Owen and Moley
size2shoes | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 size2shoes in 2008 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Background information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Origin | Limerick, Ireland | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Genres | Pop Folk Rock Irish Traditional | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years active | 2007–present | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Labels | eyemusic (own label) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Members | Eoin Ó Súilleabháin
Moley Ó Súilleabháin
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| Website | Official website Official MySpace page | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
size2shoes is a cross-genre Irish band from Limerick City. The band, who released their début album, size2shoes in December 2008, have been featured on national television and radio in both Ireland and America.[1][2][3][4][5] They have also performed alongside The Chieftains, Bobby McFerrin,[6] Russell Crowe and Sinéad O'Connor.[4][7]
Background
The brothers, Eoin and Moley were brought up in a musical household. Their parents, singer Nóirín Ní Riain and composer and pianist Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin taught the duo from an early age to respect music.[8] It wasn't until 2007 that the brothers began to record professionally, collaborating with their mother on the Amen album, later released as Celtic Joy in the United States of America. The duo have recorded with Grammy-winning singer Moya Brennan and Irish singer-songwriter Mary Coughlan.
Eoin Ó Súilleabháin
Eoin, the eldest of the brothers first recorded professionally alongside Sinéad O'Connor, Nóirín Ní Riain and the Monks of Glenstal Abbey on the album Biscantorat in 2003. In 2005 he became the director of the Sionna Festival, a large festival based in the University of Limerick, and was responsible for booking the likes of The Chieftains.
Eoin Ó Súilleabháin was given a degree in Philosophy and University College Dublin and a Masters Degree in Peace Studies at the University of Limerick. In 2005, he became Orchestral Manager for the World Youth Orchestra in Rome and toured with them through Jerusalem, Ramallah, Jordan and Amman for both Israeli and Palestinian audiences.[9] Eoin currently teaches English as a foreign language to refugees at the Adult Education College in Limerick city.[10]
Moley Ó Súilleabháin
Mícheál P. "Moley" Ó Súilleabháin earned an M.A. in Ethnomusicology at the University of Limerick and studied rap music and the rap culture in County Cork, Ireland.
He sang and played bodhrán with The Chieftains at Belfast Festival at Queens in 2007 and is an expert in "Human beatbox" techniques, which introduced him to Bobby McFerrin with whom he has recorded.
History
Beginning and first album (2007–2009)
Although the duo had been writing songs for a number of years, they did not begin recording together until 2007. In 2008 they finished recording their début album, size2shoes, recorded by Kevin Lynch (U2, Elvis Costello) which garnered strong reviews from The Edinburgh Fringe Festival and Irish media. The album had size2shoes featured on nationwide media, which prompted them to begin writing more material.
The duo received national acclaim through media in Ireland, being compared to the likes of Scullion and Sonny Condell. Their live performance in Dublin in October 2008, which invited Julie Feeney as a guest singer, drew media comparisons such as "Simon & Garfunkel and Steely Dan unplugged".[11][12]
In September 2009 the duo performed at Electric Picnic, one of Ireland's biggest music festivals. Their début album was officially launched at Crawdaddy in Dublin, along with the album's first single Sitting by the Sea. They also supported Irish group Hothouse Flowers in that same month.[13]
Second album and soundtrack (2009–Present)
size2shoes are currently recording their second album and have performed songs from the record in both the National Concert Hall and Spin FM in early 2009.[14]
In September 2009, size2shoes indicated that they would be recording part of their second album in Australia at the personal recording studio of Russell Crowe.[15] Size2shoes will also appear in Steven Spielberg's 2011 film War Horse and on its soundtrack, stated for release in December of that year.[16]
Discography
Albums
- 2009 – size2shoes
- 2011 – TBA
Singles
- 2009 – Sitting by the Sea ("Sittin' by the Sea (with You)" on album)
Collaborations
- 2008 – Celtic Joy, with Nóirín Ní Riain
- 2008 – Sanctuary, (various artists)
- 2007 – Amen, with Nóirín Ní Riain
- 2003 – Biscantorat, with Nóirín Ní Riain, Sinéad O'Connor and The Monks of Glenstal Abbey
Filmography
- 2011 – War Horse
See also
Footnotes
- ^ The Arts Show RTÉ Arts Show Highlights
- ^ Seoige Archives RTÉ Television
- ^ Live from Limerick WFMU
- ^ a b The Tubridy Show Archives RTÉ Radio
- ^ Roots Reviews The Irish Times
- ^ Moley & Bobby performance download
- ^ 25 Minute interview with Michelle McMahon Spin South-West with Size2shoes.com
- ^ size2shoes news archive
- ^ World Youth Orchestra Official website
- ^ Back to school blog at size2shoes.com
- ^ Sunday Independent
- ^ Limerick Event Guide review
- ^ On Newstalk's Weekend Blend size2shoes vault
- ^ In Conversation with Michelle McMahon size2shoes.com
- ^ If the shoes fit… University Observer, 15 September 2009
- ^ Niamh Horan (13 February 2011). "Musical brothers ready to step into the limelight with blockbuster film role". Irish Independent. Independent Papers. Retrieved 22 February 2011.
Eoin and Micheal... landing a part in his upcoming blockbuster War Horse.