Press

JUST FOR KICKS by Stuart Clark/Hot Press

SENECA (MURPHY'S LIVE, DOLAN'S WAREHOUSE, LIMERICK)

It's 15 years since The Cranberries went supernova and the feeling in Limerick is that it could be the time for another local act to make the big step up. One of the names being mentioned in dispatches is Seneca, a melodious four-piece who've already managed to infiltrate the Irish top 30 with 'Smile' - curiously absent from tonight's set - and had Jackie Hayden pf this parish whispering sweet nothings about them.

My bearded colleague is bang on the money, with the band chucking Jeff Buckley, Snow Patrol and Damien Rice into the blender and ending up with something guaranteed to get American radio all hot and sticky

Which isn't to say that they're all studio sheen and no bollocks. Realising that there's a sold-out Dolan's to be entertained - can we just say again how fucking ace the venue is? - singer and guitarist Rob Hope wrestles every ounce of emotion possible out of songs like 'Good For What Ails You', 'Playing Fair' and ''Clarity' while barefoor drummer (think of the chiropodist bills!) Daragh O Loughlain knocks his kit into the middle of next month.

"Packs an Alice in Chains-style whack"
- The Sunday Star

"'SWEETER THAN BOURBON' is a sweet surprise!.....It will be very interesting to see what happens when these guys and their music hit the airwaves stateside. Disenchantment has never sounded so enchanting!"
- rockwired.com

"'Sweeter Than Bourbon' is a beautifully crafted collection of music."
- Buzz Magazine

"'So finely tuned that they are beyond the perfection aspired to by the so-called music professionals....Seneca are not a stencil, they have an original stamp."
- Herald Xtra

"'This outfit are without doubt one of the greatest prospects to emerge from Ireland in quite some time and this, their debut album, is one of the standout albums of the year."
- The Connaught Telegraph

"'Soaring, anthemic melodies that will stick in your head long after you hear them."
- The Limerick Weekender

"SENECA Combine the heartfelt sincerity of Damien Rice's lyrics with the lush and authentic sounds of Snow Patrol to startling effect."
- The Limerick Leader, 14 Mar 07

"Without question one of the most promising and talented Irish bands to have emerged in recent years."
- The Limerick Independent, 12 Sep 07

"Mother of Christ, this is fantastic, absolutely fantastic.
- 'Green and Live', LIVE 95FM

"A band with a knack for taking big and bold jabs at the heartstrings, they blend sweeping arrangements with naked emotional lyrics to create a very anthemic and mainstream sound. This Limerick four-piece could have a very bright future ahead of them if their forthcoming debut album Sweeter Than Bourbon is anything to go by.
- Hotpress, 31 Oct 07

"Warm, propulsive, melodic, anthemic and emotive.
- Frequency-Ireland.com, 05 Sep 07

MALIBU TIMES - Interview

Malibu's Music Corner
Published: Wednesday, September 24, 2008 2:44 PM PDT
Coming to America - Seneca
By Melonie Magruder / Special to The Malibu Times
 

Ireland might be a country with a population of but three and a half million. But it has exported more than its fair share of notable independent rock bands, from U2 to The Coronas to The Cranberries. The latest Irish rock band to hit the scene is Seneca from Limerick, Ireland, who will be launching their first American tour at The Malibu Inn this week.

"Well, we're called an Irish band," front man Rob Hope said in a telephone interview from his home in County Mayo on the Emerald Isle. "But, actually, the violin player on our album is Dutch."

Rob Hope (guitar, vocals), Yvonne Conaty (bass, vocals), Brendan O'Gorman (lead guitar) and Daragh O'Loughlain (drums) make up the core group of Seneca, whose title takes nothing from the native American tribe of northern New York State and everything from Lucius Annaeus Seneca, the Roman orator and playwright, whose oratorical skills so enraged the jealous, mad emperor Caligula that he contemplated executing the writer.

The band's highly anticipated first album, "Sweeter Than Bourbon" (on the West Pole Music label) combines not just rocking great melodies, but contemplative lyrics, diverse grooves and the pure, soaring falsetto of Hope's lead vocals.

"We came together as a band pretty organically," Hope said. "We were all playing in different bands around Ireland and gradually met up at parties and decided to play together."

This led to a great deal of song writing, which led to a great deal of gigging around the country before their debut single "Smile," released in 2007, climbed the Irish Radio Chart to a Top 30 position and convinced them to release a full CD.

"The music scene in Ireland is just brilliant right now," Hope said. "We've been compared to bands like Snow Patrol; but there are so many great bands like Fight Like Apes or Vesta Varro. It's a good time to be a musician in Ireland."

Talent might be abundant, but Seneca debuts in the U.S. at a turbulent time in the music industry. Hope acknowledged that CD sales have plummeted worldwide and record labels are scrambling to define the next step.

"In the U.S. last year, something like only six percent of music sales were in CDs," Hope said. "The rest were digital downloads or people are just stealing off the Internet. It's the same in Europe. So the real money in music nowadays is in touring gigs."

Accordingly, Seneca's debut U.S. tour will take in 18 cities between now and Nov. 15, from Malibu to Des Moines, Iowa to New York City and back to Monterey, Calif.

"We've got a motor home and a van," Hope said. "And we're all good friends. We hope to stay that way."

Hope began playing music at an early age, when his parents forced him to take piano lessons, which he quit as soon as he was able to convince them it was a waste of money, a decision he regrets today.

But he started playing guitar at age 16 and began to write immediately.

"Well, I write most of the lyrics, but we all collaborate on arrangements," Hope said. "The idea is that we don't want to just regurgitate the same song and the same feeling each time around. We want a different sound each time, so there is a wide breadth to our music."

This eclectic approach to song writing and their decision to avoid the easy labeling music promoters often like creates jamming songs of breakup like "Down to Today" and painful reflections of relationships that go awry.

In the title "Clarity," Hope asks plaintively, "Why should I take this terrible abuse, I'll tell you one thing, I'm a mess but so are you ... I shouldn't listen when you say you will stop, it means nothing but for some reason, nothing means a lot."

This indictment of domestic abuse ends with a somewhat hopeful coda: "I got my reasons that you might call insanity. I don't want my children to grow up with this kind of clarity..."

Though just released in June, "Sweeter Than Bourbon" is already getting airplay here and, while they've had some success in Europe, Hope said they are "dying" to start their U.S. tour.

"In Ireland, we get some amazing support from the venues around here, which is what you need to nurture a creative music scene," Hope said. "We're very interested to see how we will be received in America."

Seneca will play at The Malibu Inn Friday, Sept. 26. More information may be obtained by visiting the web site www.seneca.ie

THE DAILY IOWAN - Interview

No leprechauns, but plenty of tunes for Limerick-based band
Meryn Fluker - The Daily Iowan
Issue date: 10/8/08

Ireland is about more than what viewers are used to seeing in Lucky Charms commercials. The country has a rich history of religious strife, economic suffering (followed by recent prosperity), and cultural excellence.

Seneca, a band from Limerick, follows in the traditions of such Irish acts as the Cranberries, U2, and Sinéad O'Connor by touring America in hopes of widening its fan base. The band will test its cross-cultural appeal tonight at the Picador, 330 E. Washington St., one of the earliest stops on its first U.S. tour.

Vocalist and guitarist Rob Hope said that each member of the band has spent time in the United States, including Hope's own study-abroad stint in Denver, but until this tour - which began earlier this month - the band hadn't ever played live in America. Those might seem like some tough odds, but in a phone call from Ireland, Hope said the band is anything but timid about the task.

"We're delighted; we can't wait," he said. "It'll be very interesting to see how the crowds react to us differently over there than here. Hopefully, our music will go down nicely."

Ever since the Beatles landed at JFK Airport in 1964, coming to America has been a huge turning point in the careers of international musicians. Hope knows the effect a successful run in the United States can have on Seneca's career. After all, until this tour, Seneca's recorded output was not available for purchase in the United States.

"We're going to concentrate very much and try to make America work for us if it possibly can," Hope said. "It's going to be a lot of hard work, but we really feel that we could possibly make an impact over there if we work hard."

Hope's faith and positive outlook are part of the reason Seneca came together as a band and is now touring America. He said the group's current management team is largely based in the United States, and the band members found their manager through discussions on the Internet. Having a management team based in America helped pull the band from Ireland to U.S. shores.

Seneca formed in early 2005 from the ashes of another band in which Hope and bassist Yvonne Conaty were both members. Hope said they both knew drummer Daragh O'Loughlain and asked him to join the new group. The final piece was a lead guitarist, and Brendan O'Gorman was recruited after Hope met him at a house party.

Internet connections and house-party chance meetings - maybe these aren't the most effective ways to launch fruitful romantic relationships, but when it comes to bands, the formula has proved successful for Seneca.

Hope cited American bluegrass as among the band's influences, alongside Smashing Pumpkins, Jeff Buckley, and fellow Irish band the Cranberries. He said that he learned a lot about American and Irish perceptions of each other while he lived in Denver, where he celebrated his first St. Patrick's Day overseas.

"I don't know if you actually know this but the St. Patrick's Day parade was actually invented in America. It wasn't done in Ireland at all. Irish people in America actually pretty much started up the whole St. Patrick's Day celebration, carnival, that kind of thing," he said. "Ireland is a very modern country a lot of the time, and I remember one person in Denver asking me if we had credit cards in Ireland, different things like that. Another girl was asking me if leprechauns actually existed. I thought it was kind of funny."

DORSET ECHO

"Seneca, from Limerick (Ireland), specialise in an inscrutable and extremely pleasing noise on their album Sweeter Than Bourbon which touches many bases but commendably refuses to settle on any of them: the REM of Murmur, Nada Surf in the wistful, falsetto melodiousness of Smile, the poppier end of The Pixies – the songs where Kim Deal sang harmonies and Frank Black didn't rupture his larynx –and even Curved Air on Clarity. Marks in particular is gorgeous– a circular fingerpicking pattern adorns the kind of warmly insular melody Elliott Smith made his name with. Thinking about it, if there is any earthly reason why Seneca should not be massively successful and revered by simply everyone everywhere, I'm yet to discover it. Their ideas are boundless and there is no deadweight on the album; every track is the equal of its predecessor."

GUESTLIST MAGAZINE - 'Sweeter Than Bourbon' Album Review

It has been a long time, probably since the Cranberries broke through, that a band from Ireland has made the kind of impact that Seneca is about to make on the US alternative/indie rock scene. The lead single from the album is the absolutely stunning, "Clarity". The song lyric focuses on the violence against women and is very well written. It is one of those songs that will hit your heart and more importantly bring a very real problem to the forefront. As you begin to dive into the album you find yourself smack in the middle of one of the best albums you have heard in recent times. The blending of Rob Hope and Yvonne Conaty's voices are what truly carries this record as the music kind of just accompanies the voices and lyrics throughout the album and serves more as a background than a driving force. Hope's hush styled delivery can easily be compared to Damien Rice in that it is just honest and passionate, while Conaty's backing vocals add a more haunting element at times ala Evanescence. If you are a looking for something a little bit more quieter than a lot of what is out there right now, carried mostly by great vocals and lyrics, with a lot more substance than your average alternative band, then Seneca is certainly one you will want to check out.

THE CLARE PEOPLE - Album Review

Tuesday, 22 September 2008

DON'T be fooled by very first impressions – Sweeter Than Bourbon is much much more than a simple, inoffensive folk/rock crossover. Infectiously tuneful, this debut is a beautifully polished gem which makes up tenfold for it's lack of any real back-of-the-throat cutting edge with a meticulously delicate ear for the song. Deceptively complex, the album draws liberally from a massive spectrum of genres and influences in constructing a wall of sound that is at once impregnable and translucent. At times reminiscent of very early REM Sweeter Than Bourbon is constantly leaning towards something real and earthy. 'Smile' and 'Playing Fair' are tracks born for radio, with all the heart and honesty to make them cult classics while 'Clarity' has all the angry polish of the Levelers at their furious, folkie best. If anything, the album suffers from being a little too polished. It is surely a grower but some of these songs would benefit from a little dirt in the machine that only a live performance can provide. 8/10

LIMERICK EVENT GUIDE - Album Review

July 2008

"Research now shows that the lack of natural talent is irrelevant to great success. The secret? Painful, demanding practice and hard work. ". My good friend Geoffrey Colvin, senior editor at Fortune Magazine on what it takes to successful. He could have been talking about Seneca but for one immutable fact, they have talent in spades. If hard work alone gets you places then they're going all the way and their debut album 'Sweeter Than Bourbon' is a testament to that hard work. It's an album way ahead of its years. June 13, 2008 saw the band release its second single 'Clarity', the first single 'Smile' released late last year made it to number 27 in the Irish charts. Insiders expect 'Clarity' to make an immediate impact on Irish radio and work it's way swiftly into the Top Ten on the charts. Capitalizing on the momentum generated in Ireland, Seneca is formalizing plans to release Sweeter Than Bourbon in the U.S. Tentative tour plans include a September 2008 start date for a tour to include Seattle, Portland, San Francisco and Los Angeles. As debut albums go, this one is as good as it gets. Seneca deserve top marks for giving us just that, top quality. I worry sometimes when an album has such an immediate feel-good effect that maybe it's to be short lived, wearing off all too quickly but 'Sweeter Than Bourbon' shows no signs of being a one trick pony and I expect this very tasty album will taste just as good next year and beyond. 5/5

CLARE CHAMPION - 'TAKING BOURBON TO THE BIG APPLE'

Friday, July 25 2008

BANDS like Seneca are few and far between. Consisting of Sixmilebridge man, Daragh O'Loughlin on drums, Mayo man Rob Hope on guitar and vocals, Galway woman Yvonne Conaty on bass and vocals, and Scariff man Brendan O'Gorman on lead guitar, the foursome are well on their way to making a name for themselves.

They cite Jeff Buckley, Tom Waits, Nick Drake, Bjork, The Smashing Pumpkins, and Radiohead as just a few of their many influences, but to be frank, they would wipe the floor with Bjork and put the Smashing Pumpkins well in the shade.

Our neighbours across the pond also appear to be investing the same faith in this musical outfit as the New York based Vermillion Media just recently signed the group to their roster of indie-music clients, describing them as "one of the most promising and talented Irish bands to have emerged in recent years".

Before Seneca pack up their instruments and head for the big stages of the Big Apple, the Liscannor-based group can often be found playing in Kenny's of Lahinch as they prepare for the upcoming tour. If you don't make it to one of their live performances then don't let the week pass without you getting your hands on their album Sweeter than Bourbon. In the initial stages of some of the album’s songs, there are airs of Snow Patrol and The Cranberries but just when you think you know the type of song you're listening to, the pace changes and you're left wanting to hear it again.

I would put good money on their song Sentimental Freak being used as the backing track for a film. It's incredibly edgy, added to by the faint sound of a beating heart towards the end. But just as you think this where the song comes to an end, the band blasts back into the chorus once again.

The instruments are so beautifully used in each song, that you automatically know it's not the result of digital mastering but pure flawless talent. The album sleeve contains the lyrics of all the songs and a read through them leaves you wondering about the story behind each one and whether or not they were inspired by a personal experience of the songwriter.

My personal favourite was the song Clarity. To be completely honest, since I got hold of the CD, for the hour and a half drive to work, that song has been on constant replay. When I initially heard the song, the first thing that hit me was the strength and depth of the emotion. This is a song you will want to hear over and over again.

Often it can be irritating when artists adopt an accent entirely different to their own. With Seneca, however, this is not the case. The lead singer's Irish accent is prevalent and not only does it add something extra to each song, it's a refreshing change from listening to artists trying to mimic their idols.

Sweeter than Bourbon is definitely worth a listen and if you happen to find yourself in Lahinch or some such venue where Seneca are playing, get yourself along.

LIMERICK INDEPENDENT - Album Review

Wednesday July 9 2008

The long-awaited debut album from Limerick four-piece Seneca is top-shelf stuff that comes oozing with spirited, sumptuous melodies and smooth, full-bodied lyrics.

'Sweeter Than Bourbon' is the sound of a band more concerned about the arts of song-craft and brewing up something special than they are about fitting into whatever musical trends are cool this month. Cool Seneca may not be, but the quartet comprised of Rob Hope on guitars and vocals; Yvonne Conaty on bass and vocals; Brendan O'Gorman on guitar; and Daragh O'Loughlin on drums, certainly make up for what they lack in cred with oodles of talent.

Seneca have been compared to the likes of Arcade Fire and Doves but their sound is far more mainstream and less experimentative. 'Sweeter Than Bourbon' is not the most original album you are likely to hear this year but it's one filled with endearing Irish-sounding anthems that are sure to have America in a swoon when Seneca head out there on tour later this summer...

The Limerick band possesses a penchant for the same kind of affecting and gushy melodies that did absolutely no harm for the likes of The Corrs, Damien Rice and our very own Cranberries in the States before them. Songs such as 'Smile', 'Sentimental Freak' and 'So Beautiful' are as Irish as Guinness or Aran sweaters. There is such an air of Emerald Isle mysticism about this record that it has dollar signs stamped all over it. 'Sweeter Than Bourbon' could be this year's 'O' or 'Everyone Else Is Doing It, So Why Can't We?'

Seneca have what it takes to be a huge commercial success and the proof of the pudding is in the fact that each and every one of the 13 tracks here is just asking to be snapped up by pony-tailed marketing execs for TV advert campaigns. That said, however, there is a depth and beauty to this album that eclipses the crass issue of monetary attainment.

A cross between Snow Patrol and Damien Rice, Seneca blend fluid guitars, propulsive drum beats and breathy female harmonies with frontman Rob Hope's agile and powerful vocals to deliver a sound that is guaranteed to have hairs standing on end. Lyrically the songs deal with dark and moody topics such as revenge ('Good For What Ails You'), loss ('Playing Fair') and even, domestic abuse ('Clarity'). The sombre tone of the lyrics combined with the dreamy and weepy feel of the music makes this one stirring and emotional-rollercoaster ride of a record that does exactly as it says on the tin.

SENECA ARE ALL SMILES
Limerick Indepenent, 12 September 2007

LIMERICK band Seneca will have good reason to be grinning like Cheshire cats when they take to the stage at Underground in Baker Place this Saturday, September 15 to promote their stunning new single 'Smile'. Comprised of Rob Hope on guitars and vocals, Yvonne Conaty on?bass and vocals, Brendan O'Gorman on guitar and Daragh O'Loughlin on drums, the local four-piece is without?question one of the?most promising and talented?Irish bands to have emerged in recent?years. By mixing Snow Patrol's anthemic and grandiose melodies with Damien Rice's heart-warming?and endearing lyrics,?Seneca have an indie yet commercial sound that screams for the same kind of international success as the aforementioned acts.

This is the band that really could be the next Cranberries!? After forming two years ago, Seneca won the Limerick heat of the Jack Daniels 'Hardest Working Band' Competition on their first ever live performance.? Since then they have opened shows for Republic of Loose and Director as well as having one of their songs - 'So Beautiful' - placed on the 'Ceol 2007' album, which put them in good company with established Irish acts such as Bell X1 and The Corrs.

The band have just completed their sensational debut album 'Sweeter Than Bourbon' which is due for release early next year and are now about to unleash their first single 'Smile' to give us a taste of the treats in store.

Influenced by song-smiths such as Jeff Buckley, Nick Drake, Tom Waits,?Paul Simon, Tim Buckley and Nick Cave, the band's talented songwriter Rob Hope is so prolific that he has already finished the songs for album number two - before their debut even sees the light of day.? "You have to try and keep ahead of yourself," Rob tells me at the band's rehearsal space in Mary Immaculate College.? "The first album was recorded over a year at Monolith Studios and a lot of the songs were written while we were recording.? It pretty much all came together while we were recording with the songs and the arrangements falling into place; it just seemed to happen that way,"?says the Seneca frontman.

The Limerick outfit that have been compared to alternative rock acts such as Doves and Arcade Fire have a definite Irish radio-friendly lilt to their music which could see them go down a storm across the pond.? It is this beguiling mix of indie guitars with an air of romantic Ireland looming underneath that makes Seneca a dead cert for greater things than just headlining slots at Whelan's in Dublin.? "If people hear that Irish sound in our music I would see that as a positive thing, but to be honest I don't hear it myself.? I suppose it could just simply be the fact that we are an Irish band.? The violinist that plays on some of the tracks on the album is a Dutch jazz violinist that wouldn't know the first thing about Irish traditional music so we definitely didn't set out to give that impression," Rob claims.? "The one band that have really helped us out the most over the last year or so are Kila, The guy who engineered our album, Mark Gavin, a lifelong friend of mine, has worked with members of Kila on solo projects over the years, so we got to know them through him.? Their music is a million miles away from ours but they are my favourite live band and they have been hugely supportive and given us some great advice.? They have been really helpful and we have got to know them really well.? They are a great bunch of people.

Seneca's debut single 'Smile' will be launched at Radio City in Dublin this Thursday and the band are preparing to head out on the road for a whirlwind tour of the country to promote this well-crafted and totally be-witching pop tune.? The local quartet will also be touring Ireland as part of the 'Limerick Breaks Out' Tour alongside some of the cities other more promising acts - The Fewer The Better, Walter Mitty and the Realists, and We Should Be Dead - in the coming weeks.? "I suppose our plans for the immediate future are to get as much publicity as we can and to try and get as many people as possible to hear our music.? We are just hoping that the first record will help us move on to bigger and better things in the future; rock stardom would be nice too," Rob admits with a playful grin.? Yes, Seneca are definitely a band who have lots to be smiling about at the moment and rock stardom could be on the menu sooner than they think.? These guys are not to be missed when they perform at the Underground in Baker Place this Saturday, September 15.? Trust me, you will leave beaming from ear to ear.