CALIFORNIA IRISH, featuring Cormac Neeson, release their new single ‘Live Fast Die Free’, out on 2nd May on 7hz Productions.
The Debut Album ‘The Mountains Are My Friends’- Out 27th June 2025
CALIFORNIA IRISH is the new band featuring The Answer’s Cormac Neeson. The band tips its hat to the wonderfully melodic and free-spirited sound from 60s America, a sound that reaches back into a gentler, more empathetic time, and now releases its second single ‘Live Fast Die Free’ on 2nd May.
Stream ‘Live Fast Die Free’ here: https://ada.lnk.
Cormac states:
“This song was inspired by the movie Easy Rider…and even more specifically, the closing scene when Dennis Hopper and Peter Fonda get shot off their Harleys by a couple of rednecks.
The song tries to tap into some of the hippie ethos that’s captured so beautifully in the movie, themes of freedom, love and living life without regret.
It’s also one of those loose, groovy songs that the live analogue recording process suited perfectly.
You can really feel the power of the four voices around the one microphone singing our hearts out. It feels raw and soulful in all the right places.”
Summoning the beguiling spirit of Laurel Canyon, employing analogue recording techniques, and recording songs in one or two takes to achieve something with a real human touch, California Irish are a new seven piece group hailing from Belfast that working their own niche within the world of folk and Americana, and everything in between.
This new group showcase a unique sound formed from a combination of players that initially came together briefly to perform a Neil Young-inspired theatre show production called “Re-Harvest”, in which the musicians who now make up California Irish very successfully performed the classic albums ‘Harvest Moon’ and ‘Harvest’ back to back.
The brainchild of the group is lead singer and chief songwriter Cormac Neeson. The band were hand-picked by Neeson based on long standing friendships, as well as experiences with numerous musical projects within the thriving Belfast music scene.
Cormac states his reason for starting the band and wanting to harness this fabulous sound: “This album is the opposite of boring AI generated no soul perfection. We recorded this album in a room together over four days allowing the music to breathe when it needed to, looking at each other for our cues and feeding off each other’s energy. It felt like a dream…but it’s the most real thing I’ve ever done in music.
That Laurel Canyon sound of the late 60s, epitomised by the early Crosby Stills Nash and Young stuff, and the first few Joni Mitchell records, has always felt otherworldly and magical. On our album we’ve tried to access some of that beauty and create our own magic by combining brand new music with an old school recording process.”
The Laurel Canyon influence also extends to the band’s recording technique, adhering rigidly to the analogue 16 track recording method circa 1969: namely recording live straight to tape at the world-famous Middle Farm Studios under the watchful eyes and ears of producer Pete Miles. The resulting sound of California Irish flies in the face of modern techniques that often lose the warmth of the original compositions. Instead, the group opted for a one off and unique shared human experience with musicians who feed off each other’s energy and create compelling four-part vocal blends around one single microphone in a warm alt-folk celebration. The creative process in turn led to an album’s worth of songs titled ‘The Mountains Are My Friends’
Preorder physical copies of the album here: https://eyesoremerch.
Preorder the album here: https://ada.lnk.to/
Preorder the album here: https://ada.lnk.to/
The band will play their debut live show on 16th May at the Empire in Belfast:
“Need some colour in those Cali Irish cheeks?? Well we’ve got some gig news to brighten up your day. On Friday 16th May California Irish will be gracing the legendary boards of the @belfastempire making our Belfast debut and continuing to bring the good vibes to the masses. Ticket link is live, and we are excited!!!”
16th May, Belfast Empire: https://www.
Introducing the band:
Cormac Neeson (vocals, acoustic guitar, psychedelic cowbell)
Susy Coyle (vocals and percussion)
Donal Scullion (acoustic, electric guitar, vocals)
Chris Kelly (lap steel, mandolin, acoustic, electric guitar, vocals)
James Doone (bass)
Simon Templeton (piano, hammond, Wurlitzer)
Conor McCauley (drums)
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https://www.californiairish.
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