard & Harris Publishers).
My debut single ROLLIN' IN THE HEY is currently #83 on the Music Row Breakout Chart and is poised to move into the top 75 WITH A BULLET!!!. Request it at your local radio station today and CLICK ON THE ALBUM COVER BELOW TO BUY THE ENTIRE CD FOR A LIMITED TIME FOR ONLY $5.00.
Just dropped by to say hello.Hope all is well with you. Thought I'd drop by and let you know I have uploaded a new acoustic demo called Old Gang. Hope you like it. Have a great week and I'll catch up with you soon!
Well, how do you do, Private William McBride, Do you mind if I sit down here by your graveside? And rest for awhile in the warm summer sun, I've been walking all day, and I'm nearly done. And I see by your gravestone you were only 19 When you joined the glorious fallen in 1916, Well, I hope you died quick and I hope you died clean Or, Willie McBride, was it slow and obscene?
Did they Beat the drum slowly, did the play the pipes lowly? Did the rifles fir o'er you as they lowered you down? Did the bugles sound The Last Post in chorus? Did the pipes play the Flowers of the Forest?
And did you leave a wife or a sweetheart behind In some loyal heart is your memory enshrined? And, though you died back in 1916, To that loyal heart are you forever 19? Or are you a stranger without even a name, Forever enshrined behind some glass pane, In an old photograph, torn and tattered and stained, And fading to yellow in a brown leather frame?
The sun's shining down on these green fields of France; The warm wind blows gently, and the red poppies dance. The trenches have vanished long under the plow; No gas and no barbed wire, no guns firing now. But here in this graveyard that's still No Man's Land The countless white crosses in mute witness stand To man's blind indifference to his fellow man. And a whole generation who were butchered and damned.
And I can't help but wonder, no Willie McBride, Do all those who lie here know why they died? Did you really believe them when they told you "The Cause?" Did you really believe that this war would end wars? Well the suffering, the sorrow, the glory, the shame The killing, the dying, it was all done in vain, For Willie McBride, it all happened again, And again, and again, and aga
Great to see you again at Boordy and at the Fed Hill Fest!!! Hope you guys keep up the touring through the darker months!!! you sound better than ever!
Hope all is well with you. Thought I'd drop by and let you know I have recently uploaded a new acoustic demo called Scream And Shout. Hope you like it. Have a listen anyway, see what you think....
I like the sound of your music so thank you for adding me as a friend. Your friendship and support are much appreciated. Hope you like my tunes, especially Playground as that is my latest tune - a bit rough round the edges, but I am really proud of it. Keep in touch.
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