The New Wave of Irish Music

Arís Is Arís

I grew up in Dublin long before the Celtic Tiger took hold, long before it became the place to go for a stag or hen do. I’m old enough to remember what Temple Bar was really like before the marketing men go their teeth into it and transformed into a tourist magnet and so called “cultural quarter”.

Growing up in Dublin then, traditional Irish music was either collections of jigs and reels or rebel ballads sung by the likes of the Wolfe Tones. In my search for meaningful lyrics, protest songs for young people to relate to, I had to look west, across the Atlantic and the songs of Dylan, Seager, Mitchell. Later I would discover Janis Ian and others thanks to the influence of an American girlfriend.

Over the last decade or so I have often wondered where the protest songwriter have gone. Where the so called politically incorrect songwriters were hiding. I re-discoverd Janis Ian and was happy that these songwriter were alive and well, still writing lyrics with deep meaning. But the music industry stifles that which doesn’t conform – or more accurately, doesn’t make instant money.

Having now thrown off the shackels of oppression imposed by the Catholic Church, Ireland is now producing a raft of excellent inde music, music with bite, music with a message.