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I Draw Slows Debut Album "Downside" available to buy online

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REVIEWS

The Ticket in The Irish Times

I DRAW SLOW : DOWNSIDE : No label ****

Louise Holden is one half of the brother-sister duo whose songs power this very impressive, if occasionally rough, debut album in the bluegrass/old time tradition.Ms Holden is a contributor to this paper's education pages, but the songs (written by her brother Dave and herself) easily eclipse her previous creative bursts. The rest of the five-piece band is actually drawn from another, the excellent Prison Love, and they help colour and drive the music, particularly Adrian Hart on fiddle. However, the real joy here lies in the songs and her singing of them - even if at times she could project her voice more. There can't be too many tunes about lesbians in lighthouses, certainly none as infectious and intriguing as Ligthhouse. Santiago, Little Switzerland, Sisken Song, That Boy's Not Fair and Dead in the Morning are all steeped in tradition but rendered fresh and colourful in the telling.
One to watch. www.my space.com/ idrawslow : JOE BREEN

HOT PRESS

IDRAW SLOW : DOWNSIDE (self released)

NARRATIVE-DRIVEN COUNTRY RECORD AS COMFY AS YOUR FAVORITE SWEATER. Boasting tales of lesbian lighthouse keepers, a lovelorn prostitute and a pair of pilgrims on a journey to non belief, Downside is a cracking record that wears it's alt-country influences on its tattered tartan sleeve. Over the span of 11 moonshine steeped tracks, song writing siblings Dave and Louise Holden and their band treat us to their take on music that originated in the Apalachian Mountains by putting a distinctly Irish spin on things. In many ways Downside is a bit like a comfy cardigan - what it lacks in style and sophistication, it more than makes up for it in warmth, and this record has it by the bucket load.
EDWIN MCFEE
KEY TRACK : OH SALLY

THE EVENT GUIDE

IDRAW SLOW : DOWNSIDE (No label)

What little treasures we unearth when we least expect it.

I wasn’t familiar with Dublin-based I Draw Slow before their album landed on my desk, but what a beautiful surprise it turned out to be. Their music is a rustic blend of alt-country, folk, old-time Americana and even Appalachian mountain song, and the band manage to fuse their Irish roots with a distinctly American sound – but make it all their own. A five-piece outfit with guitar, fiddle, banjo and double bass, tracks like album opener ‘Little Switzerland’ showcase the beautiful mix of instruments. The majority of the album is made up of original compositions, with two – ‘Bowling Green’ and ‘Little Satchel’ – taken from traditional arrangements. It speaks volumes that sandwiched in between their original counterparts, there’s little telling that the traditional songs aren’t as new as their neighbours. But if anything, it’s the original songs that stand out the most. ‘Santiago’ and ‘Lighthouse’ utilise the stunning vocals of Louise Holden to their full effect, (and feature some fantastic themes – such as the tale of a lesbian lighthouse keeper in the latter track) while the plentiful harmonies work best when they’re a little off-kilter – like on fourth track ‘Halfway’ and the aforementioned ‘Santiago’. Similarly, the gently sparring male and female vocals make ‘That Boy’s Not Fair’ wonderfully plaintive. Fans of contemporary bands such as Nickel Creek will love what they hear on ‘Downside’, but anyone with an ear for well-crafted folk and roots will fall in love with this album instantly.

Aoife Barry

Live Video

Goldmine

Bowling Green

I Draw Slow is a five-piece outfit comprising vocals, guitar, fiddle, banjo and double bass. Holden siblings Dave (guitar) and Louise (vocals) have been writing together for two decades, starting on Dublin’s gigging circuit with funk operation Tabularasa. Since then the pair have teamed up with:
Violinist Adrian Hart (Yurodni, Prison Love)
Claw hammer banjo player Colin Derham (Tabularasa, Choral Sex, Global Funk Orchestra)
Double bassist Konrad Liddy (Prison Love).

The Sound: Alt-country, folk, roots, old-time, Americana The five have created a new sound, rooted in the old time style of the Appalachian Mountains, drawing on Irish traditional music and modern Americana. However, this is a whole new songbook of stories and melodies. These are dark tales of debauchery and trouble swinging from the kind of well-crafted melodies that survive.

The Gigs:

The Electric Picnic (07,08), The Midlands Music Festival (07), Whelans, The Cobblestone, The Cherry Tree and more I Draw Slow regularly play in Dublin roots venues. In 2007 they finished up the last stage at the Midlands Music Festival and this year they were invited back to play the Electric Picnic for the second time.

The band has built up a considerable following at gigs and online and their much-requested debut album is finally available to buy, featuring audience favourites such as the haunting Lighthouse Daughter and the infectious Santiago.

The Album: Downside

The band’s debut album, Downside, is a simple, arresting collection of original compositions. The recording brings the listener as close to front- of-stage as it gets. A candid, unadorned production, Downside was recorded around one microphone at Downside Farm in Dunlavin in the summer of 2007.

I Draw Slow’s tenacious melodies buoy up the lonely stories of a lesbian lighthouse keeper, a lovelorn prostitute and a pair of pilgrims on a journey to non-belief. The style is unmistakeably old time but the tunes and their stories break new ground.

Downside was released on September 18th 2008 at Whelan’s of Wexford Street and is available to buy in HMV Grafton St. in Dublin.

Our good friends here at Claddagh Records have taken Downside online and it;s available to buy at their site for €15.

click here to buy.

now we're available worldwide.

I Draw Slow

For more information visit www.myspace.com/idrawslow