JOE caught up with Hermitage Green ahead of their album launch

Hermitage Green are set to release their first live studio album and JOE caught up with the lads to discuss the launch, their TV career and their future plans.

Dan, Barry, Darragh, Dermot and the other Darragh have had a busy year and it has been building nicely to the launch of their live album which goes on sale on Friday November 22nd. As well as a college tour, they will be in the INEC in Kerry (December 13th) the Pav in Cork (December 19th), and Dolans (December 21st) which will be the main gigs this side of the New Year, with a few others dotted in between. While the lads have been highly successful with their last EP – The Gathering went straight into number 1 in the iTunes chart and led to a global tour – this is their first album and are looking forward to gauging fans’ feedback. “This is our first proper LP,” Barry tells us. “There’s a lot of stuff people won’t have heard. It’s live which is where we feel we are at our best. This is really us as all we have ever done is play gigs, so this is an attempt to bottle that.” The band are going from strength to strength and recent appearances on Second Captains added to their profile and Dan insists that the show, and Hermitage Green were a very good fit. “The pilot went well and we always enjoyed the show on the radio. The lads really enjoyed the song Golden Rule and they wanted that to be the theme song,” he told us. “They are a great bunch of lads with a similar mindset and background to us. They were a bunch of mates that fell into something and decided to go with it by doing something different.” “It was great craic, just like it came across on TV. We do everything live, they do everything live, it was a really good show.” And the last are well used to the TV cameras at this stage. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkq4J2k09YY Barry of course made his name as part of the Munster team and while injury forced his down the musical path sooner than he had hoped, he isn’t the only Munster man making waves after Damien Varley’s recent exploits on The Saturday Night Show and Barry reveals that there were a few crooners within the camp. “There were some really good singers, people might be surprised. Damien was always the main man but Ronan O’Gara does a brilliant Lady in Red and we wouldn’t be surprised if he goes with a Chris de Burgh tribute album at some point,” Barry laughs. “I think John Hayes and Ian Dowling would do a great Tenacious D ‘Best Song in the World’,” chirps in Dan. The lads have plenty on their plate with the album launch and a hectic schedule for the foreseeable future, they have their eyes set on working with other artists and one they have already collaborated with has really made an impression. “Lisa Kenny, who is a good friend of ours, worked with us for the album and is a really talented musician. She is a brilliant harpist and banjo player and is embarking on a very promising solo career. We were delighted to have her on the live album.” “There are lots of people we would like to collaborate with, but that will be further down the line.” We’d imagine if the band continue their meteoric rise, they will have no shortage of offers to work with. ‘Hermitage Green  - Live at Whelans’ goes on sale on Friday 22 November 2013, produced by eclectically accomplished musician and studio virtuoso Joe Chester (Ryan Sheridan, Mundy, Gemma Hayes, The Coronas).