The Ballincollig-based, White Horse Guitar Club are marking a decade of music, friendship and craic with their new album, "Live at The White Horse" which has just been released.
The 11-member, all male, Guitar Club have been playing guitar and singing together for over 10 years, offering their unique take on Americana - good-time music fused with Irish roots.
Although the band are very much a guitar club, it is the sound of the eleven male voices singing in harmony that creates its own magic.
As co-founder, Joe Philpott says: "I think a lot of the power of it comes from the voices. I really do feel the power of 11 men singing in unison. And using the guitars, almost like a prop in some cases, is our secret. It's a choir".
One of the songs to feature on the album is the great country classic "If I Needed You" by Townes Van Zandt. "It’s theme of love, loss and connection," says band member Joe Carey, "just perfectly articulated in three minutes".
The White Horse Guitar Club came about in 2012 in the pub and music venue of the same name in Ballincollig, Co Cork when Joe Carey issued an open invitation to anyone interested in guitars.
"Initially, about 15-20 came along," says Joe Philpott, who, as a member of Cork rock band, Rubyhorse is a full-time musician, "and then very quickly, it was whittled down to the 11 members still standing today".
The band members come from different walks of life, but all are local and share a love of music and performing.
"We run it like a club," he adds. "Our mantra is, like, how much craic can we knock out of this? And I think that affects the audience in that they can see there’s an enormous amount of joy and camaraderie in what we do."
Many of the band have full-time jobs, unrelated to music, such as Anthony Cotter who works in IT. A self-confessed bedroom singer, before he joined the White Horse Guitar Club, he loves performing just as much as the camaraderie.
"We make our own destiny," he adds, "there are no agents, nothing like that. If we want to tour, we fund it ourselves, we organise it ourselves. It’s part of that organic piece of the band. And we’ve been all over Holland, France, Germany, the UK. It’s a really lovely way to travel".
Having sold out the Cork Opera House twice, the Guitar Club are to be found mainly in their home, The White Horse Inn in Ballincollig. Over their 10 years together, they’ve have built up a loyal following.
"It’s like herding cats there are so many of us," says Joe Carey. "So, obviously Cork is the easiest base for us. The audience and the band have sort of grown together over the last few years. There’s a lovely sense of trust but also fun."
Band member, Liam Óg FitzGerald knows what to look for in a song.
"Basically, a crowd pleaser," he says. "You catch the audience straightaway with it, as in, if they don’t respond, it’s no good. We work hard to stick to the harmony."
And with eleven individuals in the band are there ever any rows?
"It’s very much like a soccer team. There are strikers, midfielders, defenders," says Joe Philpott, "and I think it’s unique to have 11 very strong-minded people, who are very successful in their own right, working together for a common goal, and that’s the music. To put on the best show, to make the best sounding album we can make and put ourselves out there with our best foot forward".
The White Horse Guitar club are: Joe Carey, Joe Philpott, Anthony Cotter, Liam Óg Fitzgerald, Dermot Carew, Donagh Glavin, Brendan Whelan, Justin Cronin, Stephen Hegarty, Adrian O’Mahony, Brian FitzGibbon.
Reporting: Anne Cassin
