Music
Press
Making the leap from punk to folk is a bit like going from cage fighting to origami. Stu Daly has lived a previous musical existence as bass players in punk band Chewing On Tinfoil. It’s not unheard of to make a twist of style similar to what Tony Wright has done with VerseChorusVerse since leaving ASIWYFA. So has Stu Daly become some kind pseudo punk folk genre bending maverick?
Over the past couple of years Daly has been penning these songs with his acoustic guitar and harmonica. The EP is peppered with influences from Woody Guthrie and in turn Billy Bragg throughout. What separates this from the pack is not only the clever construction and arrangement of the songs, but that indefinable quality known as charm. Daly has more charm than your average second-hand car salesman.
The first listen to The Landing Light with its harmonica led intro reveals moments that just can’t help but bring cheer to your day. The feel good factor continues on Plaster Of Paris’ tale of enduring love which is a richly constructed song with strings, double bass, piano and backing vocals. Lifers jaunty piano line and cheery melodies display a sunny disposition and an optimism especially in the line “We’re chasing an Irish remake of an American dream”.
Daly brings in mandolin and banjo into Museum a beautifully arranged song about self-doubt and overcoming it. The song combines plaintive vocals with a chorus with full band backing. The contrast of minimalism and fully formed expansive chorus makes it the stand out track on the EP.
Closing the EP is Heirlooms which contains much of the aspects of the previous songs including the theme of optimism and overcoming adversity. There is much here to illuminate your day and as a result Daly’s future is one which shines brightly. - Golden Plec
Making the leap from punk to folk is a bit like going from cage fighting to origami. Stu Daly has lived a previous musical existence as bass players in punk band Chewing On Tinfoil. It’s not unheard of to make a twist of style similar to what Tony Wright has done with VerseChorusVerse since leaving ASIWYFA. So has Stu Daly become some kind pseudo punk folk genre bending maverick?
Over the past couple of years Daly has been penning these songs with his acoustic guitar and harmonica. The EP is peppered with influences from Woody Guthrie and in turn Billy Bragg throughout. What separates this from the pack is not only the clever construction and arrangement of the songs, but that indefinable quality known as charm. Daly has more charm than your average second-hand car salesman.
The first listen to The Landing Light with its harmonica led intro reveals moments that just can’t help but bring cheer to your day. The feel good factor continues on Plaster Of Paris’ tale of enduring love which is a richly constructed song with strings, double bass, piano and backing vocals. Lifers jaunty piano line and cheery melodies display a sunny disposition and an optimism especially in the line “We’re chasing an Irish remake of an American dream”.
Daly brings in mandolin and banjo into Museum a beautifully arranged song about self-doubt and overcoming it. The song combines plaintive vocals with a chorus with full band backing. The contrast of minimalism and fully formed expansive chorus makes it the stand out track on the EP.
Closing the EP is Heirlooms which contains much of the aspects of the previous songs including the theme of optimism and overcoming adversity. There is much here to illuminate your day and as a result Daly’s future is one which shines brightly. - Golden Plec
Discography
2012 - Demo
2013 - Heritage EP
Photos
Bio
Stu Daly has toured in Ireland, The US and The UK as a member of punk band Chewing on Tinfoil, singing and playing his bass in every venue imaginable, including Maida Vale Studios, where he recorded a live session for BBC Radio One with the band.
In his spare time, Stu exchanged his bass for an acoustic guitar and harmonica and began to perform in the quieter venues around Dublin towards the end of 2011. As these solo performances became more frequent, the songs took on a life of their own, and before long Stu was recording a two-track demo, which he released for free online in early 2012.
Stu’s influences range from the anthemic storytelling of Billy Bragg and Woody Guthrie to the soulful melodies of Otis Redding. His songs tell stories about growing up and growing old, about staying put and moving on. Since his demo he has assembled a band made up of close friends. The sound they have created exhibits an easy movement between bouncing, upbeat rhythms and measured, sombre moments, complementing a voice steeped in a Dublin upbringing, and creating music that resonates with a raw Irish soul.
Stu has recently performed in the finals of IMRO’s Christie Hennessy Song Writing Competition in Tralee and will be releasing his debut 5 track EP “Heritage” at the end of May 2013 on Toast Office Records
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