Flogging Molly is a seven-piece Irish American Celtic punk band that formed in Los Angeles, California and is currently signed to SideOneDummy Records.
... Flogging Molly is a seven-piece Irish American Celtic punk band that formed in Los Angeles, California and is currently signed to SideOneDummy Records.
History:
Early years:
Prior to forming Flogging Molly, Dave King was the vocalist for heavy metal band Fastway featuring guitarist "Fast" Eddie Clarke of Motörhead in the early to mid 80's. He later fronted a hard rock band called Katmandu (1991), featuring Mandy Meyer of Krokus on guitars. Afterwards, Dave King retained a record deal with Epic records and began to work on a solo album, but began to reconsider his record deal when the label opposed his idea of bringing in traditional Irish instruments. King negotiated out of his record deal to go his own way musically soon after.
In 1993, King met guitarist Ted Hutt, bassist Jeff Peters, and fiddle player Bridget Regan and put together a rock band with a celtic feel. They played a Los Angeles pub called Molly Malones for a couple of years building a small, but loyal following. Together they wrote songs such as Devil's Dance Floor and Black Friday Rule, which was the beginning of Flogging Molly's unique sound. Ted and Jeff then left Flogging Molly because a prior band of theirs received a record deal. Dave and Bridget then began to meet the new members and the current band was formed.
They continued a routine of playing every Monday night at Molly Malone's. According to an interview with SuicideGirls.com, then 17-year old Nathen Maxwell sneaked into a show as a fan and soon after joined the band. They put out a live album, Alive Behind the Green Door in 1997. In an interview with Kerrang! magazine, King stated that the band's name comes from the bar (Molly Malone's) that faithfully supported the band from the very beginning, "We used to play there every Monday night and we felt like we were flogging it to death, so we called the band Flogging Molly." They were signed onto SideOneDummy Records after a show when the record company's owners attended a concert and noted their intensity.
Career:
Flogging Molly has released an independent (26f Records) live album titled Alive Behind the Green Door, as well as four studio albums: Swagger, Drunken Lullabies, Within a Mile of Home, and Float; and an acoustic/live DVD/cd combo Whiskey on a Sunday. They have toured with the Warped Tour, Larry Kirwan's American Fléadh Festival and contributed to the Rock Against Bush project. They have sold in excess of a million and a half copies of recorded output as of December 6, 2006.
On March 13, 2007, the band released an exclusive EP through iTunes entitled Complete Control Sessions. The EP includes two new tracks, as well as acoustic versions of previously released songs. On December 3, 2007 the band announced through an e-mail to their subscribers that their upcoming album would be called Float.
On March 4, 2008 Flogging Molly released Float, an album dubbed "One of the most important CDs of the year, if not the decade" by Alternative Press. Flogging Molly also recognized the album as influential to their career as their first album recorded in Ireland (though mixed in California) by producer Ryan Hewitt. Fans met the release with great anticipation and enthusiasm, landing it at #4 on the Billboard Top 200 Chart. This release marks the highest chart position for SideOneDummy and the Celtic Punk genre in general. The album includes the band's first two chart singles, "Requiem for a Dying Song" which hit #35 on the Billboard Modern Rock charts and "Float" which hit #40 on the same chart.
While touring to support Float, Dave and Bridget were married in a private ceremony in Tokyo, Japan.
Musical style:
Flogging Molly's music is influenced by bands such as The Pogues, The Dubliners, Stiff Little Fingers, and The Clash. Dave King says the Pogues were a huge influence. The album Within a Mile of Home is dedicated to Joe Strummer and Johnny Cash.
Their music ranges from boisterous celtic punk, like the pirate-themed "Salty Dog", "Cruel Mistress", and "Seven Deadly Sins", or the defiant "What's Left of the Flag", "Drunken Lullabies", and "Rebels of the Sacred Heart" to more sombre songs like "Far Away Boys", "The Son Never Shines (On Closed Doors)", and "Float." Lyrics typically touch on subjects such as Ireland and its history, drinking, politics, love, death, and include several references to the Roman Catholic Church.
Within a Mile of Home