Stuart Bailie, BBC, former NME Assistant Editor:
"If I had to pick a new voice to trust in unreliable times it would be Ciaran Lavery. He's the compelling noise at the front of Captain Kennedy, a band from Lurgan that used to be rather good but are now dangerously close to greatness. He's got a deal of hurt and empathy in his singing. You feel like you know the source of his woe and that with a mutual twist, he can voice your own particular brand of pain.
He does this with hardly any fuss, so you find yourself listening ever harder, picking out the little gems of phrasing, the hesitations, and even the slivers of joy. And to their credit Captain Kennedy never crowd the tunes with their fiddles, their keyboards and the other voices. If you want to check out the online clips, you'll see a band on a series of tiny stages, locking into their roots-rock groove, clearly hip to the sources of Americana, but never forcing the connection.
There's a fine EP out there called 'Factory Whistle Call' that sums up the early potential. On the song 'Bring That Light' Ciaran is hailing an old girl friend who's got a baby and is seemingly at odds with the world. The song is a reassuring hug, a belief that chances will improve and that destiny is up for debate.
Ciaran and Chris played live on my Radio Ulster show a few weeks ago, and while I was expecting something sweet, they made things a little harder on themselves by playing a couple of new songs. I was properly moved.
The final request was that they should bring in a record that meant something to themselves. And so Ciaran fetched up 'It Makes No Difference' by The Band, a song that dips into the very essence of heartbreak. He spoke eloquently about the artists, and in particular the singing of Rick Danko and Richard Manuel, two lamented, lost souls who could make the walls cry. That's something to want to live up to."
Captain Kennedy are a 7-piece band from Northern Ireland. 2009 saw the band establish their position on the Irish music scene with a number of high profile festival appearances, the highlight being two dates at the prestigious Open House Festival. Other impressive gigs including sharing the stage with the likes of Alela Diane, Noah and the Whale and Foy Vance and appearances on the same festival bills as renowned artists such as Steve Earle, Mumford and Sons and Laura Marling, have cemented Captain Kennedy’s reputation as a formidable live act.
The band have received regular airplay on local and national radio including BBC Radio 1, BBC Radio Ulster and Cool FM and have become fan favourites on internet radio stations. They appeared on BBC 2’s Blas Ceoil programme in March 2009 and have also made a number of appearances on Irish TV station TG4.
The band released their second 4-track EP Factory Whistle Call through Vinnie Lovelace Records. “Factory Whistle Call”, recorded at the Start Together Studios at Belfast’s new Oh Yeah Centre, is not smooth, controlled, or delivered with the glossy perfection of much modern pop music. This is cracked, rootsy material. Their harmonies are sometimes crooked, and singer Ciaran Lavery’s voice can get gravelly to the point of death-rattle. The EP, which has already received airplay national and local radio, captures the true spirit of Captain Kennedy’s live sound.
What the Press have said…
Stuart Bailie (BBC & former co-editor of NME): "Captain Kennedy are well immersed in the "old weird America" that writer Greil Marcus covered in his book Invisible Republic. They take their name from a Neil Young song but they're also fit to sing old Dixie down. Excellent vocals. I likes 'em."
“Sweetest Friend walks a fine line between pop balladry and indie soul and would be playing on daytime radio stations right now if there was any justice in the world.”
“When you’ve got the Americana sound as polished as these guys do, it’s no surprise it goes down as well as a Mississippi Mud Pie!”
NI Chart.com: "One of the must see live acts around the North today. "
“This is preternaturally aged music, ready to caress your heart with its dusky fingers.”
“There’s something instantly attractive about their obvious belief and capturing of the redemptive power and soul of music”
For Booking Enquiries contact us at captainkennedyinfo@hotmail.co.uk
