Whitty & Co and a drunken sailor
Thursday March 04 2010
ONE of the most talked about bands to have come out of Cork in recent years, Ian Whitty and the Exchange, will return to their home city for a gig at the Pavilion on Friday, March 19.
The gig will mark the release of the band's latest single, 'While The Drunken Sailor Sleeps', taken from their critically acclaimed 2008 debut album Caller Number 9'.
Following its release the record was championed by local radio stations with Red FMs Ashley Keating, who is also the drummer with The Frank and Walters, describing it as an "absolutely brilliant" album.
Inevitably word about the band spread with the singles City Friend, Not On Your Side and Houndstooth Shirt
'Lucky enjoying significant local and national airplay.
The band have also gained a deserved reputation as one of the most exciting live acts on the Irish scene, with Whitty's idiosyncratic vocals the perfect foil for the vibrant brass and sting arrangements that has become the hallmark of their unique sound.
Last year saw them much in demand on the festival circuit, performing sets at the Cork X Southwest and Indiependence festivals as well as the Memphis Folk Alliance festival in the US. These led to them being put on the bill alongside The Magic Numbers, Lisa Hannigan and Florence and the Machine for the Murphy's Big Night Out at the Cork Opera House last November.
The band's infectious mix of folk and indie is very much to the fore on the latest single, one of the stand out tracks from the album, which was produced by Ken McHugh and mastered in LA by Dave Collins who has worked alongside the likes of Bruce Springsteen and Jane's Addiction.
What also stands out on the single is Whitty's keen eye for a story, the lyrics succinctly managing to convey the sense of a man keen to escape his past in exchange for a new life.
"The song was predominantly inspired by the Sunday morning western's I watched when I was younger. I think the idea of getting the first train out of Dodge is one that will resonate with many young people, particularly at this time," he told The Corkman.
Tickets cost a bargain €12 from www.tickets.ie
- BILL BROWNE
