The Chapters
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The Chapters

Dublin, Leinster, Ireland | INDIE

Dublin, Leinster, Ireland | INDIE
Band Americana Folk

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"Mundy and The Painbirds Dublin, Whelan’s 27/12/2012"

Support tonight comes from Dublin based band, The Chapters. The band has recently gone through a line up change, with two original members moving on. Lead singer Ross McNally, bassist Michael Murphy and drummer Ciaran Fortune remain. Simon Eustace was the most recent departure, he shot the bandâ??s videos and has left to focus on his film production career. The band are enhanced for recording and live purposes, and tonight they are a six piece, with Aoife Ruth on violin and keys, and NC Lawlor on pedal steel.

The adjustment in line up comes with a change in musical direction. The band has long professed their love for band era Americana, but that influence has never been so pronounced. Their debut â??Perfect Strangersâ?? garnered them high praise on its release but was much more of a electro tinged pop affair, albeit with a few sombre numbers too. Those quieter moments drew comparisons to Guy Garvey, and The Blue Nile and that can still be heard here. However, sophomore release â??Blood Feels Warm â??will be much more of a country folk affair.

New song â??Arcade of the Scribesâ?? is dedicated to â??anyone who believes in Santa, or the tooth Fairyâ??. This may be newer territory but the band sound authentic in their pursuit. Their competent mastery over instruments makes them a pleasure to listen to, theyâ??re accomplished but are never excessive. The songs are the star of the show. Ross McNally completely commands your attention with his understated emotive voice. He plays a solo acoustic number backed only by Aoifeâ??s beautiful harmonies, which contribute an alluring captivating weight to several numbers. Bassist Michael Murphy hails from the same town as Mundy and recounts seeing him play for the first time in his school canteen. Heâ??s clearly happy to be supporting him tonight. The bands final track sees the entire band passionately flex their muscles. Aoife swaps keys for violin and itâ??s an incredible close to their short set. Itâ??s an interesting move to take such a detour in direction between albums, but the songs win out, and The Chapters have assured us tonight of their staying power. - Louder Than War


"'Looking For Love' review 2007"

“The Chapters find themselves nicely positioned somewhere between Smog and Talking Heads, a rug-cutting piece of funk-punk.”
4 out 5 Kevin Courtney The Irish Times - The Irish Times


""Four Thorns" Review 2006"

..."On the subject of great records by Irish bands, watch out for the new EP by The Chapters. It's one of the best things to come out of Ireland in years, with four great songs that set the bar higher than it's been in a long time for local outfits. A message to A&R guys: someone should sign 'em up quick' cos they have what it takes for the long haul…"

Niall Stokes, Hotpress - Hot Press


"Entertainment.ie review of Debut album 'Perfect Stranger' '09"

The Chapters
Perfect Stranger


Review Date: 02 June 2009

Going by their singles "Videotapes" and "Looking for Love" anyone would expect a relatively orthodox rock and roll debut album from The Chapters. Claiming influences like Bruce Springsteen and The Band, you'd expect it even more. For the most part, The Chapters deliver on these expectations, but by mixing these influences with modern synth pop, The Chapters have succeeded in making "Perfect Stranger" more than just another indie rock album from a Dublin based band.

From the opening bending synth, rhythmic xylophone, and horn-like backing vocals of "Juice," the solid harmonies and off-beat rhythms of "Ukrainian Gymnast" and the rocky funk of "Looking For Love," "Perfect Stranger" never falls into the realm of predictability. Moments of piano led rock and roll approach the sure presence of The Hold Steady, while the use of either weighty or buoyant synths colour proceedings with a subtle eighties twang.

At times Ross Mc Nally's rough, gravelly vocals gently crack into a rasping yelp, while in its quieter moments it is soft and porous in the manner of Peter Gabriel or Guy Garvey. Some of these mellower moments may hinder the overall pace of "Perfect Stranger," but they do little to distract from a variable selection of catchy and atmospheric tracks.

The nicest thing about "Perfect Stranger" is that, though it draws heavily on popular genres, it never tries too hard to be one thing or another. It is an album at ease with itself, traversing timelines to be modern without trying to be hip, trendy or cool. Nice one.

Review by Jenny Mulligan - Entertainment.ie


"CD of the Week -The Tribune '09"

CD of the Week - The Chapters
Una Mullally
The Chapters

Perfect Stranger

3u

Rating: 3/5

While listening to Irish band the Chapters' debut, the first thing to notice is its earnest and almost relentlessly upbeat efforts create the effect of being pummelled by what I remember Enid Blyton calling "friendly punches". The second thing is slightly more striking (a realisation dawns half way through... the locomotive momentum, the soulful voice, the sometimes cheesy sentiment): is this what Hothouse Flowers would sound like if they formed 20 years after they did? The third thing is reconciling these two issues with music that is largely sweet, inoffensive and pleasant. Do you like well-constructed tunes that aren't particularly inventive but enforce a sort of regimented bopping along? Can you cope with that? The radio hit, 'Looking For Love', a cruise-ship indie smash, is impossibly catchy, but for every track that's worth something musically, there's stuff like 'Videotapes' – about lights at the end of things, rainbows under bridges, love being the only thing worth anything and various other clichés which makes Bell X1's magnetic poetry approach to lyrics seem inspired. Elsewhere, the David Byrne yelps, sprinkles of Bruce Springsteen and ultimately a complete pop sensibility aren't exactly fashionable, and prove that the Chapters owe more to their more mediocre Irish contemporaries (fine, the Coronas) than the high end of the spectrum.

Download: 'Looking For Love', 'Videotapes',

'Moving' - The Tribune '09


"Finding out about The Chapters and their Arthurs Day plans '09"

ne of the many great acts for Arthur’s Day, coming on Thursday, September 24 as part of the Guinness 250 celebrations is up and coming Dublin band The Chapters.
The Chapters are a five piece band comprising of singer Ross McNally, guitar player Simon Eustace, keyboard player Turlough Gunawardhana, drummer Ciaran Fortune and Offaly base player Michael Murphy. Among the many people they’ve played support for are Neil Young, Chuck Berry, the Coronas and Cathy Davey.
I first saw them at the launch of Arthur’s Day and was really impressed by the melodic sounds, the enthusiasm of the group and their understanding of what it takes to get a crowd going. They also played the recent Horse Show Hustle for Brainwave, Castlepalooza and Oxegen 2009 as well as a rake of other gigs. Certainly a band I want to know more about.
Their debut album, Perfect Stranger is out now and garnering great praise from critics and audiences alike. Perfect Stranger battled with Bruce Springsteen at the top of the iTunes rock chart on the week of release, before eventually being pipped to the top spot by The Boss.
I sat down with Simon on Monday to talk about them, their origins, their plans and what they’ll be up to for Arthur’s Day:

The Chapters can be found on MySpace at http://www.myspace.com/thechaptersofficial . They’re on twitter at @thechapters . Their new single “Trying to get ahead” is out now.
They’re playing a gig tonight in the Odessa Club – only a fiver in. Great opportunity to hear them live and up close.
Big thanks to Ruth and Rebecca for helping arrange the interview, to Simon for his time and to Niamh for editing the video. You all rock. Like The Chapters do. - http://www.culch.ie


Discography

Indecision of Arthur Molloy- EP '04

Four Thorns- EP '06
Looking For Love Single- 2007

Perfect Stranger -Album '09

Videotapes - Single '09

Trying To Get Ahead- Single '09

Blood Feels Warm - Album '13

Photos

Bio

NEW ALBUM OUT NOW!

The Chapters hail from Dublin, Ireland. Their well-received debut album Perfect Stranger was critically acclaimed and saw the band tour Ireland, England, Italy and Germany. Having previously played with legends such as Neil Young and Chuck Berry the new look Chapters are back on the road to promote the album.
The Chapters second album Blood Feels Warm was released on 17th May 2013. The album focuses on heartfelt blissed out Americana that feels both live and experimental in its production and tone. The self-produced sophomore effort celebrates varied instrumentation played by many friends throughout the recordings and this collective spirit has spilled over in to the live show. A hugely successful fund:it campaign saw the band realising their vision of an independent release.

“This may be newer territory but the band sound authentic in their pursuit. Their competent mastery over instruments makes them a pleasure to listen to, they’re accomplished but are never excessive. The songs are the star of the show. Ross McNally completely commands your attention with his understated emotive voice” – Louder Than War