Brave Giant – Irish Band Of The Week

This week’s Irish Band of the Week are the wonderful Brave Giant. A five piece indie/folk band based somewhere between Longford and Dublin, the band consists of Podge Gill (guitar/vox), Mark Prunty (guitar/vox), Ross McNerney (banjo/mandolin), Emmett Collum (drums) and David Kilbride (bass), and since their formation in December of 2011, the band have firmly worked themselves into the hearts of many Irish fans, particularly after the release of their critically acclaimed EP, The Lordy Lordy EP. The debut EP was widely treated as a success for the fledgling band, climbing to number two in the iTunes charts.

Their beginnings are pretty classical in terms of Irish bands, with two school friends, guitarist Mark Prunty and vocalist Podge Gill, forming a band. As Dutch Courage they began to tour around their local venues and at friends’ 21st birthdays. Eventually, their reputation began to slowly grow, as did their confidence. Over the coming years, the band would grow and develop significantly, with their sound maturing alongside the member. However, it wasn’t until early 2015 that the band decided to become a five-piece, choosing to change the band’s name to reflect their new sound. It was a metamorphic moment for the band – with third party interests at play as well as the band finally becoming a whole, what we know as Brave Giant now was born.

Realistically, their fame has snowballed from there. Relatively new kids on the block, they began drawing attention through their use of viral videos and the unshakeable midlands twang. Couple this with their charming lyrical plays and their undeniable music talents and it’s easy to see why this group were chosen to perform at Electric Picnic earlier this year. The genre of indie/folk seems to be the most prominent one in Ireland and yet, Brave Giant manage to make it feel fresh and alive. It’s amazing to see the culmination of rural elements of banjo with the more modernistic take on drums and guitar. It’s the marriage of such contrasting themes and stylings that make Brave Giant such an intriguing and alluring listen.

With two sold-out shows in Whelan’s in June, several national radio plays and appearances, and a string of festivals under their belt, it seems as if Brave Giant may be tipped for immense glory in the coming months. They’ll be winding down over the next month after an array of hectic shows alongside big-hitters such as Roisín O and Gavin James, but you can still catch them at their Christmas show in The Workman’s Club on 17 December. Additional tickets were released after the show sold-out in record time so be sure to get them fast.

Until then, check-out the title track from the debut EP, Lordy Lordy.