“It makes sense for us to be talking about Washington Irving.
Not only is their name being bandied about Glasgow town, a number of them are in bands we've covered recently (My Cousin I Bid You Farewell and The John Knox Sex Club), and to top it all they make music in the vein of some of Scotland's best and most successful indie-pop exporters.
Think Belle and Sebastian or Camera Obscura: simple yet poignant lyrics, sung in a broad Scottish accent, that sit nicely over the accompanying plucky guitars and flute trills.
Alongside the usual staples they have a unique mix of instrumentation that includes the singing saw, piccolo, mandolin and a mixture of melodicas, maracas and a bouzouki, which is a traditional, pear-shaped, stringed, Greek instrument (thanks Wikipedia).
But far from rendering them obscure or difficult, this folk sound is commercial enough to make a mainstream crossover seem tangible, as drummer, Chris McGarry, explains:
"We're more influenced by Scottish and Irish folk than American folk. Our songs lend themselves well to an energetic drunken hootenanny. Crowds have recently started flailing around frantically at our gigs. At the single launch of 'The Magician', Joe's (the singer) mum was almost crushed by a bunch of rowdy shinty players!"
When they're not playing host to potential parental murder the band have found time to record and release some of their material, recently working with Marcus Mackay, who put the first Frightened Rabbit album to tape."“
The Scotsman - November 2009
"Next up were Washington Irving, a full-bodied country-rock outfit. Bursting with frantic folk energy, and successfully avoiding the usual twee pitfalls of the genre, they captivate the packed-out room. Wielding a varied array of instruments, their songs blossom with a life seldom seen outside a full orchestra. Given the size of the room and the attendance, the end result was a joyous cacophony of noise, and an atmosphere of abandon."
Music-News @ The Bowery - December 2009
“ ...rich Americana country-styled songs, led by personal yet universal lyrics that demonstrates a healthy confidence in their own voice and place."
The Skinny - November 2009
“Washington Irving are band of five exquisitely dressed gentlemen and one lady, who perform a riotous mixture of folk, pop and indie complete with piccolo. They have notable influences including Glasgow indie bands such as Teenage Fanclub and Belle and Sebastian as well as modern folk bands such as The Pogues and Arcade Fire, while at the same time creating a sound all of their own.
A positively endearing band with jaunty heartfelt tunes, don't miss them, they’re quite simply good as folk.”
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Legendary new photo - same place we got ours on our profile. The new songs up sound great. How good is the soundguy at the live show and the recordings! Liam x
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