“We’ve played Limerick loads of times, we love it, people there are just mad and really up for a laugh”
by Eric FitzGerald
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HAMSANDWICH have been around since 2003 but began to get recognition in 2005 for their debut single, ‘Sad Songs’. On the release of 2008 debut album ‘Carry The Meek’ they picked up the Meteor Award for Hope of the Year, some great reviews and a slot at Glastonbury.
Since the release of their second album ‘White Fox’ and its radio hit ‘Ants’ in 2011, Ham Sandwich are quickly becoming a household name.
Niamh says, “‘Ants’ was the song on the album that got daytime radio play, getting listeners who wouldn’t necessarily listen to radio at night and it exploded beyond everyone’s expectations.
“To see people singing back something at our shows that we have all written together, it’s a lovely feeling.”
The band has remained an independent act releasing material on their own Route 109A Records.
This year the band released the single ‘Illuminate’, a whimsical piece of pop perfection. They followed that up with current release ‘Apollo’ showcasing the band’s growing musical maturity. It’s a lush sounding groover. Recording for the new album is ongoing, such is the perfectionist streak running through the band’s work today. It will come out in 2015 and include the two tracks mentioned previously.
Together with strong songwriting, Ham Sandwich have built for themselves a reputation for a brilliant live show. “We change the songs around a bit to make them more interesting live, extending the outros so that they lend themselves to the live show.
“It would get very stale if we were doing the exact same thing every weekend and we always include a different cover version at the gigs. We bring confetti and balloons and we try to bring in extra musicians, such as trumpets and violins where we can to make the sound a bit bigger basically”.
“We’ve seen shows where the band are looking at their shoes and don’t look interested in what’s happening, so what’s the point being there? We involve the audience as much as we can, it’s about enjoying the music but having a bit of craic as well.”
It is definitely a show not to be missed. “We all really enjoyed the last gig. We’ve played Limerick loads of times, we love it, people there are just mad and really up for a laugh.
“When we play Limerick, we get to stay down so it is always a really good night,” concludes Niamh
HamsandwicH play Dolan’s this Saturday December 13.
