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Eamon McGrath



Last Updated: 11/29/2009

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Status: Single
City: Edmonton
Country: CA
Signup Date: 7/26/2006

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Sunday, November 01, 2009 
Back from Europe and the last night of one of the best tours yet.
Six countries, five thousand miles, four feet, three weeks, two friends, one guitar.

Read about it and watch all the videos here:


eamonmcgrath.exclaim.ca


See you soon.
Currently listening:
Monsters of Folk
By Monsters of Folk
Release date: 2009-09-22
5:34 PM 
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Tuesday, July 14, 2009 
I'm up for two categories, 'artist of the year' and 'album of the year.' If you can, cast your vote here:

http://www.thevergeonline.com/vma/voting.php

Thanks dudes.
6:44 PM 
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Thursday, May 21, 2009 


Eamon McGrath
13 Songs Of Whiskey And Light 
By Amanda Ash

Distilled from over 20 home recordings and approximately 150 songs, Eamon McGrath's 13 Songs Of Whiskey And Light provides an accurate snapshot of this Edmonton-based artist. Fuelled by the punk that rushes through his veins and the philosophical yet emotional sentiments of a man who's seen the bottom of his whiskey glass one too many times, McGrath traverses every genre. Blues, folk, punk rock, noise — 13 Songs Of Whiskey And Light has it all. You can hear remnants of Tom Waits in his voice and Bruce Springsteen in his melodies. He's been compared to Neil Young, Black Flag, Robert Johnson and Ryan Adams, and there's a reason this young hellraiser recalls the classics. The album starts with lyrically inspiring yet melancholic folk ballad "Welcome To The Heart," where McGrath mourns the end of a night of partying: "Don't fade away/the night is young/watch the sun wake on your window." But not two songs later "Big River" comes blazing around the corner, its punk undertones loud and angry as hell. McGrath does what he pleases in his music and that's what makes 13 Songs Of Whiskey And Light so creatively impressive. Within the depths of these 13 songs he's speaking to us all: Don't be afraid to crank up your amp. Don't be afraid to scream your lungs out. And don't be afraid to cry. 

I understand the songs off your new record, 13 Songs Of Whiskey And Light, were handpicked from your hefty catalogue of previous recordings. Why were these ones chosen?
Over the past two years I've been writing and recording stuff, and White Whale Records selected 13 tracks from over a 150 songs I've put out. Ryder [Havdale, who runs White Whale] picked the tracklisting and the songs and the order and got them mastered. He spent a lot of time listening to a lot of music I've made. He's a pretty committed, devoted guy. How it worked was he said there was no point in going into the studio yet to get a polished studio record when you've got 18 albums we could potentially release. I've got a lot of songs and records out already. You can get some in other cities but they're rare. So to choose the songs I made a best-of compilation of all my stuff, and he made one. The songs I ended up picking were a lot more experimental and when I look back at it now, sort of self-indulgent. I was picking weirder shit. Ryder ended up picking the more pop-sounding songs. He tried to capture who I am as an artist. The diversity and mix of things would've been lost if I had my way.

The title is kind of a contradiction. It's not everyday you associate late night whiskey drinking with hope and happiness. What does the title represent to you?
There are a lot of polarities in the world. When you drink and party there's a kind of sadness to it. I don't think there's good and evil; I think there is just what is in the world. I tend to think about drinking that way too. If you've ever stayed up at party until eight a.m., you're [going to reach] that point when you either go and pass out and wake up with fear or keep drinking because you're going to be hung-over and anxious the next day anyway. You're left in a living room with six people who stayed up all night with you who have blacked out and the sun's coming up. But it's still night time. There's this sort of blue light that fills the house. There's something really beautiful about it, but then this sad feeling of closure and the fear that tomorrow's going to come.

How many records have you made now, including this one?
I think it'll be 24.

So then what does making music mean to you? Typically, artists make a record every one or two years but this doesn't seem to be a trend you follow.
Typically, I record a full-length's worth of material every three months. And depending on how much I want to support it and how proud I am of it that determines the magnitude of the recording. I've got a long discography but there are only five on there that I've actually toured, for example. Those are the five I'm happiest with: Pink Film, Cadillac Rosetown, Wild Dogs,"Ginghamland" and this one. I don't know what drives people to record. For me, songs are like having sketches for bigger albums. I think of them as title pages or chapters. Recording is how I write songs. And by default, I end up recording a lot of stuff. (White Whale)



Or...read the review here.

9:01 PM 
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Friday, April 24, 2009 

Some news from the camp:


CD release show at the starlite room sunday, "13 songs of whiskey and light" comes out on Tuesday.


Exclaim! is publishing a tour blog for the upcoming tour at eamonmcgrath.exclaim.ca


started a band called H Moans with my friend parker. he's been drunk for three days and it's only friday. right now he's got the fear and he's lying on my floor.

download our ep at hmoans.blogspot.com


Take care,

-Eamon

9:39 PM 
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Monday, April 06, 2009 
Big River is track of the day on CBC Radio 3
Check it out here:
http://www.cbc.ca/radio3/podcasts/trackoftheday/CBCR3Track_2009-04-06.mp3
5:29 PM 
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Friday, March 06, 2009 
Lots of news here in the Eamon McGrath camp:

April 28 will see the release of "13 Songs of Whiskey and Light," a compilation of tracks from my discography, recorded in my basement over the past 2 years, coming out on Toronto's White Whale Records.

April 26 is going to be the Edmonton CD release party, opening for Murder By Death at the Starlite Room.

May will see another cross-Canada/US tour with the City Streets (myspace.com/citystreets) which we're preparing for now.

At the end of the tour I'll be heading into the studio with John Collins of the Evaporators/New Pornographers who's going to track a full-length with the City Streets as my backing band.

May 23 I should be home unsafe and unsound.



Love,
The Wild Dogs.
Currently listening:
Drift (Digi)
By Scott Walker
Release date: 2006-05-09
10:54 PM 
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Thursday, January 29, 2009 
thank god, this month was cold.
good news though: booking another tour for may, fresh off a few good shows in edmonton, all i have is my love of love but love is not loving. confirmed dates are all posted.
February 6th we're off to calgary to play at the palomino.
February 13th is going to be a crazy show at the likwid lounge.
The first White Whale release, "13 Songs of Whiskey and Light" is almost ready to be released.
There's some footage posted of the Whiskey Dogs show last tuesday on the internet. Some friends from saskatoon came down and the turnout was great.

Check it out here:
http://seemagazine.com/slideshow/


5:32 PM 
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Tuesday, December 30, 2008 

Just secured a deal with White Whale Records.

Finished some new tracks, check out "Outlaw for Your Love," just posted today and written and recored yesterday.

Expect a full-length sometime this year.

Thanks for making 2008 a bender to not remember.
8:56 PM 
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Sunday, December 21, 2008 
So my tour is done. 2008 saw a long stretch of highway five months long. Cheers to everyone that came out to the shows.

Here's what's happening at home: two shows in the next two months are confirmed for now.

January 27th @ The Velvet Underground:
EAMON McGRATH & THE WHISKEY DOGS
w/ special guests
This is going to be the first of what will hopefully be a good long tradition of the Wild Dogs bashing it out acoustically with some friends.

February 13th @ The Likwid Lounge
THE WILD DOGS
w/ tba


An all ages show might be in the works for February, we'll keep you kids posted. See you around town.


Also download the new EP, "DEAD EMPIRE":
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=DDN2XC1M



10:27 PM 
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Thursday, August 28, 2008 
Eamon McGrath
Wild Dogs
By Amanda Ash


“There’s a fist in the air and a whiskey/and the sidewalk’s all covered in spit.” This line oozes through the title track of Eamon McGrath’s album, summing up everything the Edmonton-based musician stands for. He’s a young punk rocker trapped in the mind of a middle-aged folk guru, or so his record seems to suggest. It’s loud and slurs like a stumbling, smelly bar fool yet somehow it pins you to your seat and dares you to listen longer. “Pax Romana” is a genuine requiem for the world, the people in it and everything in between. But then there’s “Wrapped In Books,” which uses half-buried vocals and slow-motion instrumentals to halt time. It doesn’t seem like Wild Dogs should be coming from such a young gun, but it proves that you can hammer out a rugged, heartfelt and mature album no matter your age. (Champion City)
7:11 AM 
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