| METEOR
AWARD WINNER "HOPE FOR 2008" "Eclectic without being all over the place, judiciously selecting choice harmonies over dissonance, and boasting arrangements that favour subtlety over swagger, Ham Sandwich deliver, with an apparent minimum of fuss, a mini triumph". ~ IRISH TIMES "(Ham Sandwich) have delivered a remarkably assured album, crammed with guitar pop songs par excellence". ~ IRISH INDEPENDENT “Flair for sun-splashed melodies & a sound that simultaneously references classic college rock & Phil Spector’s 60’s girl groups” ~ IRISH EXAMINER “Spiky indie anthems & irreverent attitude are matched by the striking presence of lead singer Niamh Farrell" ~ SUNDAY TIMES |
|
Ham
Sandwich "NEVER TALK" - Out May 23rd on Route 109 Recording Company The new single taken from the Kells-based band's debut album "CARRY THE MEEK" The follow-up to the hit singles, the nostalgic "KEEPSAKE", the belt busting "CLICK…CLICK…BOOM", the haunting SAD SONGS, the punchy ST.CHRISTOPHER, & the soaring WORDS. CARRY THE MEEK and all the singles are available nationwide in all good record stores and on iTunes. www.eathamsandwich.com ~ myspace.com/eathamsandwich ~ www.bebo.com/eathamsandwich "Never Talk" Launch Gig ::: THE VILLAGE, Dublin - May 24th Special guests: A Lazarus Soul |
 |
| Upcoming
HAM SANDWICH Gigs 10 May - THE GRILL - Donegal 24 May - THE VILLAGE - special guests A Lazarus Soul - Dublin 27 May - DUBLIN CASTLE - Camden Town, London 06 June - THE CLARENCE - Sligo 12 June AUNTIE ANNIES - Belfast 14 June - McHUGHS - Drogheda 22 June - COOLABOOLA FESTIVAL - Cork 27th, 28th and 29th June - GLASTONBURY FESTIVAL - Somerset, England 19 July - KINSALE ARTS FESTIVAL - Kinsale 20 July - PHOENIX FESTIVAL - Tullamore 03 August - INDIE-PENDANCE FESTIVAL - Mitchelstown, Cork 16 August - SOLAS FESTIVALCarlow 29 - 31 August - ELECTRIC PICNIC Festival - Stradbally Estate More dates to be added; check www.myspace.com/eathamsandwich |
|
| Meet
Ham Sandwich... Niamh (Vocals) www.myspace.com/xrayvisionniamh Podge (Vocals / Guitar / Piano/ pineapples / coconuts) www.myspace.com/podgehamsandwich Johnny (Bass Guitar) www.myspace.com/johnnysandwich Darcy (Guitar / Piano) www.myspace.com/darcyofhamsandwich Ollie (Drums) www.myspace.com/olliesandwich _______________________________________________ Food For Thought By Joe Kavanagh (Irish Examiner - USA) Over the years there has been barely a handful of Irish bands whose dizzying ascent to the top of the music industry has been made in double-quick time. Bands like The Thrills and Cranberries are two examples of acts that had barely finished playing village halls and local pubs when they found themselves tripping the live fandango across huge stages in front of vast crowds. They, however, are as rare the proverbial hen's teeth, and even bands like U2 and the sickly sweet Corrs, earned their stripes, parading up and down the country, as they sharpened their skills waiting for that moment; when your luck finally meets up with your opportunity. And when you are a musician with any ambition, it is that "moment" that you strive for, although most never even get that close. As a small example of just how far the odds are against you becoming a working musician, consider the following statistics. In Ireland, experts vary about how many original bands exist in the country at any given time but estimates ordinarily fall somewhere in the region of 8,000 or more. Each year, perhaps a half dozen of these will make the jump from obscurity to national renown, with perhaps only one of these going on to achieve anything on an international level. Considering Ireland's anemic national support for its homegrown acts, it is a wonder that even that many make it to solvency, but such adverse odds have done little to dissuade the tens of thousands of kids that dream everyday about being a rock star or even those bands that continue to carry amps up and down the stairs of gin mills and dives every weekend for years on end, in the dogged pursuit of that "moment". For Ireland's latest indie sensation, Ham Sandwich, that moment is now and few bands on the island have worked as hard to achieve it. According to legend, Ham Sandwich's birth was positively biblical given the fact that Johnny Moore approached, Podge McNamee and, Niamh Farrell about the idea of forming their own group, while the trio were at a Good Friday party, in 2003. With Moore as the main songwriter and the other two as vocalists, they then set their sights on combing through the musicians they knew in hometown, Kells, County Meath, in an effort to shore up the lineup with likeminded individuals. Guitarist, Darcy, was recruited from the school he attended with Moore in the nearby town of Navan, which, curiously, is the same school that gave Ireland three of its most esteemed comedic talents, in the shape of Dylan Moran, Tommy Tiernan and Hector O'hEochag·in. With the addition of Ollie Murphy on drums, the band was complete and rehearsals began in earnest and it was at one of these sessions that they finally decided to pin down a name for their group. After 20 minutes of discussion without getting any closer to their nom de guerre, Moore finally offered Ham Sandwich, as a joke initially, but the more everyone thought about it, the more they liked it. It has been celebrated and castigated in equal measure ever since, although the band are firm believers because nobody ever forgets it and they genuinely think that being called Ham Sandwich makes them work even harder as a unit. After almost one year of intense jamming and absorbing a multitude of tastes, the band finally took its first steps into the public spotlight, becoming something of a local phenomenon, on the strength of their charged live performances and colorful personalities. In early autumn of 2005, the national underground music scene got its first taste of the band with the release of their first single, the superb, Sad Songs, which called to mind acts such as Jesus & Mary Chain, Pavement and the Smiths. With McNamee and Farrell's vocals projecting a perfect balance of light and shade, the single served as an early signal that Ham Sandwich had potential to be a band of consequence. The next two years would only confirm this notion as the five-piece set about touring the highways and byways of Ireland, drumming up support wherever they went, with a show that is as energetic as it is unpredictable. In Farrell, the band has the ultra-cool female singer, who is unafraid to mix it up with her fellow band members, yet is not beyond projecting an air of cool detachment when the mood demands it, while in McNamee, the band has a bona fide space cadet (sometimes quite literally when he wears his astronaut costume). Bounding around the stage, exuding fun and mischief, and alternating between ringmaster and clown, his energy alone could probably power all their amps. Together, the pair are almost sound somewhat like The Sunday's Harriet Wheeler and Crash Test Dummies, Brad Roberts, might sound like if they ever played in a high-octane indie band, although it's doubtful then that they would retain a scintilla of the natural chemistry evident between Farrell and McNamee. Such a live show soon had the band selling out venues throughout the country, despite little or no promotion and winning them the title as Ireland's greatest cult band. Two more singles followed, St Christopher and Click... Click... Boom!, the latter of which exploded the band onto the national consciousness, with it's Pixies-like collision of energy and substance. Suddenly Ham Sandwich found themselves opening for names such as Electric Six, Buzzcocks and My Morning Jacket, as their public profile grew and their singles began to receive airplay in prime time shows. They also made their first appearances on TV and as the year drew to a close, the band retired to a cottage in Cavan, to begin work on their debut album with producer, Karl Odlum. In fact, the view from the cottage was the same view that Irish writer, Jonathon Swift, was looking at when he was struck with the idea for his novel, Gulliver's Travels, adding just the right amount of solitude and mystique to proceedings. On February 15, the band's labors attained a physical form, when their debut album, Carry The Meek, hit stores and promptly debuted at 23 in the Irish album charts, an extremely creditable result considering they released it on their own label, Route 109 Records, which is named after the bus route from Dublin to Kells. In case the band needed any more affirmation that they were on their way to the next level, they were also presented with the Meteor Music Hope For 2008 Award, on the same day as their album release. The interest is such that the band is already in talks with several labels with a view to getting the album out overseas and it will undoubtedly only be a matter of months before the band start gigging outside of Ireland on a regular basis. The years of dedication appear to be paying out, proving the adage that hard work always pays off in the end. McNamee recently alluded to this fact saying: "It's always been a slow rise. We've never forced our music on anyone." Now the people are coming to the music in their droves, leaving only one slightly downbeat note for the rest of us; we're going to have to find another band to call Ireland's greatest cult band, because Ham Sandwich has gone above ground and if they keep producing albums like that, they are there to stay. |
|
Ham
Sandwich Winner: METEOR / RTÉ 2FM HOPE FOR 2008 Award CARRY THE MEEK, the Debut Album Out Now on Route 109 Recording Company (RMG-Chart). Features the New Single "KEEPSAKE" Check out eathamsandwich.com or myspace.com/eathamsandwich for all the delicious details. |
 |
| Hotly
tipped & toasted, the Kells-based band’s debut album CARRY
THE MEEK was released on Feb.15th in Ireland's flagship
HMV Store in Dublin's Grafton Street where over 350 fans turned
out to see them perform & be the first to purchase a copy of
the much anticipated release by the Kell-based band. Their unique
sound is built around the dovetail vocals of Niamh & Podge flying
against a cloudy sky with catchy yet intricate guitars. CARRY
THE MEEK includes the new hit single, the nostalgic "KEEPSAKE"
as well as all their singles to date include the belt busting "CLICK…CLICK…BOOM",
the haunting SAD SONGS, the punchy ST.CHRISTOPHER,
& the soaring WORDS. This Kells band really
cooks! CARRY THE MEEK and all the singles are available
nationwide in all good record stores and on iTunes. Meet
Ham Sandwich... ‘We
called ourselves Ham Sandwich, not because we like
sandwiches or because of the s*xual innuendo or to get away from
the ubiquitous-prefix-followed-by-esoteric-noun formula that most
bands follow but because we couldn’t give a f**k what our
gang is called, the stupider the better. It’s a bit of a blessing
I guess, no-one ever forgets the name and it makes us work harder.
It is always going to be next to impossible to market a band called
‘Ham Sandwich’ because the name’s not cool, sexy
or arty which means we’ve got to produce really good pop songs,
play really good live and kick our own arses to get any success.
Then it’s funny when we’re reading things about us or
being played on the radio cause we know that the DJ or reviewer
saw the name probably laughed their b*llox off expecting a novelty
record, played it, liked it and gave us a good review or aired our
record. I guess we’re experiencing the anguish of an early
Engelbert Humperdick.’ ~ Niamh Sandwich Ham Sandwich, fronted by Podge and Niamh, have cut their cloth as a sterling underground treasure with an almost cult like following the likes of Weezer or early Flaming Lips, a following that knows wherever Ham Sandwich goes fun and madness intrinsically follows. The name is a simple, effective decoy, just like there's a computer called Apple, a band called Ham Sandwich manages to dispense with the expected cliches of what a modern indie band should be and instead have allowed themselves the space to build a performance that is outstanding in giving people what they want to see, strange outfits, bright colours, a sexy front woman and a lunatic like front man. Their underground status and cult acclaim has seen them guesting alongside such reknown performers as Electric Six, I'm From Barcelona, Whitesnake, Pere Ubu, Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan, My Morning Jacket, the Bluetones, and the Buzzcocks amongst others. Ham Sandwich released their fourth single 'click...click...BOOM' in Ireland last February following the success of singles 'Sad Songs', 'St. Christopher' and 'Words'. True DIY enthusiast they have spurned the norms of booking themselves into a studio... to instead build their own studio in Headfort House, Kells (their hometown) with the help of Frames producer Karl Odlum. Their hometown fondness has also seen them turn this 18th Century mansion into the location for their music video for 'St. Christopher' which includes their followers dancing along to their music in the house's expansive ballroom. Their music has garnered them a wide selection of admirers including legendary Beach Boys producer Van Dyke Parks, Pat Kenny, and Bono, who vehemently advised them to change their name and Smashing Pumpkins front man Billy Corgan who requested copies of the bands music prior to his solo performance in Dublin earlier this year and invited them along to his show. For novices of the Ham Sandwich live experience here's some advice: leave your prejudice of what an indie band should be safe at home, stock up on lots of funergy and bring your dancing shoes because live...these guys are deliciously stunning. Johnny put the idea of playing together forward at a crucifixion party on Good Friday, 2003. He had known extrovert frontman Podge since they were toddlers, met Darcy in English class where they shared the same teacher credited with inspiring Tommy Tiernan, Dylan Moran and Hector. Drummer Ollie he met during a bizarre accident involving a thumb ring and a fire engine and the stunning Niamh he befriended soon after she returned to Dublin after a time in Glasgow. |
|
Ham
Sandwich
Shortlisted: METEOR / RTÉ 2FM HOPE FOR 2008 Award ::: Vote for Ham Sandwich on: www.rte.ie/2fm ::: "CARRY THE MEEK" Album Launch LIVE in HMV Grafton Street, Dublin ::: Friday February 15th 5pm ~ Live Performance & Signing ::: Debut Album Out Feb 15th '08 on Route 109 Recording Company (RMG-Chart). Features the New Single "KEEPSAKE" Check out myspace.com/eathamsandwich or www.eathamsandwich.bebo.com for all the delicious details. |
 |
| Hotly
tipped & toasted, the Kells-based band’s first single in
2008 and 5th overall that will also be featured on their debut album
CARRY THE MEEK, out Feb. 15th in Ireland. Their unique
sound is built around the dovetail vocals of Niamh & Podge flying
against a cloudy sky with catchy yet intricate guitars. CARRY
THE MEEK will include all the singles which include the belt
busting "CLICK…CLICK…BOOM",
the haunting SAD SONGS, the punchy ST.CHRISTOPHER,
& the soaring WORDS. In addition to KEEPSAKE,
all four of their appetising singles to date are available on iTUNES.
This Kells band really cooks! Upcoming HAM SANDWICH Gigs Feb 23 - Whelans, Dublin - Official Album Launch March 1 - Spirit Store, Dundalk March 6 - Crawdaddy - MURPHYS LIVE, Dublin March 7 - Roisin Dubh, Galway March 13 - Cyprus Avenue, Cork March 14 - McHughs, Drogheda March 15 - The Stables, Mullingar March 20 - Dolans's Warehouse, Limerick March 28 - Electric Avenue, Waterford More dates to be added; check www.myspace.com/eathamsandwich Meet Ham Sandwich... Niamh (Vocals) www.myspace.com/xrayvisionniamh Podge (Vocals / Guitar / Piano/ pineapples / coconuts) www.myspace.com/podgehamsandwich Johnny (Bass Guitar) www.myspace.com/johnnysandwich Darcy (Guitar / Piano) www.myspace.com/darcyofhamsandwich Ollie (Drums) www.myspace.com/olliesandwich ‘We
called ourselves Ham Sandwich, not because we like
sandwiches or because of the s*xual innuendo or to get away from
the ubiquitous-prefix-followed-by-esoteric-noun formula that most
bands follow but because we couldn’t give a f**k what our
gang is called, the stupider the better. It’s a bit of a blessing
I guess, no-one ever forgets the name and it makes us work harder.
It is always going to be next to impossible to market a band called
‘Ham Sandwich’ because the name’s not cool, sexy
or arty which means we’ve got to produce really good pop songs,
play really good live and kick our own arses to get any success.
Then it’s funny when we’re reading things about us or
being played on the radio cause we know that the DJ or reviewer
saw the name probably laughed their b*llox off expecting a novelty
record, played it, liked it and gave us a good review or aired our
record. I guess we’re experiencing the anguish of an early
Engelbert Humperdick.’ ~ Niamh Sandwich Ham Sandwich, fronted by Podge and Niamh, have cut their cloth as a sterling underground treasure with an almost cult like following the likes of Weezer or early Flaming Lips, a following that knows wherever Ham Sandwich goes fun and madness intrinsically follows. The name is a simple, effective decoy, just like there's a computer called Apple, a band called Ham Sandwich manages to dispense with the expected cliches of what a modern indie band should be and instead have allowed themselves the space to build a performance that is outstanding in giving people what they want to see, strange outfits, bright colours, a sexy front woman and a lunatic like front man. Their underground status and cult acclaim has seen them guesting alongside such reknown performers as Electric Six, I'm From Barcelona, Whitesnake, Pere Ubu, Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan, My Morning Jacket, the Bluetones, and the Buzzcocks amongst others. Ham Sandwich released their fourth single 'click...click...BOOM' in Ireland last February following the success of singles 'Sad Songs', 'St. Christopher' and 'Words'. True DIY enthusiast they have spurned the norms of booking themselves into a studio... to instead build their own studio in Headfort House, Kells (their hometown) with the help of Frames producer Karl Odlum. Their hometown fondness has also seen them turn this 18th Century mansion into the location for their music video for 'St. Christopher' which includes their followers dancing along to their music in the house's expansive ballroom. Their music has garnered them a wide selection of admirers including legendary Beach Boys producer Van Dyke Parks, Pat Kenny, and Bono, who vehemently advised them to change their name and Smashing Pumpkins front man Billy Corgan who requested copies of the bands music prior to his solo performance in Dublin earlier this year and invited them along to his show. For novices of the Ham Sandwich live experience here's some advice: leave your prejudice of what an indie band should be safe at home, stock up on lots of funergy and bring your dancing shoes because live...these guys are deliciously stunning. Johnny put the idea of playing together forward at a crucifixion party on Good Friday, 2003. He had known extrovert frontman Podge since they were toddlers, met Darcy in English class where they shared the same teacher credited with inspiring Tommy Tiernan, Dylan Moran and Hector. Drummer Ollie he met during a bizarre accident involving a thumb ring and a fire engine and the stunning Niamh he befriended soon after she returned to Dublin after a time in Glasgow. |
|
|
Ham
Sandwich "CARRY THE MEEK" Debut Album Out Feb 15th '08 on Route 109 Recording Company (RMG-Chart) Features the New Single "KEEPSAKE" Check out myspace.com/eathamsandwich or www.eathamsandwich.bebo.com for all the delicious details. |
 |
HAM
SANDWICH Check out myspace.com/eathamsandwich or www.eathamsandwich.bebo.com for all the delicious details. Get All Their Super Hot Hit Singles: "Sad Songs", "St. Christopher", "Words", and "click...Click...BOOM!" Out Now on ::: Route 109 Records ::: ...the Best or Worst Named Band in Ireland (Depending on your appetite); they're from Kells, you know. Wanna See HAM SANDWICH on the LATE LATE SHOW? Click Here |
 |
| Upcoming
Ham Sandwich Shows.... expect sweat, blood and n*dity! 14 June - Cork, Cyprus Avenue 15 June - Carlow, The Music Factory 16 June - Drogheda, Mc Hughs 22 June - Mullingar, The Stables 23 June - Dublin, Whelans 6 July - Kells, The Fair Green 3 August - Oldcastle, Le Cheile Festival - Oldcastle City F.C. 4 August - Cork, INDIE-PENDENCE FESTIVAL 2007 Meet Ham Sandwich... Niamh Sandwich (Vocals) www.myspace.com/xrayvisionniamh Podge Sandwich (Vocals / Guitar / Piano/ pineapples / coconuts) www.myspace.com/podgehamsandwich Johnny Sandwich (Bass Guitar) www.myspace.com/johnnysandwich Darcy Sandwich (Guitar / Piano) www.myspace.com/darcyofhamsandwich Ollie Sandwich (Drums) www.myspace.com/olliesandwich ‘We called ourselves Ham Sandwich, not because we like sandwiches or because of the sexual innuendo or to get away from the ubiquitous-prefix-followed-by-esoteric-noun formula that most bands follow but because we couldn’t give a f**k what our gang is called, the stupider the better. It’s a bit of a blessing I guess, no-one ever forgets the name and it makes us work harder. It is always going to be next to impossible to market a band called ‘Ham Sandwich’ because the name’s not cool, sexy or arty which means we’ve got to produce really good pop songs, play really good live and kick our own arses to get any success. Then it’s funny when we’re reading things about us or being played on the radio cause we know that the DJ or reviewer saw the name probably laughed their bollox off expecting a novelty record, played it, liked it and gave us a good review or aired our record. I guess we’re experiencing the anguish of an early Engelbert Humperdick.’ ~ Niamh Sandwich The name is a simple, effective decoy, just like there's a computer called Apple, a band called Ham Sandwich manages to dispense with the expected cliches of what a modern indie band should be and instead have allowed themselves the space to build a performance that is outstanding in giving people what they want to see, strange outfits, bright colours, a sexy front woman and a lunatic like front man. Their underground status and cult acclaim has seen them guesting alongside such reknown performers as Electric Six, I'm From Barcelona, Whitesnake, Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan, My Morning Jacket, the Bluetones amongst others. Ham Sandwich will released their fourth single 'click...click...BOOM' in Ireland last February following the success of singles 'Sad Songs', 'St. Christopher' and 'Words'. True DIY enthusiast they have spurned the norms of booking themselves into a studio... to instead build their own studio in Headfort House, Kells (their hometown) with the help of Frames producer Karl Odlum. Their hometown fondness has also seen them turn this 18th Century mansion into the location for their music video for 'St. Christopher' which includes their followers dancing along to their music in the house's expansive ballroom. Their music has garnered them a wide selection of admirers including legendary Beach Boys producer Van Dyke Parks, Pat kenny, and Bono, who vehemently advised them to change their name and Smashing Pumpkins front man Billy Corgan who requested copies of the bands music prior to his solo performance in Dublin earlier this year and invited them along to his show. For novices of the Ham Sandwich live experience here's some advice: leave your prejudice of what an indie band should be safe at home, stock up on lots of funergy and bring your dancing shoes because live...these guys are deliciously stunning. Johnny put the idea of playing together forward at a crucifixion party on Good Friday, 2003. He had known extrovert frontman Podge since they were toddlers, met Darcy in English class where they shared the same teacher credited with inspiring Tommy Tiernan, Dylan Moran and Hector. Drummer Ollie he met during a bizarre accident involving a thumb ring and a fire engine and the stunning Niamh he befriended soon after she returned to Dublin after a few years in Glasgow. |
|
HAM
SANDWICH "click...click...BOOM!!!" b-Side: "Song in D" Irish Release Date 16/02/07 Check out myspace.com/eathamsandwich for all the delicious details. ::: Route 109 Records ::: ...the Best or Worst Named Band in Ireland (Depending on your appetite); they're from Kells, you know. |
 |
"Click...Click...Boom"
Launch Gig
Upcoming
Ham Sandwich Shows.... expect sweat, blood and nudity! The name is a simple, effective decoy, just like there's a computer called Apple, a band called Ham Sandwich manages to dispense with the expected cliches of what a modern indie band should be and instead have allowed themselves the space to build a performance that is outstanding in giving people what they want to see, strange outfits, bright colours, a sexy front woman and a lunatic like front man. Their underground status and cult acclaim has seen them guesting alongside such reknown performers as Electric Six, I'm From Barcelona, Whitesnake, Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan, My Morning Jacket, the Bluetones amongst others. Ham Sandwich will release their fourth single 'click...click...BOOM' in Ireland on February 16 following the success of singles 'Sad Songs', 'St. Christopher' and 'Words'. True DIY enthusiast they have spurned the norms of booking themselves into a studio... to instead build their own studio in Headfort House, Kells (their hometown) with the help of Frames producer Karl Odlum. Their hometown fondness has also seen them turn this 18th Century mansion into the location for their music video for 'St. Christopher' which includes their followers dancing along to their music in the house's expansive ballroom. Their music has garnered them a wide selection of admirers including legendary Beach Boys producer Van Dyke Parks, Bono who vehemently advised them to change their name and Smashing Pumpkins front man Billy Corgan who requested copies of the bands music prior to his solo performance in Dublin earlier this year and invited them along to his show. For novices of the Ham Sandwich live experience here's some advice: leave your prejudice of what an indie band should be safe at home, stock up on lots of funergy and bring your dancing shoes because live...these guys are deliciously stunning. Johnny put the idea of playing together forward at a crucifixion party on Good Friday, 2003. He had known extrovert frontman Podge since they were toddlers, met Darcy in English class where they shared the same teacher credited with inspiring Tommy Tiernan, Dylan Moran and Hector. Drummer Ollie he met during a bizarre accident involving a thumb ring and a fire engine and the stunning Niamh he befriended soon after she returned to Dublin after a few years in Glasgow. ‘We called ourselves Ham Sandwich, not because we like sandwiches or because of the sexual innuendo or to get away from the ubiquitous-prefix-followed-by-esoteric-noun formula that most bands follow but because we couldn’t give a fu*k what our gang is called, the stupider the better. It’s a bit of a blessing I guess, no-one ever forgets the name and it makes us work harder. It is always going to be next to impossible to market a band called ‘Ham Sandwich’ because the name’s not cool, sexy or arty which means we’ve got to produce really good pop songs, play really good live and kick our own arses to get any success. Then it’s funny when we’re reading things about us or being played on the radio cause we know that the DJ or reviewer saw the name probably laughed their bollox off expecting a novelty record, played it, liked it and gave us a good review or aired our record. I guess we’re experiencing the anguish of an early Engelbert Humperdick.’ ~ Niamh Sandwich |
|
HAM
SANDWICH "Words" Online Only Single Available from Saturday 19/9/06 Check out myspace.com/eathamsandwich & www.eathamsandwich.com for all the delicious details. ::: Route 109 Records ::: ...the Best or Worst Named Band in Ireland (Depending on your appetite); they're from Kells, you know. |
|
"Words"
Launch Gig Saturday September 23
in WHELANS, Dublin
(10 Euro) Hotly
tipped & toasted, Ham Sandwich return with their blistering
third single "WORDS", produced by Karl
Odlum (David Kitt, The Frames, Gemma Hayes) and recorded
in the expansive setting of Headfort House, Kells.
With already TWO appetising singles under their belts, the haunting
SAD SONGS and the punchy ST.CHRISTOPHER,
this Kells band really cooks LIVE! Their unique sound is built
around the dovetail vocals of Niamh and Podge flying against a
sky cloudy with catchy yet intricate guitars. "Lads,
you gotta change the name" ~ Bono |
|
Ham
Sandwich www.eathamsandwich.com ...the Best or Worst Named Band in Ireland (Depending on your appetite); they're from Kells, you know. >>>See HAM SANDWICH 'Live' in Whelans, Dublin Saturday July 16th <<< |
 |
"Lads,
you gotta change the name" ~ Bono "They really should change the name" ~ Alison Curtis (Today FM) "What kind of name is that!" ~ George Byrne (Evening Herald) "Terrible name" ~ Ollie (Turn) |
 |
|
...the
Best or Worst Named Band in Ireland (Depending on your appetite);
they're from Kells, you know. |
|
>>>
LIVE in Whelans, Dublin SATURDAY January 21st <<<
See the new sexy band photos and posh video for "St. Christopher" on http://www.myspace.com/eathamsandwich |
|
‘The
Meath band have been compared to the Pixies and American indie darlings
Joyzipper, thanks to the compelling guy-girl vocals.’
‘5 to watch’, John Meagher Irish
Independent,
‘Very Impressive demo from Kells band Ham Sandwich.
It sounds like a cross between early Smashing Pumpkins and Blondie but
maybe a change of name might be in order.’
‘ONSOUND’ Alan Corr RTE Guide,
‘Ham Sandwich make a really strong
mainstream rock noise, the contrasting male and female voices sounding
particularly good. They’ve structured ‘Sad Songs’
so well that the changes keep your interest right to the end.
They know not only how to build up tension but release it as well, with
plenty of light and shade. However it’s length may well work against
it if they try to get it played on the non-specialist radio programs in
it’s present arrangement. ‘Anything But this’
is a very energetic thrash, but while it’s an enjoyable bunch of
punky noise it owes too many debts to other bands (including chiming U2
chord changes, not to mention a few Blondie-isms). The spirited ‘Pints
of Guinness’ is a kind of Pogues with Hank Marvin on guitar
on a Johnny Cash song sung by Nick Cave. Terrific fun though making Ham
Sandwich potentially serious contenders.
Jackie Hayden, Hot Press
‘What a shit name’
‘We called ourselves Ham Sandwich, not because we like sandwiches or because of the sexual innuendo or to get away from the ubiquitous-prefix-followed-by-esoteric-noun formula that most bands follow but because we couldn’t give a fuck what our gang is called, the stupider the better. It’s a bit of a blessing I guess, no-one ever forgets the name and it makes us work harder. It is always going to be next to impossible to market a band called ‘Ham Sandwich’ because the name’s not cool, sexy or arty which means we’ve got to produce really good pop songs, play really good live and kick our own arses to get any success. Then it’s funny when we’re reading things about us or being played on the radio cause we know that the DJ or reviewer saw the name probably laughed their bollox off expecting a novelty record, played it, liked it and gave us a good review or aired our record. I guess we’re experiencing the anguish of an early Engelbert Humperdick.’ Niamh, Ham Sandwich
Ham Sandwich are Podge McNamee, Niamh Farrell, John Moore, Darcy and Ollie Murphy. Moore put the idea of playing together forward at a crucifixion party on Good Friday, 2003. He had known extrovert frontman Podge since they were toddlers, met Darcy in English class where they shared the same teacher credited with inspiring Tommy Tiernan, Dylan Moran and Hector. Drummer Ollie Murphy he met during a bizarre accident involving a thumb ring and a fire engine and the stunning Niamh he befriended soon after she returned to Dublin after 8 years in Glasgow.
Their songs are mostly inspired by relationships deteriorating to the point of blossoming with someone else and many early ideas for songs such as ‘Sad Songs’ and ‘Heartbreaker’ were penned while Moore worked the graveyard shift in a dilapidated psychiatric hospital. Their unique sound is built around the dovetail vocals of Niamh and Podge flying against a sky cloudy with catchy yet intricate guitars.
Having a crap name isn’t that much of a handicap to them once they can produce the goods. On the strength of their demo ‘Sad Songs’ they’ve toured with My Morning Jacket, Whitesnake, Joyzipper and others, declined a very lucrative deal to have a song used in world-wide ad campaign for a leading MP3 manufacturer and had Bono urge them to change their name.
Ham Sandwich’s debut single ‘Sad Songs’ will be released on 13 May 2005
