News Of The World July 26, 2009

'Pierfect New Single From Angel Boys'

Divine Sounds by Martin Burns

The Angel Pier are an Irish band who have transformed themselves in the last year to become one of the most hotly-tipped acts around. The four-piece, based in Gorey, Co Wexford, released the stunning double A-side single Align The Seas and Belong on Friday and it looks set to change their fortunes.

Since getting together in 2006 Darragh Nolan, Vinny Redmond, Luke Paluch and Mark Colbert released two EPs but neither made the splash they'd hoped for when they started out. Their previous sound, according to NME, was 'classic indie pop', and the band seemed to have no problem wearing their influences - Radiohead, The Cure, Interpol, Band of Horses and Brendan Benson - on their sleeves. But after numerous gigs in Ireland The Angel Pier decided to try their luck on the other side of the Atlantic and last year they did two tours of Canada.

Frontman Darragh said: "We went over in March for eight dates and it went so well that we went back again in June". "They were really friendly and the people were very receptive to what we were doing. To be honest we were getting a little tired of doing the same thing but the Canadian audiences' reaction gave us the impetus to carry on". And it was during that tour that their approach started to change. Darragh said: "From the start we said we don't want to be doing what everyone else is doing - but there were influences that we couldn't help and it took a while for that stuff to wash away. "I suppose we experienced a new kind of freedom in Canada and we were able to develop our sound".

Since their return home the band have been working on plenty of brand new material, they've done a joint headline tour with The Kinetiks and landed a highly coveted spot at Oxegen two weeks ago.

For the new single they hooked up with leading Irish producer Jimmy Eadie, who has worked with Jape, David Kitt and Valerie Francis. Darragh said: "Jimmy is about vibe more than anything else. "We're still playing the same kind of music but we've managed to put a more original slant on things and we're very happy. We're going to do an album with him and it'll be out next year".

The Angel Pier play Castlepalooza Festival in Co Offaly on Saturday.