{"id":11621,"date":"2015-06-25T16:09:43","date_gmt":"2015-06-25T15:09:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/?p=11621"},"modified":"2015-06-25T16:09:43","modified_gmt":"2015-06-25T15:09:43","slug":"introducing-runabay","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/2015\/06\/introducing-runabay\/","title":{"rendered":"Introducing: Runabay"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Out of Belfast\u00a0comes six-piece indie folk band, Runabay. Formed in early 2014 the group\u00a0has already earned a reputation as one of Northern Ireland’s most up and coming bands.<\/p>\n

Comprising John McManus (vocals\/guitar), Gary Graham (guitar\/vocals), Gerard McHugh (vocals\/percussion), Dean Walker (bass\/vocals), Declan McCartan (cello\/vocals), and George Sloan (drums\/vocals), Runabay\u00a0draws their\u00a0musical influences from Irish traditional folk music and indie bands like\u00a0Fleet Foxes, The Shins, Hozier – as well as all the\u00a0greats from every genre.<\/p>\n

‘The June EP’, released on the 19th of, funnily enough, June, is the band’s debut work, and it’s been a labour of love for the past 18 months or so. It’s definitely been well worth it – professional from the first to the last, ‘The June EP’ is the perfect showcase for the group’s formidable musical talents. Sounding a bit like Kodaline crossed with NI contemporaries, The Rising, Runabay already has\u00a0a number of national radio, festival and television appearances under their belt. The fourth track on the EP, ‘Feels Like Home’\u00a0was featured\u00a0as\u00a0track of the day on the BBC Ulster programme, ‘Across The Line’.<\/p>\n

Runabay say about ‘Feels Like Home’,<\/p>\n

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\u201cWith this track in particular we were going for a live\/unpolished feel which I’m sure comes across in the sound. I guess we’re going for the energy of “The Shins” and the harmonies of “Stornoway”. I guess the song was written about being a bit world-weary, in a hopeless situation, longing for a change of scenery and circumstance – a second wind in life so to speak\u2026hope that’s not too hackneyed a tale!\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

In short, it’s a beautiful EP.\u00a0Launched at Belfast’s Duncairn Centre for Culture and Arts last Friday night, ‘The June EP’ is available to download on iTunes<\/a>. You can also buy a limited edition signed CD copy (which includes MP3 download) from their Bandpage<\/a>. You can find Runabay on Twitter<\/a>, Facebook<\/a>, Soundcloud<\/a>,\u00a0YouTube<\/a>\u00a0and their website<\/a>.\u00a0Check out the video for our favourite song on the EP, ‘Moon Turns Blue’. It draws quite a lot from the traditional music of Ireland without at all sounding twee or “twiddly diddly”. It’s a beautiful song that best speaks for itself (and will continue to do so as it earworms lovingly into your brain):<\/p>\n

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