The Pale (band)
Encyclopedia
The Pale are an Irish
band of varying genres including: eastern European, reggae, ska, bluegrass, world music, and pop.
They were formed in Dublin in 1990 with Matthew Devereux on vocals, Shane Wearen on mandolin
, Sean Molloy on Bass
, and a drum machine
. They released an award-winning debut album on A&M Records
in 1992 called Here's One We Made Earlier. The debut album and live shows received critical praise internationally. The single
s from that debut Dogs With No Tails, Butterfly, and Shut Up Venus did well in both Ireland and the UK.
The highest chart positions came in Turkey
, Israel
and France
, and have given rise to successful cover versions of their songs released in Turkey. As the group have toured they have added and subtracted instruments and players to the line-up. The mainstay of the group has remained the sound conjured up by Matthew and Shane - one of ethnic fusion.
Over the years The Pale have recorded five live sessions for RTE Radio
and a further two for BBC
radio. They have been featured on a compilation called Ceol 06, which they re-recorded their single Butterfly in their native Irish
for Ceol 06. In 2007, they appeared on the successor to Ceol 06 (titled Ceol 07) with an Irish language version of their song Elizabeth In Rags.
The band's current lineup consists of:
Matthew Devereux - Vocals, Guitar
Shane Wearen - Mandolin
, Fiddle
, Bouzouki
Darren Flynn - Bass Guitar
Aidan O'Grady - Drums
Andy O'Brien - Keyboards
The Pale - Brief Biog http://www.thepale.ie
The Pale hail from Dublin and formed in 1990. The Pale had a unique and unusual style from the very beginning. The vocal, mandolin, drum machine, bass, and acoustic guitar lineup of The Pale had a very individual approach to songwriting, to say the least . That year The Pale recorded a mini album called "Why Go Bald?" which grabbed the attention of both the public and record companies alike. On receiving modest funding from U2 manager Paul McGuinness The Pale recorded a mini album called "The Happy Ring House". Both titles for the The Pale records were taken from famous neon signs in Dublin. The Pale played with determination to promote both of these early records and soon grew into an act with a good live reputation.
In 1992 The Pale released an award-winning debut album called "Here's one we made earlier" on A&M Records. This debut full length album was an essentially compilation of the "Why Go Bald?"and "The Happy Ring House" mini albums. The debut album and conseqeunt international live shows were warmly received. Three singles from this debut soon followed "Dogs With No Tails" "Butterfly" and "Shut Up Venus". The song "Dogs With No Tails" had another lease of life in 2001 when a Turkish Ska band called Athena released a version which became a hit for a second time in Turkey. "Butterfly" also lived another day recently when it appeared in Irish as "Féileacán" on the "Ceol '06" Compilation .
The music The Pale produce together is often both accessible and difficult to describe. Some new descriptive terms have been invented over the years just to try describe the band such as "Punkranian""Polk" and "Zoukibilly". You will certainly remember the sound of The Pale, once you hear it.
Over the years The Pale have collaborated with a great number of different musicians with their main strength been a willingness to think outside the box.. Fast forward to the present day and The Pale are still very much an active and productive band. The last album The Pale they recorded was called "The Contents Of a Shipwreck" and was released on 1969 Records in 2007. Two singles have been released from this album "Elizabeth in Rags" and "The New Resistance". "Elizabeth in Rags" has also appeared in Irish as "Elizabeth Sna Bratóga! " on the "Ceol '07" Compilation .
Here is what some reviews had to say about "The Contents of a Shipwreck"...
"The Contents Of A Shipwreck is a welcome return by an oft missed, much needed band" John Brereton
"File under Welcome Back" Jackie Hayden
"As comebacks go, then, The Contents Of A Shipwreck is one of constant, delightful surprise" Eamon de Paor
"The Pale are back with a new album that adds even more to their reputation" Stephen Rapid
A brand new single entitled "Chocolate Factory" b/w “Lady Gregory” has recently been released as a free download from www.thepale.ie and www.myspace.com/thepaleie. Classic Pale, in both its quirkiness and pop sensibility. The track is also available in limited CD format from the shop on the 1969 Record site (www.1969records.com) and through Road Records. This single is taken from the new forthcoming Pale album "Proper Order" which is due for release in early May 2008. The Pale also plan a second single before the release of the new album.
Here is what Hot Press Magazine had to say about the new single...
The Pale "Chocolate Factory" (1969 Records) "An exotic Mediterranean flavour permeates this catchy little acoustic ditty from the always-enjoyable Pale. After a well-received return last year with "The Contents Of A Shipwreck", it seems yet more new material is in the works - and if this single is anything to go by, we could be in the middle of something of a golden age for Pale fanatics" Stephen Errity, Hot Press
Here is what 1969 Records had to say about The Pale recently...
"There are also rumours of a collection of Pale music and tracks for later on in the year. As anyone who has seen the recent live shows will know, there is still a great affection for earlier tracks and notwithstanding the long unavailability of these tracks on CD, this is something that the band are hoping to address in the coming months, as well as including some rare material" Daragh Bohan, 1969 Records.
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
band of varying genres including: eastern European, reggae, ska, bluegrass, world music, and pop.
They were formed in Dublin in 1990 with Matthew Devereux on vocals, Shane Wearen on mandolin
Mandolin
A mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single...
, Sean Molloy on Bass
Bass (instrument)
Bass describes musical instruments that produce tones in the low-pitched range. They belong to different families of instruments and can cover a wide range of musical roles...
, and a drum machine
Drum machine
A drum machine is an electronic musical instrument designed to imitate the sound of drums or other percussion instruments. They are used in a variety of musical genres, not just purely electronic music...
. They released an award-winning debut album on A&M Records
A&M Records
A&M Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that operates under the mantle of its Interscope-Geffen-A&M division.-Beginnings:...
in 1992 called Here's One We Made Earlier. The debut album and live shows received critical praise internationally. The single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
s from that debut Dogs With No Tails, Butterfly, and Shut Up Venus did well in both Ireland and the UK.
The highest chart positions came in Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, and have given rise to successful cover versions of their songs released in Turkey. As the group have toured they have added and subtracted instruments and players to the line-up. The mainstay of the group has remained the sound conjured up by Matthew and Shane - one of ethnic fusion.
Over the years The Pale have recorded five live sessions for RTE Radio
RTÉ Radio 1
RTÉ Radio 1 is the principal radio channel of Irish public-service broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann and is the direct descendant of Dublin radio station 2RN, which began broadcasting on a regular basis on 1 January 1926...
and a further two for BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
radio. They have been featured on a compilation called Ceol 06, which they re-recorded their single Butterfly in their native Irish
Irish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
for Ceol 06. In 2007, they appeared on the successor to Ceol 06 (titled Ceol 07) with an Irish language version of their song Elizabeth In Rags.
Members
As the group have toured they have added and subtracted instruments and players to the line-up. The mainstay of the group has remained to be the unique sound conjured up by Matthew and Shane.The band's current lineup consists of:
Matthew Devereux - Vocals, Guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
Shane Wearen - Mandolin
Mandolin
A mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single...
, Fiddle
Fiddle
The term fiddle may refer to any bowed string musical instrument, most often the violin. It is also a colloquial term for the instrument used by players in all genres, including classical music...
, Bouzouki
Bouzouki
The bouzouki , is a musical instrument with Greek origin in the lute family. A mainstay of modern Greek music, the front of the body is flat and is usually heavily inlaid with mother-of-pearl. The instrument is played with a plectrum and has a sharp metallic sound, reminiscent of a mandolin but...
Darren Flynn - Bass Guitar
Bassist
A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
Aidan O'Grady - Drums
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
Andy O'Brien - Keyboards
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
The Pale - Brief Biog http://www.thepale.ie
The Pale hail from Dublin and formed in 1990. The Pale had a unique and unusual style from the very beginning. The vocal, mandolin, drum machine, bass, and acoustic guitar lineup of The Pale had a very individual approach to songwriting, to say the least . That year The Pale recorded a mini album called "Why Go Bald?" which grabbed the attention of both the public and record companies alike. On receiving modest funding from U2 manager Paul McGuinness The Pale recorded a mini album called "The Happy Ring House". Both titles for the The Pale records were taken from famous neon signs in Dublin. The Pale played with determination to promote both of these early records and soon grew into an act with a good live reputation.
In 1992 The Pale released an award-winning debut album called "Here's one we made earlier" on A&M Records. This debut full length album was an essentially compilation of the "Why Go Bald?"and "The Happy Ring House" mini albums. The debut album and conseqeunt international live shows were warmly received. Three singles from this debut soon followed "Dogs With No Tails" "Butterfly" and "Shut Up Venus". The song "Dogs With No Tails" had another lease of life in 2001 when a Turkish Ska band called Athena released a version which became a hit for a second time in Turkey. "Butterfly" also lived another day recently when it appeared in Irish as "Féileacán" on the "Ceol '06" Compilation .
The music The Pale produce together is often both accessible and difficult to describe. Some new descriptive terms have been invented over the years just to try describe the band such as "Punkranian""Polk" and "Zoukibilly". You will certainly remember the sound of The Pale, once you hear it.
Over the years The Pale have collaborated with a great number of different musicians with their main strength been a willingness to think outside the box.. Fast forward to the present day and The Pale are still very much an active and productive band. The last album The Pale they recorded was called "The Contents Of a Shipwreck" and was released on 1969 Records in 2007. Two singles have been released from this album "Elizabeth in Rags" and "The New Resistance". "Elizabeth in Rags" has also appeared in Irish as "Elizabeth Sna Bratóga! " on the "Ceol '07" Compilation .
Here is what some reviews had to say about "The Contents of a Shipwreck"...
"The Contents Of A Shipwreck is a welcome return by an oft missed, much needed band" John Brereton
"File under Welcome Back" Jackie Hayden
"As comebacks go, then, The Contents Of A Shipwreck is one of constant, delightful surprise" Eamon de Paor
"The Pale are back with a new album that adds even more to their reputation" Stephen Rapid
A brand new single entitled "Chocolate Factory" b/w “Lady Gregory” has recently been released as a free download from www.thepale.ie and www.myspace.com/thepaleie. Classic Pale, in both its quirkiness and pop sensibility. The track is also available in limited CD format from the shop on the 1969 Record site (www.1969records.com) and through Road Records. This single is taken from the new forthcoming Pale album "Proper Order" which is due for release in early May 2008. The Pale also plan a second single before the release of the new album.
Here is what Hot Press Magazine had to say about the new single...
The Pale "Chocolate Factory" (1969 Records) "An exotic Mediterranean flavour permeates this catchy little acoustic ditty from the always-enjoyable Pale. After a well-received return last year with "The Contents Of A Shipwreck", it seems yet more new material is in the works - and if this single is anything to go by, we could be in the middle of something of a golden age for Pale fanatics" Stephen Errity, Hot Press
Here is what 1969 Records had to say about The Pale recently...
"There are also rumours of a collection of Pale music and tracks for later on in the year. As anyone who has seen the recent live shows will know, there is still a great affection for earlier tracks and notwithstanding the long unavailability of these tracks on CD, this is something that the band are hoping to address in the coming months, as well as including some rare material" Daragh Bohan, 1969 Records.
Discography
- Why Go Bald (Mini LP) - 1990
- Happy Ring House (Mini LP) - 1991
- Here's One We Made Earlier - 1992
- Dogs With No Tails (E.P Single) - 1992 (IRE #23)
- Butterfly (Single) - 1992 (IRE #16)
- Shut Up Venus (Single) - 1992
- Ripe - 1994
- Spudgun - 1996
- Lonely Space Age - 2002
- The Final Garden - EP - 2006
- The Contents of a Shipwreck - 2007
- Elizabeth In Rags (Single) - 2007
- The New Resistance (Single) - 2007
- Proper Order - 2009