WHAT do two legendary music troubadours with plenty miles on the touring bus clock do to pass the time between shows these days?
Limerick Post chatted with Mick Hanley.
No rows over the set list, no long silences because of creative differences and definitely no wrecked hotel rooms. (“We never wrecked hotel rooms!” says Mick laughing.)
None of the above. These boys pass the time doing crosswords, the more cryptic the better. The Times daily crossword is a favourite.
“We love doing the crosswords – Donal is a great crosswords man and I’m addicted to it. We have mutual respect. We get on great together.”
And together Mick Hanly and Donal Lunny have a long and fruitful musical history.
In the early ’70s Lunny produced Hanly’s two folk albums, the much loved ‘Kiss In The Morning Early’ and ‘As I Went Over Blackwater’ for Mulligan Records.
Reflecting on his early days, the Limerick singer/songwriter says he got a few lucky breaks and made good contacts
“I fell on my feet, to be honest with you. When I went to Dublin I worked with the ESB for a while and, then, sort of hung around.” laughs
“I didn’t know what I wanted to do but I knew I loved music. I had a passion for the guitar big time.
So I went off to Dublin to try and make my fortune!”
Donal Lunny and Andy Irvine came across Hanly’s voice when they heard him playing at a gig in Trinity College one night. On the back of that moment, Mick Hanly was invited to open for Planxty on their first ever tour of Ireland – that was a big deal and a terrific opportunity to tour with one of the country’s most popular combos.
“We played huge venues including The Savoy in Limerick and killed it.”
Donal Lunny’s influence in Irish music cannot be understated. After Planxty, Donal went on to found the hugely influential Bothy Band. Mick and Donal were reunited and again when Hanly took over from Christy Moore as vocalist in Moving Hearts.
Hanly describes Donal Lunny as a gifted innovator and importantly too. he is always ready to lend his talents to Hanly’s songs.
“Donal has a wonderful musical and creative gift. He was the man to bring excitement to Irish music. Planxty were a particular exciting band in their day because no one had ever treated those songs in that way before.”
Bothy Band were just colossal as was Moving Hearts and Coolfin.
“Donal has always been at the heart of innovation in Irish music and if I ever need him for stuff that needs that innovation – Donal is my man – and he never says no which is great.” laughs.
Mick called on Donal for a few tracks on the current album ‘Homelands’. Mick brought a bunch of quality musicians together for this record including our own Dave Keary and Ray Fean to record a selection of his songs that dealt with his experience of living in Ireland, and of course, Donal was brought into the mix.
“I wanted to set my songs in an Irish musical setting so that they are identifiably Irish and tell some good stories.”
The title track ‘Homelands’ got a lot of radio airtime. Essentially the album is a collection of Mick’s favourites from what he written, they are not all suitable for radioplay, some as long as eight minutes.
Mick doesn’t feel any pressure to repeat the success of ‘Past The Point of Rescue’ which picked up a third BMI award in 2002 for two million plays on American radio.
When Hal Ketchum released his cover of the song in 1992, it was the most played song on country radio stations in the USA.
“It was such a lift as a songwriter to hit the jackpot. I didn’t feel the pressure to repeat that but I’d say the record company would have loved if I had gone down that road. They were looking for the exact same thing with different words. I didn’t see the point in that, to be honest with you.
“I had no interest in going to Nashville and writing by rote.”
Telling it like it is, Mick is in great voice and enjoying songwriting and recording better than ever. And now he gets to go Down and Across the country with his crossword-obsessed buddy to bring these songs to you.
Six letters to describe Mick Hanly ending in D? ….. LEGEND
Mick Hanly & Donal Lunny play Belltable on Thursday May 17, 8pm.
