Paddy Murphy the band from Upper Austria that exudes so much Irish attitude that you wonder if these musicians have real Irish descendants hidden somewhere in their family trees.
When their namesake died, songs were sung, glasses were raised in honour and celebration of his memory. This Irish folk-rock band is determined to continue to fly the flag and uphold this proud tradition.
The band comprising of: singer and multi-instrumentalist Franz Hoefler; Hermann Hartl (Fiddle); Christoph Niederhuber (Guitar); Ingolf Wolfsegger (Bass) and Alexander Hewlett (Drums) have been together now for five years. The ensemble from Steyr has sworn allegiance to Irish traditional music but with a passion for putting their collective foot “to the floor” and bringing additional rock tempo to their mixture of Irish folk infused songs which makes their second album “Coffin Ship” a true showcase of all that Paddy Murphy are.
Ireland, its history and people have much in common with this band from Upper Austria. Their music, both traditional and original is played with such energy, flair and exuberance that their popularity has spread outside of Austria to include fans in Germany, Switzerland and Italy, who gather to dance and celebrate to the musical mix the band describe as “Irish Speed Folk Rock”. Their concerts now attract up to 12,000 people (2014 in Raas in South Tyrol) a clear indication of the ‘pulling power’ of Paddy Murphy.
It is our intention that with the release of “Coffin Ship” the bands popularity shall grow.
The album sees Paddy Murphy entering uncharted waters, the new songs are filled with life’s experience, make room for emotional content and at the same time impart a party atmosphere to the listener. An increased musicality coupled with the rock influence in the sound suits the bands new work well.
Nonetheless, that “Coffin Ship” manages to sound noticeably more folk influenced than the debut album “Dogs Dinner” is all thanks to the contribution of Mika Jussila from Helsinki in Finland.
His mastering of the album recorded in Molln in Austria has given Paddy Murphy’s music a new vitality without altering the essence of the band’s sound and the success of this co-operation can be judged in the honesty and integrity that the musicians breathe into these songs.
The speed-folk rockers have invested a year in the recording of this new album, and the result speaks for itself in terms of the successful combination of traditional and modern tunes. Among the thirteen songs on the album, the nine originals composed by the singer Franz "Francesco" Hoefler and bassist Ingolf "Ingi" Wolfsegger with titles such as "If Ever I Will See", "Hot Girl" and "Dublin’s Last Hero" are full of exhilaration and refreshing energy. Even ballads like "Take Your Life" or "What Can I Do?" are guaranteed to touch the soul of fans of Irish influenced music.
The song "Sailing Home For Christmas" is an additional surprise for the bands fans and benefits from the addition of autoharp played by Gerald Hoefler (brother of Franz). Whereas "Drink and Go To Hell" not only serves as an invitation to the fans to enjoy several pints of Guinness but also extends to the bands own philosophy for life.
