I was told that a gig was to be played, but I thought nothing of it. Instead, I went to play pool.
As I was shooting sticks, and of course, losing, I couldn’t help but lend an ear to a mystical and rhythmic beat, trembling from the ceiling. It called me. I was like one of Pied Piper’s rats enthralled by the unique sound of accordion and bass guitar, entering a dreamlike state. Thankfully, I only missed a few minutes.
John Foley, The Prize Band, a Limerick based ensemble, performed in the lofty and Gryffindor common room-esque attic of the Graduates Memorial Building on Thursday, February 19th alongside special guest Seth Rackard. The gig was organised by Trinity FM’s Top Floor Music society whose chairperson is Sophie Harris. TFM’s Shane Reid is also to be credited for the organisation of this gig.
They played an ethereal and wholesome set of heartwarming, nostalgic and hilariously original songs. I think their sound is best described as modern bluegrass rock music, involving airy, harmonious and drawn-out vocals. This combination allows your thoughts to float away, and the vibrations and band’s stories enter. They are special. It feels like they love each other, and they have the liberty to be playful and themselves. The accordion brings almost a pirate-like sadness to the group and the harmonium, played by Seth Rackard, a type of ancient craft, a type of nomadic wandering romanticism. Their high-pitched vocals are raw and human, insinuating cardinal feeling, breaking up the superficial, reminding us of our earliest sentiments. The drumming is hazy, gentle and swaying, a background for the mind’s meditation, and the guitars then paint the music, creating a colourful, dusky scene.
They also played covers including one from Labi Siffre, “Cannock Chase”, a 1972 song of the folk and soul genre.
One of their songs “Back to School Date Night” personally brought me back to the unusual and strange world that is secondary school. The lyric “teacher can I have a pencil?”, took me to a place that is starkly not college.
After the set, I awoke from my fervour. Their song about a Limerick Luas indeed spoke of an imagined realm. I needed to know what other people thought; I did not want to feel alone, basking in the brilliance of this band. I was also searching for different perspectives. “Perhaps”, I thought, “I’m misguided, and this band is nothing special!” I shuffled around the attic, which was buzzing with chatter and excitement, and asked some people about their experience at this gig.
“Well, I was really blown away, it brought me through some emotions that I was waiting to feel for a while, and yeah, it was astounding, very skillful musicians”, one man told me.
Another person said that, “I met Hugh at a house party in Limerick four years ago. Him and Seth were in this band called Cascando. That’s like a bit of Limerick music lore. From there it splintered and became a bunch of other bands including John Foley. It’s a wonderful project, some of the brightest heads I’ve seen”.
“I thought everything was very beautiful and tasteful, you could tell that it was from the heart”, commented another audience member.
While I did find these comments quite inspiring, I wanted more depth. “Who is John Foley, The Prize Band?” I thought, and “Why are they here?” (on this planet, philosophically). There was only one way to find out. I tapped one of the players on the shoulder and asked hesitantly if their band wanted to be interviewed. They agreed! They told me this would be their first newspaper interview. I took them out to the foyer of the attic, and asked them why they love music.
Hugh Clery Ward, the band’s drummer, said:
“I play drums and also collaboratively write the songs. We all have a pretty collaborative process I think. Yeah. I host the rehearsals and make tea. I love music for so many reasons, part of it is because it’s so collaborative and I think that’s one of the things I love the most about this band. It’s something we are all doing together… Performances…it’s very strange and enjoyable and I feel like it is an interesting place to put yourself in and learn about the people around you too…”
Luke Foley is the singer and the bassist. “I like music for all the reasons that Hugh said, collaboration is very important, friendship, and it’s nice to just have a slot every week where we meet up and play and talk and write music together”, he told me.
“I think the timeframe of creating music is also very fun, writing a song in such a short amount of time is instantly fun, it’s just awesome, it is a nice format to be creative in.”
Adam O’Leary, who plays guitar in the band, said he didn’t want “to piggy back too much” but expressed that he is “also really enjoying the collaborative aspect of this project”.
“For a long time I played music like very in the bedroom practicing, coming from a very cerebral place…and I think all of our best stuff comes from a place of play and creativity…so that’s been really great for me all round…and this project is so much fun”, O’Leary tells me.
Aileen Evans plays the accordion and sings a bit in the John Foley.
“I was trained from like a very trad place. It’s been really nice to explore different genres. I feel like trad is a bit limiting for me in a lot of ways, and what I really like from this project is that we take the music very seriously and we hold ourselves to the highest standards but we don’t really take the lyrics to the highest standards”, she said.
“There are some songs, especially that Luke has written, that are really beautiful”, Aileen beams with praise, “I like that it is kind of playful…sometimes when you start from a silly place it becomes quite profound”, she concludes.
At this stage of the interview Trinity’s security was ousting us out of the building and I had to finish up the conversation.
The band got to know each other because all of the members were involved, at some stage or other, in a Limerick band called Cascando which existed from 2019 to 2024.
“John Foley project is another cycle of musicians”, following on from the success of Cascando, the band’s Instagram tells me.
John Foley is a fictional character. Although the singer and bassist is Luke Foley, it is said there is no relation between Luke the real, and John the fictional. “There is no relation, pure coincidence and minor inconvenience due to the confusion the name creates”, they tell me. He is to be explored. The true nature of John will be revealed to us throughout the discography of the band. Their song “John Foley Etymology” hints at his origin story.
When asked about what words best describe this band, they all agreed that it is “John” and “Cosy”. I would add “Foley” to that list.
Their cheerful personality and unique music style is such good craic. I love their chill swagger and how this exudes into the crowd. This is something that is going to build, and grow more confident, following each performance John has. I think this band is on an upward trajectory.
Those who would like to follow the activities of this band are encouraged to check out their website: prizedband.neocities.org
And their instagram: @prizedband
