
“The Ghost of the Foggy Moor” by Shanty
A couple years ago The Scope featured a fresh faced Celtic rock band by the name of Emerald’s Fleet in our 2011 New Music feature. Since then Emerald’s Fleet has dissolved and a new band called Shanty has risen from its ashes with a similar sound and some familiar members. Shanty has since gone on to open for Celt-punk legends The Mahones just last month and have released their first EP. I recently spoke to band member Ben Dooley about the new group and what they’ve been up to.
So how did the transition from Emerald’s Fleet to Shanty happen? Are any of the band members the same besides yourself?
One of the founding members of Emerald’s Fleet, Tyler, moved away to work on the mainland and because he was such an important part of our identity we decided to disband. Myself, drummer Nick Whelan, and bassist Jimmy Wright stuck together and formed Shanty.
How does Shanty vary stylistically from Emerald’s Fleet?
We play a lot of the same music but we are faster. We have started using electric guitars and the addition of multi-instrumentalist Mike Batten has drastically increased our versatility.
Tell us about the new EP.
Our EP consists of three tracks, two original, “Ghost of the Foggy Moor” and “Never Look Back”, and one traditional song, “Drunken Sailor”. “Ghost of the Foggy Moor” is a fictional ghost story based on local folklore including stories passed down through generations. “Never Look Back” is a song about the times I used to have with a good friend of mine in my home community of Sweet Bay before we parted when we both moved away from the community and lost touch with each other.
Where was the EP recorded?
It was recorded by Adam Thistle and Keegan Power at Soundwaves Audio Inc. These are hilarious guys who we spent the weekend having a laugh with but they are also fantastic sound technicians. They recorded our EP and also do sound for our shows sometimes, they are just fun guys to work with.
How can fans get a copy of the EP?
You can visit our fan page. We sometimes post songs on our site but we also give copies away at shows.
I know you guys recently opened for the Mahones. That must have been wild?
Opening for The Mahones was a musical dream come true for me since they are one of my all time favourite bands. They put off an awesome set and it was nice to see them back here but it was a whole lot of fun drinking whiskey with Finny McConnell.
So what’s in store for Shanty in the coming summer months?
Our next shows coming up will be June 30 at Club One with our friends, The Rogues, and after that will be “acoustic” Shanty on July 3 at Topsail Beach and that will be the opening ceremonies for the Kelligrews Soiree.
Check out Shanty live June 30th at Club One and July 3rd at The Kelligrews Soiree on Topsail Beach.
https://www.facebook.com/NLshanty
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Jun 19, 2013 |
By Damian Lethbridge