Rackhouse Pilfer, from Sligo in the very west of Ireland, formed in 2012 around the fire of McGarrigle’s Bar.
The six piece started performing an acoustic set of bluegrass and folk hits from their favourite Americana artists, and found it wasn’t long before they had to be plugged in to be heard due to their growing popularity.
Rackhouse Pilfer write, record, and perform all their own songs, citing influences such as Bruce Springsteen, Steve Earl, and Ryan Adams, among others. The band comprises Leon Mooney on acoustic guitar and harmonica; Willie Kelly, also on acoustic guitar, but also playing drums; Â Fiachra Cunningham, on fiddle and dobro; Mark McGovern, playing tenor/5 string banjo; Leslie Jones on mandolin, and Hugh Feely on double bass. Vocals are shared by the entire band.
Currently on tour in the UK, including the Country2Country Festival in London this coming weekend, the band have exclusively covered for us their version of ‘Love Is War’, by American Young. It’s a really stripped back take on the more gentle original – but nothing less than to be expected of a band who first got together around a pub fireside.
Rackhouse Pilfer’s most recent album, ‘Love & Havoc’, is available on iTunes, Amazon and Spotify. You can find them online on Twitter, Facebook, Youtube and their website. See here for more info about their tour. American Young will also be appearing at Country2Country, ahead of their European tour with Loveless Effect and Sasha McVeigh. Check here for details.
