The link is in German. The page has a translation link for Google, but those unable to do that, this is the translation pasted below.
The High Kings - A balancing act between tradition and modernity
4 October 2013 by Andreas Winkelsträter
They are the most popular Irish folk band on stage and play together up to 13 instruments: The High Kings. Here are their own voices with which they sing their own songs as well as the Irish traditionals in perfect harmony, not even counted. SOUND FIELD spoke with Darren Holden about the upcoming tour of Germany and the new album "Friends for Life", the on Friday, 4th October appears.
"The High Kings" have already celebrated great success in Ireland and the United States. How did it all start?
Darren Holden: Back then, we all four got a call today our manager Dave Kavanagh. We knew him because he was also the manager of Clanned: was (note Irish band). And he was with Paul McGuiness in the management of U2 in the early days. Dave had the idea. to create a completely new folk and ballad band in the Celtic tradition for the new millennium. All this for a whole new generation of listeners. I lived at the time in New York, just my four-year commitment to Billy Joel's "The Pianoman" had ended on Broadway. In June 2007, I flew to Ireland to meet. There I also met Brian Dunphy. Brian and I were together in Riverdance on Broadway and have toured together a few years traveling the world. I thought it was wonderful that he was there. Because Dave's idea of the new band was awesome. Finbarr Clancy and Martin Furey are the other two of our quartet.
And then it went off very quickly?
Darren Holden: Yeah, we started very quickly with the samples. We were immediately on the same wavelength - both musically and personally. It felt everything so fresh and new. That was great. Everything was as we would work together for a long time. We wanted to bring nothing stale. Just as the Dubliners, for example, in the 1960s. We wanted something new, and quickly as possible. And in a short time have been able to convince the EMI in Ireland and in the USA by our idea and get a contract. In March 2008, we have then already released our first album.
And you were equally successful ...
Darren Holden: Yeah, that was an incredible success. Thus we have can not be expected. We are entered directly into the U.S. in the world music charts on the 2nd place. We have huge festivals played in front of thousands of people in England and Ireland. And then we decided that it must go on, that we stay together. We want like to expand as long as it is running. And it seems as run all still excellent.
The band's name is "High Kings". Who had the idea and meaning of the name?
Darren Holden: That was our manager. He wanted to celebrate that we are all High Kings in Ireland and strains of royal descent in our country. The High Kings come from all four directions. And Dave picked us also at four different corners of the world. It is basically a name that stands for a lot of power, has many cross-connections to Irish music and culture. We want to maintain the tradition of Irish music despite the changes. And as our name fits perfectly. We are now the new generation of High Kings, the tackle it now and it drives forward.
In Ireland, there are a lot of successful folk band. Was there not a risk to start with something completely new?
Darren Holden: Of course, when you start something like this in Ireland in the folk area, so that a risk is always connected. How far someone is willing to take the risk to each is left to itself. Therefore we were very careful in the beginning, to remove us from the not too far, what the purists want. We were not allowed to break up between us and the many traditional bands the band. But honestly, I can not really properly describe how we the people have welcomed here with open arms here in Ireland. Of course, there is always the risk that certain groups do not like you and you do not welcome as a new ballad group. Because many of the ballads are built on nostalgia and things that have happened in the past. But we could not be happier with all the many positive reactions.
Why the High Kings are just now coming to Germany?
Darren Holden: Last year it was a happy coincidence that we were on a short tour, ten dates in Germany. Over the Internet or even Facebook have figured out the dates the German fans. And, it's hard to believe that all shows were sold out. Completely. We do not know how all this could happen. We started in Berlin. The church was packed to the rafters. And it was even better. Now it is time to release an album of new material in Germany with us.
New album "Friends for Life" from 4 October
On 4 October, the new album "Friends for Life" appears. Can you tell me something about working on the album?
Darren Holden: We decided one and a half years ago, record a new album. And as we were keen for the Irish accordionist Sharon Shannon. With it we went into the studio together. And really, we were not satisfied with our songs that we had there in the studio. And I think I was even's, who simply plays a traditional song, I think "Oh. Maggie, "the first song on our new album. That's what I've been working for some time, because my mother's name is Maggie. And I wanted to write a song with her name. Sharon has fell in love with the song. And then the other three guys came and worked on the harmonies. And very quickly we had arranged our first traditional song. And Sharon wanted more of this kind of music. And we have a lot of material, since we all write. And we have selected the best of the. We have eight of the songs on the album and packed four elderly. So we kept the balance between tradition and modernity.
You are now particularly excited because it is the first album in Germany?
Darren Holden: You're always nervous. But that is always positive for me. The anticipation of Germany outweighs with me. Germany, which is a huge market for us. I look forward to this challenge now for us to expect one of the largest music markets in the world. The other boys. With hard work and Irish luck, we'll make it
"Our fans are friends for life"
The name means "Friends for Life": Do you think that the fans who have heard the High Kings once, be friends for life?
Darren Holden: Most certainly. One hundred per cent. We have many intimate connections with our fans, which we have since our founding, and also to those who are only our followers recently. And many of these contacts have now become friends. We remain as best we can, with all in contact. And with Facebook we've got a whole new dimension. That makes things a lot easier - and the global.
And now you are preparing for the tour in Germany?
Darren Holden: We have already started in Ireland with advertising. In the last week we were in the famous Irish TV show. In Ireland, the album is already on the market. And it is already in the TOP 10 Now we are in the studio and rehearse the new songs for about five days. On 5 October we start the UK tour. And from there it's off to Germany directly. And we are very pleased. We are already really excited.
What will you play in Germany?
Darren Holden: This will be a mix of our three studio albums. We will select two of the older albums, what we consider to be the most famous pieces. And with the pieces of "Friends for Life" we will tinker it a two-hour show. But I can already tell there are also some surprises, songs that are not on the albums. I think that we have a large body with the material from three albums. Most of our German fans know the lyrics of our songs au of the first two albums. And now the challenge is to learn the lyrics of the brand new Album (laughs).
Interview with Darren and Finbarr for www.tz-online.ie
The interview is again in German, but we have the following translation with courtesy of Thomas Loffal. Thanks Thomas.
The High Kings in Interview, TZ Munich
8th October 2013
Munich -
The most popular Folkband of Ireland is playing at the "Freiheizhalle"
at October the 16th. Darren Holden and Finbarr Clancy talk about
Fan-Love, Passion and the Future.
For all those who still do not know you, would you describe yourself please.
Darren: The High Kings are: Darren Holden, Brian Dunphy, Finbarr Clancy
and Martin Furey. We came together 2007, when our Manager Dave Kavanagh
presented to us the idea, to join all together to found a brandnew
Celtic-Group for the new Millenium. We all knew each other before, but
I´d worked together only with Brian Dunphy until then, in New York City
for "Riverdance on Broadway". We felt "Good Vibes" from the first moment
on. Nevertheless, it was the first time, that we were playing and
singing all together as a group and ´t was great luck that audience all
over the World loved that and gave us a very warm welcome with wide
opened arms.
Finbarr: Additional to that, we´re all children of
musicians. I am the son of Bobby Clancy, from the famous folkgroup: The
Clancy Brothers & Tommy Makem. Martin is the son of Finbar Furey,
who was member of: The Furey Brothers & Davey Arthur. Brian´s father
was Seán Dunphy, who was representing Ireland 1967 at the Eurovision
Song Contest and Darrens great-grandfather was a famous piper on the
Isle. We can say, music was layed in the cradle for all of us.
And what kind of music is it exactely, that you play as such "natural born" musicians?
Darren: The High Kings revitalized this special kind of classical,
traditional music which is so typical for Ireland. While staying very
close to the original versions of the songs we grew with the music. Our
intention was to let them sound fresher and more modern, to generate
interest for this kind of music in a new generation, even by the
younger people.
Finbarr: To make it simple: The High Kings are
playing so called "Irish Folk" in a modern way and additional to that
our Original Songs, written by ourselves, like you can listen on our new
album "Friends for Life".
From which side did you get the greatest support and influence at the start of your carreer as a group?
Darren: The irish Entertainment legend Shay Healy was our coach in the
beginning. He helped us to get into the history of the songs and the
songwriters and he was was it who reminded us at the rich variety of the
art and music we would gonna perform all over the world. He was, and
still is a valuable benefit for the High Kings. And he has always one or
two great jokes in stock!
Finbarr: It´s thanks to Shay that I
joined the High Kings. He was the first contacting me when the Band was
formed! Thanks to You, Shay!
You had very loyal fans, right from the start of the Group. What was your most impressing experience with them?
Finbarr: Most impressing for me are our friends from Bavaria, Thomas
and Karin Loffel. They travelled in the past, parallel to our tours,
through Ireland and Germany, and they even came to London when we were
showcasing our own new material for our new album. Thomas made straps
for our instruments and Karin was baking cakes, cookies and more for us.
They are wonderful and we love them! (Thanks Finbarr, you embarrassing
us, have a red head, but thanks from the heart!)
Darren: It
difficult for me, to pick out only one single moment, because we are
always thrilled by the enthusiasm and the attention of all our fans -
at home, like all over the world. They have little gifts for us, like
T-Shirts and Sweets. They invent even a High Kings Beer, that was in
Germany again, by the way. Great Thanks to "T&K", in this sense.
What I´m trying to say, our fans are the very best reason for us to keep
on going every time, because they give us all their appreciation, all
the time.
You all together play 13 different instruments. Wow!
With such a wide variety, how do you decide which ones you gonna use in
your new compositions? And is there a kind of "Basic-Instrument", you
usually start with?
Darren: For usual, we know intuitively which
instruments harmonize best with the songs. I think, that results on the
fact that we know each other quite well musically and we the special way
each of us sounds with his instrument. It´s just a little bit crazy,
how it does everything by itself, when we work together.
Finbarr: To
answer on your second question: I write my songs for usual with an
acoustic Guitar, that´s my main instrument. I play Banjo, Bass Guitar
and Flute too, but in my eyes, the Guitar is a very versatile insrument,
quite handy for composing songs. My own creative process starts
normally with a chord sequence and the rhythm, then follows the tune for
the singing and finally I do the lyrics. But sometimes I do it the
other way, many songwriters start with the lyrics, everybody has it´s
own way of doing this.
After your first album you changed from
Stage-Acting-Style to a "re-energized folkgroup" (OMG, wonder where he
did get these terms?). Where will you see the the High Kings at the
next step of evolution?
Darren: I think we did a lot for revival of
the comecial Irish Folk Music - in Ireland, in the USA and beyond. But
we worked as well bringin in our own special style into this genre. Doin
so, since we have already achieved a lot. With our new album "Friends
for Life" we extended the limits again, by recording eight
original-songs. I think we simply needed and wanted that, to set targets
on a high level in within Irish Folk Music. The results, in our eyes,
are very promising and encouraging.
Finbarr: That´s right, I´m the
same opinion, that the next step is the way of the original-songs.
"Friends for Life" is our first step into this direction. We had a lot
of fun to work on our own compositions. Every single step on the songs -
the thinking up, the arrangement, the recording and mixing - that´s all
very satisfying and worthwhile. I think it was only a question of time
to release our own compositions, cause all four of us are song-writers.
Considering this development: Where would you like to see yourself in 5 years?
Finbarr: That´s easy! We would like to see ourselves as an established
institution of music in Europe, the USA, Australia and at every place
where the people would love to listen to our music! I wish to have so
much fun further on and to bring new and innovative music to a fan base,
interested in it.
