IN EARLY January 2014, Hozier played to a full house in Dolan’s Warehouse. His first EP ‘Take Me to Church’ and its Brendan Canty directed video were going viral on YouTube and would bring Andrew Hozier-Byrne from Bray, Co. Wicklow to widespread global popularity, a Grammy nomination and 87million Spotify listens.
In Hozier’s live band that night were Karen Cowley and Caoimhe Barry who make up two thirds of Wyvern Lingo. Including Saoirse Duane on vocals and guitar the trio were the next act after Hozier to sign to Irish label Rubyworks last year. Wyvern Lingo’s Caoimhe Barry explained to Limerick Post that writing and performing their material was what they always wanted to do.
“Touring with Hozier was a lovely experience. It is encouraging and inspiring for us to see our friend Andrew doing so well.”
Caoimhe Barry – (Vocals / Percussion), Karen Cowley (Vocals / Keyboard) and Saoirse Duane (Vocals / Guitar) first played music together while in secondary school in Bray.
The name Wyvern Lingo came from a rushed effort to get a name for a school Christmas concert, literally picked out of the dictionary. They planned to change it sometime but now they have learned to love the name which loosely means Dragon Dialect as they were all big fans of ‘Game of Thrones’ and ‘Lord of the Rings’.
Touring in Hozier’s band inspired Caoimhe to give up college and go into music full-time.
“The Hozier gig was an eye opener. I thought, ‘who am I kidding?, this is what I want to focus all my energy on. I want to be in a band.”
Before signing to Rubyworks, the trio was a “hobby band” according to Caoimhe. Though in fairness, the girls had already got very positive reviews and had played loads of festivals in recent years.
The band has spent the last year working very hard on the new Wyvern Lingo sound, a kind of a cross between alternative indie and R’n’B. New single ‘Subside’ is the sound of an act maturing and growing in confidence; it has a funky groove and a dark and moody feel, which is where the band is heading.
“The first EP had a disjointed recording process. We are collaborating a lot more now and working on the sound and it is paying off. We are becoming the band we always wanted to be.”
2016 will be a busy year for Wyvern Lingo. The new EP comes out in January to coincide with a UK tour supporting Hozier. The girl’s show in Limerick this weekend will be a chance to check out the evolving sound of Wyvern Lingo, Rubyworks Record label might just have another worldwide hit on its roster.
Wyvern Lingo play Dolan’s www.dolans.ie this Sunday November 22
