Brothers Charles and Andrew Hendy of the folk-punk band Mary Wallopers live in the Irish coastal town of Dundalk. They grew up here and first heard traditional Irish music played by their father on the accordion.
As teenagers who skipped school to learn guitar, they discovered punk, hip-hop and the ideas within, learning about Rebel songs and how to create their own music in the same spirit. I learned.
“All the music we actually liked was rebellious music,” Charles recalls. “We realized at a young age that the reason we like The Dubliners songs or The Pogues songs is because they're rebellious too. So they have a lot in common. Our whole musical career There's a thread through it all, and it's a kind of anti-authority. That's the problem – we don't really like being told what to do, even if it's actually for our benefit. yeah.”
The Hendy brothers speak respectfully of Dundalk. It's a place they clearly still worship, and it's what makes them who they are.
“Dundalk has always had a good music scene,” Charles says. “It was really funny because it was like a DIY scene by teenagers for teenagers, and there wasn't a youth group involved or anything like that. They were just holding these concerts in bowling alleys that had bars to offer… It was a massacre. It was like a bunch of drunk teenagers rolling around the place, beating up people who didn't like metalheads or whatever. So it was great and it's still great. The energy around Dundalk is great.”
“There's a healthy disregard for authority and a bit of misbehavior in Dundalk,” Andrew added. “You also can't take yourself too seriously here. If you have too many notions about yourself, you'll soon hear back about them. I can keep my feet planted on the ground.”
The Irish concept of 'notion' is that of being arrogant and above your station. Since their explosive growth internationally through their activities, Stay at Home with the Mary Whoppers The livestream series took place during the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown era, and the band has toured larger and larger venues with each tour across Europe and the United States.
There's a reason why they're so happy with themselves, but the overall feeling is that they were taught from a young age to get on with things, and music was just something they were supposed to do. That means there is. They're a DIY band in every sense of the word.
“If we couldn't play all over the world tomorrow, we'd still play in Dundalk,” Charles says. “That's why we need to play music. The reason our father started playing the accordion is because he worked in a landfill. He drove a bulldozer, found an accordion in a landfill, brought it home, and learned how to play it. I taught myself.”
“Due to our childhood, we didn't have a lot of money, so if we wanted something we had to make it,” Andrew recalls. “So if we wanted a go-kart, he would turn an old lawn mower into a go-kart. It wasn't very safe, but it was also like we had to build everything we wanted ourselves. I think when we started learning music, we were just handed an instrument and had to figure it out ourselves.
“And we've continued to apply that to everything. We've learned how to livestream, we've learned how to make videos, we've learned how to record songs, we've learned how to print T-shirts, we've learned how to drive vans. We chose, we organized a tour… We learned everything it takes to be a band. We just taught ourselves.”
“And we've been teaching ourselves everything.” please do not You have to do it to be in the band,” Charles added with a hearty laugh. “Or how to not make touring incredibly difficult. We learned that so we don't drink every day on the street.”
Was that a difficult lesson?
“It was a difficult but fun lesson, a difficult but necessary lesson,” Charles replies. “When I'm trying to sleep and I get woken up by people having sex in the same room, I'm like, 'You know what?'” Maybe rock'n'roll should Die! (lol). ”
Playing the fundamentals of traditional songs made popular by the likes of The Chieftains, Clancy Brothers, The Dubliners, Domenic Behan and Hamish Imlach, The Mary Wallopers are in many ways curators of the music of their compatriots. And we are investing in a lot of things. Keep that flame burning.
“People always say, 'Oh, there was a gap in the market for bands like yours.' [to] Come with me,' and they were like, well, it must have been there because that's what we wanted to hear,” Charles says. “So we finally succeeded.”
However, in last year's second album, irish rock and roll, the Mary Wallopers incorporated their songs into the band's repertoire. Putting our own songs on top of traditional songs was a bit daunting.
“I feel worthless,” Andrew admits. “These are great songs, but I feel like I'm not good enough to write songs that fit into them. There's a bit of impostor syndrome. Also, songs have evolved over 100 years. .Many songs ever written have so many different versions that each become the best version.
“We're still thinking about that, but when we make it ourselves, it gives us the opportunity to make any type of music. And for a while, we probably worried that it would sound like any other song.” I think we were doing it too much. Do we want it to sound like a ballad or do we want it to sound like us? Whereas now we realize we can do whatever we want, even with the new songs we're working on. .”
“Our musical journey over the past two years has been very intense and hectic, with very little time in between,” says Charles. “We've got a little bit more time this year…It's like we had two months off, and that space is important. So it's given us some leeway to be caught off guard, which has made it a little bit more fun to write songs again.”
But within those spaces is also a touring schedule that sees the Mary Walloppers return to the United States, Europe and, for the first time, Australia. Fortunately, the stage remains their favorite venue, and a legend has been built around the band's live performances.
“Musically, I think that's the most important aspect for us,” Andrew says. “Really, recording is not, and never has been, as important as live performance. I think it's the most realistic way to connect with people, and playing a slightly different song each time. There's always a different energy coming from the audience.
“Honestly, once I record something, I never listen to it again. Once I record an album and go through mastering, it disappears from my mind. Live performance is definitely the sweet spot for us. .”
“Yeah, that's my favorite thing,” Charles added. “I hate recording with a passion that I never thought I was capable of, but gigging? I love it. It's the best thing in the world because it's dangerous. I really don't know what's happening.
“Anything could happen,” he concluded, looking at Andrew. “He broke my guitar when we played a show last year. I smashed his head in and took it clean!”
Mary Whoppers 2024 Australian Tour
Provided by Frontier Touring
New Show: Frontier Member Pre-Sale
Via Frontiertouring.com/themarywallopers
24-hour operation: Thursday 15 March (10am AEDT)
or until pre-sale quota is exhausted.
New show: general sale
Starts: Friday 15th March (11am AEDT)
All other shows are currently on sale
Via Frontiertouring.com/themarywallopers
Wednesday, May 8th
Triffids, Brisbane, Queensland
18+
Friday, May 10th
Metro Theatre, Sydney, NSW
18+
Saturday, May 11th (sold out)
Northcote Theatre, Melbourne, Victoria
Monday, May 13th (new show)
Corner Hotel (Melbourne, Victoria)
18+
Wednesday, May 15th
Adelaide State Government, SA
18+
Thursday, May 16th
Astor Theatre, Perth, WA
18+
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