The Prayer Boat
Encyclopedia
The Prayer Boat are an Irish folk
/indie
band formed in 1987 in Blessington
, Co. Wicklow. Their name is derived from a Hindu
religious festival which takes place every year on the banks of the river Ganges where thousands of people burn incense and candles on small reed boat
s and float them down the river at night, the boats carrying their wishes and prayers. The Prayer Boat are a band who have endured a lot of misfortune in a commercial industry whose main priority is to sell records, often seeming to be 'out of time' with the contemporary music scene, whilst nevertheless achieving almost universal acclaim from music reviewers (see below).
After a short period of playing in local bars and clubs, The Prayer Boat had attracted a cult following in Dublin and two years of touring in Ireland
culminated in the release of the band's first single Beautiful History on their own label, Stem Records. The band began sending demo tapes to various record companies and eventually signed to RCA
in 1989. The Prayer Boat made festival appearances across Europe and toured with bands such as The Pogues
before releasing their debut album, Oceanic Feeling. The album received high praise and commendation from music journals but unfortunately sales were meagre.
However, the band were determined to keep trying, and they moved to Glasgow
in 1994, signing a deal with a new independent record label, Almo Sounds
. They released two EPs, Bury This Thing and Dark Green, following this by tour dates in London
, and an appearance in the acoustic tent at the 1995 Glastonbury Festival
.
Dark Green became a chart hit and also featured in the Top 20 Singles of the Year in the national music paper Hot Press. This was followed in 1996 by another single Saved, which also entered the charts and it looked as though the success for which The Prayer Boat had worked so hard was on the horizon when Almo Sounds folded.
Frontman Emmett Tinley
, realising that the quartet had probably gone as far as it was going to go in England
and Ireland, decided to try to generate some interest in The Prayer Boat in America, and rather than take the whole band over there, he went to New York
himself in 1997 and performed some solo gigs. The following year, he returned to Ireland with a number of newly-written songs which resulted in the making of the band's second album, Polichinelle. That spring, the band travelled to Austin
, Texas
where they performed at the annual South by Southwest
festival, a gig that got the group some long-deserved attention in the United States
. With the financial support of an American major record label, Tinley spent part of 1999 in Los Angeles
, but alas, the long hoped-for record deal failed to materialise.
Emmett had signed a contract with Sony
in the United States but the record company wanted him to remove some of the songs from Polichinelle and add more 'commercial' sounding tracks, which he was not prepared to do. Such faith and self-belief do credit to Tinley in an industry where unfortunately these qualities are often not rewarded. Sony, however, refused to release the album without the changes they had suggested and so another chance of possible stardom went awry.
However, Emmett Tinley was not a man to give up, and after much perseverance, The Prayer Boat finally released Polichinelle with Setanta Records
in 1999 in the UK and with Atlantic Records
in 2001 in the United States. It is this album which both critics and fans of The Prayer Boat think best represents the unique music of the band. Reviews from music journals were almost universally favourable, with critics particularly praising the beauty of Tinley's voice. Setanta Records said that 'Emmett could sing a nursery rhyme and make you cry', Billboard
magazine remarked that 'Tinley is a masterful composer with a lilting tenor voice that is reminiscent of Fran Healy
of Travis
' and Hot Press said, 'Emmett Tinley'[s]...
soaring vocals at times seem to be not of this world'.
The album Polichinelle as a whole was highly acclaimed by music journals. Top magazine said that it was 'Absolutely incandescent' and 'So consistently beautiful it could be displayed in a shop window'; NME
described it as 'quite stunning' and Billboard
voted it as its album of the year, saying that, 'this gorgeous set of intimate, meticulously crafted pop tunes was among the best albums to come across our desk this year.'
Emmett says of the album, 'Polichinelle doesn't pretend to be anything other than the loneliness and the urgency, the despair and the excitement of someone trying to run through life.'
As Tinley has now embarked upon a solo career, releasing his first album, Attic Faith in 2005, and only occasionally sees the other members of The Prayer Boat (with the exception of his brother Patrick) it remains doubtful whether the band will play together in the near future. However, this has never been ruled out, and fans of The Prayer Boat continue to remain steadfast in their loyalty to this highly talented Irish band.
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
/indie
Indie (music)
In music, independent music, often shortened to indie music or "indie" is a term used to describe independence from major commercial record labels or their subsidiaries, and an autonomous, Do-It-Yourself approach to recording and publishing....
band formed in 1987 in Blessington
Blessington
Blessington, historically known as Ballycomeen , is a town in County Wicklow, Ireland. It is located on the N81 road, which connects Dublin to Tullow.- History :...
, Co. Wicklow. Their name is derived from a Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
religious festival which takes place every year on the banks of the river Ganges where thousands of people burn incense and candles on small reed boat
Reed boat
Reed boats and rafts, along with dugout canoes and other rafts, are among the oldest known types of boats. Often used as traditional fishing boats, they are still used in a few places around the world, though they have generally been replaced with planked boats. Reed boats can be distinguished from...
s and float them down the river at night, the boats carrying their wishes and prayers. The Prayer Boat are a band who have endured a lot of misfortune in a commercial industry whose main priority is to sell records, often seeming to be 'out of time' with the contemporary music scene, whilst nevertheless achieving almost universal acclaim from music reviewers (see below).
After a short period of playing in local bars and clubs, The Prayer Boat had attracted a cult following in Dublin and two years of touring in Ireland
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...
culminated in the release of the band's first single Beautiful History on their own label, Stem Records. The band began sending demo tapes to various record companies and eventually signed to RCA
RCA
RCA Corporation, founded as the Radio Corporation of America, was an American electronics company in existence from 1919 to 1986. The RCA trademark is currently owned by the French conglomerate Technicolor SA through RCA Trademark Management S.A., a company owned by Technicolor...
in 1989. The Prayer Boat made festival appearances across Europe and toured with bands such as The Pogues
The Pogues
The Pogues are a Celtic punk band, formed in 1982 and fronted by Shane MacGowan. The band reached international prominence in the 1980s and early 1990s. MacGowan left the band in 1991 due to drinking problems but the band continued first with Joe Strummer and then with Spider Stacy on vocals before...
before releasing their debut album, Oceanic Feeling. The album received high praise and commendation from music journals but unfortunately sales were meagre.
However, the band were determined to keep trying, and they moved to Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
in 1994, signing a deal with a new independent record label, Almo Sounds
Almo Sounds
Almo Sounds is a record label which was started in 1994 by Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss after they sold A&M Records to PolyGram. The intent of the label was to recreate the initial concept of A&M Records as a small, "boutique" label....
. They released two EPs, Bury This Thing and Dark Green, following this by tour dates in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, and an appearance in the acoustic tent at the 1995 Glastonbury Festival
Glastonbury Festival
The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, commonly abbreviated to Glastonbury or even Glasto, is a performing arts festival that takes place near Pilton, Somerset, England, best known for its contemporary music, but also for dance, comedy, theatre, circus, cabaret and other arts.The...
.
Dark Green became a chart hit and also featured in the Top 20 Singles of the Year in the national music paper Hot Press. This was followed in 1996 by another single Saved, which also entered the charts and it looked as though the success for which The Prayer Boat had worked so hard was on the horizon when Almo Sounds folded.
Frontman Emmett Tinley
Emmett Tinley
Emmett Tinley is a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, best known as frontman for the folk/indie band, The Prayer Boat and later for his solo work. He was born in the United States in Chicago, but was raised in Ireland. He has travelled extensively and lived in many different places,...
, realising that the quartet had probably gone as far as it was going to go in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and Ireland, decided to try to generate some interest in The Prayer Boat in America, and rather than take the whole band over there, he went to New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
himself in 1997 and performed some solo gigs. The following year, he returned to Ireland with a number of newly-written songs which resulted in the making of the band's second album, Polichinelle. That spring, the band travelled to Austin
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
where they performed at the annual South by Southwest
South by Southwest
South by Southwest is an Austin, Texas based company dedicated to planning conferences, trade shows, festivals and other events. Their current roster of annual events include: SXSW Music, SXSW Film, SXSW Interactive, SXSWedu, and SXSWeco and take place every spring in Austin, Texas, United States...
festival, a gig that got the group some long-deserved attention in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. With the financial support of an American major record label, Tinley spent part of 1999 in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, but alas, the long hoped-for record deal failed to materialise.
Emmett had signed a contract with Sony
Sony
, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
in the United States but the record company wanted him to remove some of the songs from Polichinelle and add more 'commercial' sounding tracks, which he was not prepared to do. Such faith and self-belief do credit to Tinley in an industry where unfortunately these qualities are often not rewarded. Sony, however, refused to release the album without the changes they had suggested and so another chance of possible stardom went awry.
However, Emmett Tinley was not a man to give up, and after much perseverance, The Prayer Boat finally released Polichinelle with Setanta Records
Setanta Records
Setanta Records is a UK Independent record label. The label was at the forefront of the indie Irish music scene in the late eighties and nineties as itchampioned young Irish groups.-History:...
in 1999 in the UK and with Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
in 2001 in the United States. It is this album which both critics and fans of The Prayer Boat think best represents the unique music of the band. Reviews from music journals were almost universally favourable, with critics particularly praising the beauty of Tinley's voice. Setanta Records said that 'Emmett could sing a nursery rhyme and make you cry', Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
magazine remarked that 'Tinley is a masterful composer with a lilting tenor voice that is reminiscent of Fran Healy
Francis Healy
Francis "Fran" Healy is a Scottish musician. He is currently the lead singer and main songwriter of the Scottish band Travis, having written nearly all of the songs on their six studio albums. He is based in Berlin, Germany...
of Travis
Travis (band)
Travis are a post-Britpop band from Glasgow, Scotland, comprising Fran Healy , Dougie Payne , Andy Dunlop and Neil Primrose...
' and Hot Press said, 'Emmett Tinley'[s]...
soaring vocals at times seem to be not of this world'.
The album Polichinelle as a whole was highly acclaimed by music journals. Top magazine said that it was 'Absolutely incandescent' and 'So consistently beautiful it could be displayed in a shop window'; NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
described it as 'quite stunning' and Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
voted it as its album of the year, saying that, 'this gorgeous set of intimate, meticulously crafted pop tunes was among the best albums to come across our desk this year.'
Emmett says of the album, 'Polichinelle doesn't pretend to be anything other than the loneliness and the urgency, the despair and the excitement of someone trying to run through life.'
As Tinley has now embarked upon a solo career, releasing his first album, Attic Faith in 2005, and only occasionally sees the other members of The Prayer Boat (with the exception of his brother Patrick) it remains doubtful whether the band will play together in the near future. However, this has never been ruled out, and fans of The Prayer Boat continue to remain steadfast in their loyalty to this highly talented Irish band.
Albums
- Oceanic Feeling - 1991 / BMGBMGBertelsmann Music Group, , was a division of Bertelsmann before its completion of sale of the majority of its assets to Japan's Sony Corporation of America on October 1, 2008. It was established in 1987 to combine the music label activities of Bertelsmann...
/RCARCARCA Corporation, founded as the Radio Corporation of America, was an American electronics company in existence from 1919 to 1986. The RCA trademark is currently owned by the French conglomerate Technicolor SA through RCA Trademark Management S.A., a company owned by Technicolor... - PolichinellePolichinellePolichinelle is French for the Commedia dell'arte character Pulcinella.It may also refer to:*Polichinelle , 2001 The Prayer Boat album*Polichinelle, 1962 Edith Piaf song from album Les Amants De Teruel*Polichinelle, 1967 France Gall song...
- 1998 / Invisible RecordsInvisible RecordsInvisible Records is a Chicago based record label founded by Martin Atkins to support and distribute the works of artists who preferred to work with a smaller, artist driven label.-Artist Roster:* Ashtrayhead* Attrition* Bagman* Bizarre Sex Trio...
/1999 SetantaSetantaSetanta can mean:* The given name of the Irish mythological figure Cúchulainn* Setanta Sports, Ireland-based international television sports channel**Setanta Sports USA, defunct version of the above that broadcast in the US and Caribbean from 2005–2010...
/2001 AtlanticAtlantic RecordsAtlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz... - Attic FaithAttic FaithAttic Faith is Emmett Tinley's first full-length solo album, released on April 15, 2005 on Independent records.-Track listing:-External links:**...
- 2005 / Independent Records (Solo album - Emmett Tinley)
Singles / EPs
- Beautiful History - 1989 / Stem Records / Single
- The Upside Down EP - 1990 / BMG/RCA / EP
- Dark Green - 1995 / Almo SoundsAlmo SoundsAlmo Sounds is a record label which was started in 1994 by Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss after they sold A&M Records to PolyGram. The intent of the label was to recreate the initial concept of A&M Records as a small, "boutique" label....
/ EP - Bury This Thing - 1995 / Almo Sounds / EP
- Saved - 1996 / Invisible Records / Single
- Slow Down - 1999 / Invisible Records / Single
Band members
- Emmett TinleyEmmett TinleyEmmett Tinley is a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, best known as frontman for the folk/indie band, The Prayer Boat and later for his solo work. He was born in the United States in Chicago, but was raised in Ireland. He has travelled extensively and lived in many different places,...
: vocals, guitars, piano, hammond organ & keyboards - Patrick Tinley: electric & acoustic guitars
- Tony Byrne: bass guitar
- Tim Houlihan: drums