Flying Columns

Flying Columns Biography:- Flying columns are an indie/rock/alternative four piece from county Wexford, consisting of Michael D’Arcy (lead vocals, guitar), Ritchie O’Donnell (vocals, lead guitar, and keyboards), Paul Reade (bass), and Michael Sutherland (Drums). Good friends since childhood and school, they started the band in early 2008 playing cover gigs all over the county establishing themselves as live favourites in venues ranging from pubs and clubs to birthdays, sports halls and house parties. With an ever increasing fan-base and an appetite for authentic music to define themselves by they finally decided to start writing their own material. With influences as diverse as Arctic Monkeys, Bloc Party and Kings of Leon to Pink Floyd, Jimi Hendrix and the Rolling Stones, flying columns began to carve-out and create an individual style of music very much representative of their own characters, tastes and influences respectively. In early 2009, they demoed their first tracks ‘strobe’ and ‘model town’ in Fast-lane studios in Donabate, North Dublin. Due to its popularity in a live setting ‘strobe’ was entered as a representative for the band in the JD-SET all-Ireland battle of the bands to which the columns dually qualified for. Through their constant gigging and an aspiration to reach out with their music on a broader base, flying columns then began to receive support on a local and national level. ‘Model town’ received play on local radio station ‘Beat102103’ through the Irish beats programme with local music guru and DJ Rob O’ Connor. Then in March 2009, Flying Columns received a review of their first demo by Jackie Hayden in national music magazine ‘Hotpress’. Mr. Hayden who viewed Flying Columns in a heat for the JD-SET expressed their demo and live performance as ‘Dynamic’, ‘Energetic’ with ‘touches of Kings of Leon’ through their ‘raging guitars’ and ‘bleeding vocals’. Then finishing the article by highlighting the band as ‘Ones to watch’ for the future. Flying Columns are currently writing and recording their first E.P and hope too have a collection of their first songs available in the summer of 2009, along with a small Irish tour to back up the release