The Drovers
Encyclopedia
The Drovers are a Chicago rock band whose original songs were influenced by Irish traditional dance music.
Founded by Irish traditional fiddler Seán Cleland in 1988, the group recorded four albums and soundtrack music for the motion pictures, Backdraft
and Blink
. Songwriters Mike Kirkpatrick (guitar) and David Callahan
(bass, vocals) drew from Irish rhythms to craft songs that became increasingly psychedelic over a 12-year period until the band ceased performing in September 2002. Kirkpatrick, in particular, created uniquely Irish compositions, often including reels and jigs of his own invention. Callahan's songs, while obviously influenced by Celtic/American folk music, tended toward a less ethnic-sounding psychedelia.
Driven by Cleland's powerful and exciting fiddle playing the group is remembered for its unpredictable, incendiary live performances as the "house band" at Chicago's Cabaret Metro
during the early to mid 1990s. They exported this act and won ardent fan bases in Upstate New York and New York City, the rust belt, and Midwestern college towns from Oberlin, Ohio to Omaha, Nebraska. Even though they gained worldwide exposure through the release of Blink, in which they appear onscreen as themselves, the band toured exclusively in North America.
The Drovers' 1991 first studio album, World of Monsters, featured Kathleen Keane on flute
, vocals and button accordion
and Jackie Moran, in addition to Cleland, Callahan and Kirkpatrick. "Book of Songs" brought the Drovers their first commercial radio exposure. The songs, "Boys and the Babies" and "When Fortune Turns Her Wheel", would later be re-recorded on the Blink soundtrack.
The follow-up to Monsters was the 1993 EP Kill Mice Elf, noted for the epic, acid-drenched "She's as Pretty as Brian Jones Was".
In 1995, the Drovers were at the top of their game, sharing bills with some of the 1990s' most interesting bands, such as the Coctails
, Yo La Tengo
, Steve Earle
, Ani DeFranco and Poi Dog Pondering
. The continuous touring left them little time to record, so when they released the Steve Albini
-produced Little High Sky Show, their increasingly psychedelic sound took many fans by surprise.
The album fared poorly in sales, compared to World of Monsters and the next five years were spent recording a full-length in their custom-built studio. The final album was never released but for a limited run they sold only at a few final shows.
While never officially dissolving, the Drovers eventually stopped performing and Callahan formed the Stroby Alliance, a band with the Swedish artist, Anna Liljas, and sat in frequently as bassist/mandolinist with Chicago rock band, Big Buildings.
Seán Cleland started the band bohola (www.bohola.com) with piano accordion player Jimmy Keane and released four albums on the Shanachie label. He is now the direcctor of The Irish Music School of Chicago (www.irishmusicschool.com) and teaches and performs throughout North America and Ireland.
Kirkpatrick is producing and teaching music.
Bradley co-founded Eventric, a provider of concert tour logistics support solutions.
Founded by Irish traditional fiddler Seán Cleland in 1988, the group recorded four albums and soundtrack music for the motion pictures, Backdraft
Backdraft (film)
Backdraft is a 1991 action thriller film directed by Ron Howard and written by Gregory Widen. The film stars Kurt Russell, William Baldwin, Scott Glenn, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Rebecca De Mornay, Donald Sutherland, and Robert De Niro. Jason Gedrick and J. T. Walsh co-star in the film...
and Blink
Blink (film)
Blink is a 1994 neo-noir thriller film starring Madeleine Stowe, and Aidan Quinn. Director Michael Apted was nominated for a Crystal Globe award for the film at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, and screenwriter Dana Stevens was nominated for Best Motion Picture at the Edgar Allan Poe...
. Songwriters Mike Kirkpatrick (guitar) and David Callahan
David Callahan
David Callahan is a co-founder of the think tank Demos, a public policy group based in New York City, where he is currently a Senior Fellow. He is also an author, commentator, and lecturer. He is perhaps best known as the author of the books The Cheating Culture and The Moral Center. Callahan is a...
(bass, vocals) drew from Irish rhythms to craft songs that became increasingly psychedelic over a 12-year period until the band ceased performing in September 2002. Kirkpatrick, in particular, created uniquely Irish compositions, often including reels and jigs of his own invention. Callahan's songs, while obviously influenced by Celtic/American folk music, tended toward a less ethnic-sounding psychedelia.
Driven by Cleland's powerful and exciting fiddle playing the group is remembered for its unpredictable, incendiary live performances as the "house band" at Chicago's Cabaret Metro
Metro Chicago
This page is about the concert hall; for the metro region surrounding Chicago, see Chicago metropolitan area.Metro is a concert hall at 3730 N. Clark Street in Chicago, Illinois that plays host to a variety of local, regional and national emerging bands and musicians. The Metro was first opened in...
during the early to mid 1990s. They exported this act and won ardent fan bases in Upstate New York and New York City, the rust belt, and Midwestern college towns from Oberlin, Ohio to Omaha, Nebraska. Even though they gained worldwide exposure through the release of Blink, in which they appear onscreen as themselves, the band toured exclusively in North America.
The Drovers' 1991 first studio album, World of Monsters, featured Kathleen Keane on flute
Flute
The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
, vocals and button accordion
Accordion
The accordion is a box-shaped musical instrument of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as a squeezebox. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist....
and Jackie Moran, in addition to Cleland, Callahan and Kirkpatrick. "Book of Songs" brought the Drovers their first commercial radio exposure. The songs, "Boys and the Babies" and "When Fortune Turns Her Wheel", would later be re-recorded on the Blink soundtrack.
The follow-up to Monsters was the 1993 EP Kill Mice Elf, noted for the epic, acid-drenched "She's as Pretty as Brian Jones Was".
In 1995, the Drovers were at the top of their game, sharing bills with some of the 1990s' most interesting bands, such as the Coctails
Coctails
The Coctails were a Chicago music quartet, which formed while its members were attending the Kansas City Art Institute. The band was active from about 1988 to 1995 The Coctails were a Chicago music quartet, which formed while its members were attending the Kansas City Art Institute. The band was...
, Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo, sometimes abbreviated as YLT, is an American alternative rock band formed in Hoboken, New Jersey in 1984. Since 1992, the lineup has consisted of Ira Kaplan , Georgia Hubley , and James McNew .Despite achieving limited mainstream success, Yo La Tengo has been called "the quintessential...
, Steve Earle
Steve Earle
Stephen Fain "Steve" Earle is an American singer-songwriter known for his rock and Texas Country as well as his political views. He is also a producer, author, a political activist, and an actor, and has written and directed a play....
, Ani DeFranco and Poi Dog Pondering
Poi Dog Pondering
Poi Dog Pondering is an American musical group, noted for its cross-pollination of diverse musical genres, including various forms of acoustic folk music, and electronic music. Founded in Hawaii in 1985, the band moved to Austin, Texas in 1987, where they recorded their first three albums...
. The continuous touring left them little time to record, so when they released the Steve Albini
Steve Albini
Steven Frank Albini is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, audio engineer and music journalist. He was a member of Big Black, Rapeman, and Flour, and is currently a member of Shellac...
-produced Little High Sky Show, their increasingly psychedelic sound took many fans by surprise.
The album fared poorly in sales, compared to World of Monsters and the next five years were spent recording a full-length in their custom-built studio. The final album was never released but for a limited run they sold only at a few final shows.
While never officially dissolving, the Drovers eventually stopped performing and Callahan formed the Stroby Alliance, a band with the Swedish artist, Anna Liljas, and sat in frequently as bassist/mandolinist with Chicago rock band, Big Buildings.
Seán Cleland started the band bohola (www.bohola.com) with piano accordion player Jimmy Keane and released four albums on the Shanachie label. He is now the direcctor of The Irish Music School of Chicago (www.irishmusicschool.com) and teaches and performs throughout North America and Ireland.
Kirkpatrick is producing and teaching music.
Bradley co-founded Eventric, a provider of concert tour logistics support solutions.
Discography
- World of Monsters – 1991
- Kill Mice Elf – 1992
- Little High Sky Show – 1994
- Soundtrack from the motion picture Blink – 1994
- The Inner Flame – 1996
- Plus – 1997
- The Drovers – 2001