Punk rock has always welcomed outsiders, embraced those with impassioned voices and celebrated the strange.
In the lates 90s, punk was flooded with armies of peroxide-spiked donning skaters who spun tales of high school romance. Although rowdy teens playing as fast and loud as humanly possible did incite a generation of rebels to pick up their guitars and take to the road, few bands veered from the paradigm.
Celtic punks Flogging Molly were accordion playing misfits who found a home amongst Warped Tour favourites, and to this day, still continue to capture the hearts of those looking to find a home in the underdogs.
“Punk rockers were the first group of people to accept us and come out to our shows,” said vocalist and guitarist Dennis Casey when reflecting on the band’s longstanding legacy.
Flogging Molly – Drunken Lullabies
“In the beginning, I didn’t think that was gonna be the demographic that was going to sort of jump on board so quickly and in such big numbers. With any music, you know, there’s ebbs and flows.”
Even though it may seem as though apathy is at large in an age where social media reigns supreme, Casey is confident in that musicians are finding a way to fight against the powers that control. Folk and punk have always been agents of change in society – a trait still prevalent in its output today.
“We’ve been a band for over 20 years and we’re seeing a lot of younger folks coming out to the shows. I think there will always be something to kick against and buck against some kind of system or some kind of authority and I think whether it’s under the musical style of hip hop or punk rock or folk music, even folk music does the same thing.”
Irish heritage has always been at the heart of Flogging Molly’s music – a trait initially inspired by lead vocalist Dave missing his home after moving to the US – on their most recent effort Life Is Good, the band continued to pay homage to their motherland, creating connections between the personal and political.
“I think lyrically I think David’s always looking to situations in life and situations in the world he can get very political about things. Whatever’s happening at the time in Ireland or in other parts of the world inspire things.
This last record we made, Life is Good, his mother passed away while we were writing it and my father passed away and, Donald Trump was elected president so I think a lot of those factors go into the writing.”
Flogging Molly – Float
20 years is a long-haul for a musician, but for Flogging Molly passion and enthusiasm remains at the heart of their ethos as a band.
“Then musically I think, you know, the band, we’ve been doing it for so long, we love what we’re doing. It would feel odd to not do it but I think, it’s a passion for connecting with people, touching people and then when you meet them and hear what your music does to them it kind of sustains you and inspires you to do more.”
This year, the band’s seminal record Within a Mile of Home turns 15 – an essential record in the folk-punk cannon. For Casey, the time is looked back on with utmost sentimentality and warmth, a trait that shines through on the hook-laden record.
“Within a Mile of Home was a great time in my life, I met my wife and got married right in the middle of recording it. I think that was the first record we sort of told ourselves we wanted to push against our boundaries and sort of challenge ourselves to explore different ways of doing things and different styles of music and we tried to incorporate more of our influences into our songs.”
Flogging Molly – Laura
Like all punk acts, Flogging Molly understand the utmost importance of engaging with an audience – keeping the intense and energetic live show at the forefront of their pysche.
“The most important element of a good live show is to try to connect with the audience and move them so they in response react to what you’re doing and you in response react to what they’re doing and then this synergy starts happening and then there’s like an energy transfer happens.”
“It goes beyond words, it becomes this magical moment that everybody’s sharing at that time and you hopefully forget your troubles or the day you had and just kind of celebrate being alive and in that moment.”
Flogging Molly Australian Tour
Fri 12th April 2019,
Powerstation Auckland
Tickets
Sun 14th April 2019,
HQ Adelaide
Tickets
Wed 17th April 2019,
170 Russell, Melbourne
Tickets
Thu 18th April 2019,
The Metro Sydney
Tickets
