While there may be nothing truly new
under the sun, Flogging Molly sure does their best to come close. Take
an acoustic guitar, accordion, violin, tin whistle, banjo, mandolin and
some drums, and you might have a hell of a band. Add some electricity to
a bass and second guitar, and with the right musicians
you will have a hell of a band.
One word of caution though - this band takes no prisoners when it comes
to doing what they do best - belting infectious and rocking Irish-styled
anthems capable of inciting riots of
"Guinness-soaked" proportions.
Electric guitarist Dennis Casey was kind enough to grant the following
interview during a short break in the studio, where Molly is currently
recording their third studio album (a live album was also released in
1997).
XMFan:Molly was founded in 1996 by
Dublin native Dave King, who was the vocalist and guitarist of British
metal band Fastway in the 80's.
Does Dave talk much about his musical past? Dennis: Now and again it will
come up. Sometimes someone will ask him questions and he has a few
stories, but we're pretty much creating our own stories now.
XMFan: How and when did you find
yourself joining the band? Dennis: I joined in 1999. One of
Dave's friends saw me playing at a pub, and they needed a guitar player.
Dave came to see me play and I auditioned, then got into the band. XMFan: Molly's accordion player
is none other than pro skateboarding legend Matt Hensley. How in the
world... Dennis: Almost everyone in the
band met at this bar called Molly
Malone's and would play every Monday. Matt was there one night
with a friend, who went up to Dave and said he had a friend who plays
accordion and loves your band. Dave said he'd like to meet him, and
immediately let him into the band - not knowing he was a skateboarder or
anything. He was expecting to meet some big 55 year old guy who played
the accordion, you know, which is what you'd expect the typical
accordion player to look like.
XMFan: Tell us about your guitars
of choice when you play live. Dennis: I like to use a '74
Telecaster Deluxe. I also have a Fender Telecaster that was made in
1993, which was a special model they only made one year. I alternate
between both guitars.
XMFan: Would you tell us a little
about what happens behind the scenes on the
Warped Tour? Is it a challenge
logistically? Dennis: The first year was really
hectic - we were new, didn't know what to expect, what to do, where to
go, and didn't know anyone. We were really cramped on a bus with three
or four other bands - and we're a pretty big band ourselves. From that
end it was difficult, but as the years have gone by - we've done it
three years in a row and this year will be the fourth - it's now almost
like a reunion, or like a summer camp where you hang out with all your
friends. You get to play music for a half-hour and have a great time.
It's gotten much easier as time has gone on. XMFan: What is the general
reaction of people who come to see you live, but have never heard the
band before? Dennis: When we first started
doing the Warped Tour, I remember we would set up our own gear. I'd see
kids pointing and giggling because they really didn't know what to
expect, then by the second or third song people were really getting into
it. Now, we've worked really hard to build a following and there's a
pretty decent crowd in front of us, and they all seem to really get into
it once we start.
XMFan: Which bands do you
consider favorites? Dennis:NOFX,
Bouncing Souls,
Rancid.
XMFan: Your albums
Drunken Lullabies and
Swagger were recorded and
engineered by Steve Albini, who is also known for his studio work with
Nirvana,
Bush, and
Page and Plant, to name a few.
What was it like working with Steve? Dennis: I would say working with
Steve Albini was a great experience. He really knows what he's doing.
He's more of an engineer than a producer - he's not so much of a guy
who's involved in a typical producer's role, but captures the sound of
the band mostly. He's got a great sense of humor and is really smart. It
was just an all-around great experience.
XMFan: Any plans for a new album
in the near future? Dennis: We're working on it right
now. (Literally) It will
hopefully be out in September. Today is our second day of recording and
it's going along great. There's going to be some new things - not a totally
new direction for the band - but we're expanding our sound and
stretching it out a little. So far it sounds like it's going to be
pretty good.
XMFan: The band is in the habit
of attracting and packing fans into decent-sized venues these days. Do
you miss the days of playing to thirty drunks in the pub? Dennis: No. There's a certain
charm playing to a smaller crowd, but also obvious great points when you
are playing to the larger crowds.
XMFan: You guys are a
fan-favorite on XM's punk and ska channel
Fungus. What are your feelings
about the state of FM radio and its formats? Dennis: Well, they play what they
play. I don't know much about how things run at the major radio
stations, though I know Clear Channel
has become a big controlling force. When we are played I'm glad about
that, but I'm not going to bash radio stations because they play a
certain kind of music. (Pauses)
I just won't listen to them. (Laughs)
XMFan: As you look back over the
past few years, are you happy with the direction Flogging Molly has
taken? Dennis: Absolutely, absolutely.
We couldn't have asked for a better way for things to have turned out.
We started out playing in a bar every Monday, and now it has evolved
into this great touring act, I guess, and we have built this fan base
from zero to however many people are into the band now. You can't ask
for anything more than that. It's a great way to start a career and my
goal is for us to just keep doing it the way we've been doing it.
Flogging Molly can be heard on XM
channels Fungus, Ethel, and XMU.
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