Desperation [Failed in Loving You] from steafan Hanvey on Vimeo.
Steafán Hanvey and The HoneyMoon Junkies was released this year in Ireland to critical acclaim.
Steafán Hanvey, originally hails from Downpatrick, Co. Down, in Northern Ireland. A child progeny of traditional musicians (his parents having recorded two albums during the seventies) his exposure to all kinds of music began in utero. Citing influences today from his formative years as being everything from Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Van Morrison, Soundgarden, Simon & Garfunkel to Luke Kelly, Willie Nelson, The Johnstons, Paul Brady and Johnny Cash, perhaps the most important of all was the household itself, renowned at the time for its legendary sessions and where it wasn't long before the young Steafán was called upon for a tune or two himself.
In primary school too, his teachers would have him sing to his classmates. It was as a teenager though that Steafán began to explore realms of music other than ballads of immigration, love lost, and blooming heather.
At the age of 16, Steafán formed 50/50, a heavy rock outfit with childhood friends Kenny & Carl Papenfus of Relish. After three years of fronting the band and co-writing the material, sniffs of interest from CBS in Dublin and much frustration with the northern music scene, or apparent lack of, in those days, and indeed lack of venues for original rock bands, Steafán opted to take time out to continue his studies at university.
His third year took him to Seattle where he took the opportunity to study sound engineering. Immersed in the music of the time, producing demos for local bands as part of his course, he was able to witness at close quarters the rise and demise of grunge, culminating in the untimely death of Kurt Cobain. Although an enriching experience at the mixing desk, a certain amount of fatigue set in with the amount of Pearl Jam wannabees on the scene, and the realization hit that he missed what was going on at the other side of the window with the musicians. In the summer of 1995, he moved to Helsinki. Not long into his stay in Helsinki, Steafán began to host his own radio show introducing fresh Irish acts to Finnish ears. (Irkku-aika/Lahi radio)
The mini-album 'Sole' was recorded in November 2000-March 2001, where Steafán finally got to work with Janne Viksten, one of Finland's finest recording engineers, who at the time worked at The Sibelius Music Academy.
Sole, dealt with everyday dilemmas, falling in love, falling on your ass, picking yourself back up, fears, apportioning blame, the usual stuff not in the usual manner. After much gigging in Helsinki and around Finland, Steafán relocated to Dublin.
He got busy recording his forthcoming debut album ""Steafán Hanvey and The HoneyMoon Junkies"". This saw him team up with old Downpatrick bandmates the Papenfus brothers from Relish. The album was started in Dublin and was finished with sessions in between at studios in London and Helsinki.
Steafán was fortunate to have Kieran Lynch mix the record. Kieran, who mixed much of U2/ ""How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb"" has also co-produced Elvis Costello's ""When I Was Cruel"".
In 2004 Steafán visited NYC and Montreal to get a feel for different audiences. Back in Europe he opened for The Hothouse Flowers in Barcelona in March 2004, played the BelfEst music festival in 2004, 2005 and 2006 and opened for John Spillane, Eleanor McEvoy (Woman's Heart) and The Devlins amongst others at different shows throughout Ireland.
He was 1 of 6 Irish acts invited to play at Boston's NEMO music festival in 2005.
He has recorded two sessions at the BBC in Belfast and has spent the last 5 years playing all over Ireland, layng the groundwork for his full debut album release in the Spring of this year (2006).
National television and radio appearances followed. The singles 'A Hundred Days of Snow' and 'My Woman' received strong airplay in Finland and in Ireland, making many national radio playlists. A national tour followed.
Steafán is currently recording new material for LP no.2.
MYSPACE page: www.myspace.com/steafanhanvey
To watch video footage of Album release in Helsinki:
http://www.steafanhanvey.com/semifinal.html
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