Flogging Molly - The Sound of Past and Present

The band form by seven musicians set to make a breakthrough with their unique blend of Irish and punk rock sound into their music.

Start to release their material in 1997 title as ‘Alive Behind The Green Door’, the band form by seven musicians set to make a breakthrough with their unique blend of Irish and Punk rock sound into their music. They are Dave King on vocals, acoustic guitar, bodhran, spoons and banjo, Bridget Regan on fiddle, tin whistle, uillean pipes and backing vocals, Dennis Casey on electric guitar and backup vocals, Matt Hensley on accordian and concertina, Nathan Maxwell on bass, backing vocals, and lastly Robert Schmidt on mandolin, banjo, bazouki, mandola and backing vocals. Each of them has their own original touch in their instrument and this help to contributes to the tight sound of Flogging Molly.

The ideas to form Flogging Molly actually come from Dave King, a former member of heavy metal band named ‘Fastway’ in late 80’s. In early days, he recruits Ted Hutt and Jeff Peters as a guitarist and bass player. However, both of them left the band due to their primary band ‘Reach Around’ manages to get record deal. Although that, Dave continue to search for the new member and finally he find them one by one. The band name, Flogging Molly is a tribute to the pub that supported them when they begin to perform in Molly Malone’s Pub in Los Angeles, their talent later discovered by owner of SideOneDummy Records on the pubs regular Monday night show.

“If it didn't have mandolin, accordion, fiddle and whistle, it would be punk-rock, and if it didn't have guitar, bass and drums, it would be traditional Irish music. Flogging Molly has both.”

Describing their music style, Dave King said that their major influenced come from The Pogues. This seems to be true as Spider Stacey of the Pogues agree that Flogging Molly has taken the sound to the new level. Other influenced include The Clash, Stiff Little Fingers, Johnny Cash as well as The Dubliners. Often when listen to their music one may describe it as pirate anthem but it was the result of the band music references including folk and country music. King added “If it didn't have mandolin, accordion, fiddle and whistle, it would be punk-rock, and if it didn't have guitar, bass and drums, it would be traditional Irish music. Flogging Molly has both.”


So far, Flogging Molly has recorded two EP’s – ‘Salty Dog Single’ and ‘Complete Control Session’ in year 2000 and 2007, three live/compilation album – ‘Alive Behind The Green Door’ in 1997, ‘Whiskey on a Sunday’ in 2006 together with ‘Complete Control Session’, an EP recorded in 2007 and four studio album - ‘Swagger’ in 2000, ‘Drunken Lullabies’ in 2002, ‘Within a Mile Home’ in 2004 and the latest album that will be released on 4th march 2008 titled ‘Float’. Flogging Molly is a worth band to check out as today music industry regularly producing ‘millennium sound’, the band against it with their traditional Irish material in their music – The sound of Past and Present.