Gavin Glass

County: Dublin

Decades Active: 2000s, 2010s

About Gavin Glass

Gavin Glass is a multi-instrumentalist musician, songwriter and producer from Stillorgan. He has recorded and released music as "Gavin Glass And The Holy Shakers" and later as "Gavin Glass".

Early Days

Glass started his music career with the pop band 'Suddenly Smyth' in 1996 as lead guitarist/songwriter. Suddenly Smyth went on to release two top thirty singles. Glass had then joined rock band Roche. After failing to secure a record deal, front man Brian Roche decided to call it a day. For the next two years Glass focused on learning piano and other instruments. Then Glass & Roche began writing and recording again and reformed the band under the name "Gramophone". Within a month of cutting a three-track demo in Westland Studios the band were signed to a small European label. The band went on to Germany to record an album and spent a year there recording and touring. The band got to play some high-profile gigs. Having completed the album the band relocated to Dublin to begin rehearsing for a tour and prepare for release of the album. Three weeks after arriving home the band got news that their record label was in financial and legal hot water. So began a yearlong battle to retrieve album masters and be released from the contract. It was during this time that Glass built up a recording studio in his home in Killiney and began record production work for many singer songwriters around Dublin and produced several 2FM Fanning Sessions.

Gavin Glass And The Holy Shakers

Gramophone's record company had gone bust, the band was falling apart, but Glass had a bunch of songs/ideas sitting in his hard drive waiting to get out. In December 2003, Glass started messing around with the idea of singing the songs himself and before long an album of material was recorded with Glass on production, singing and playing practically all the instruments himself. The album was recorded in Gavin's home studio in Killiney. Gavin Glass & The Holy Shakers, debut album "I'd like the world to teach me to sing" was released in February 2005.The music draws on a range of diverse influences from the Country-Soul of Americana pioneers The Band, to the melodic electro-rock of Radiohead.

In March 2004 Gavin Glass & The Holy Shakers had an opportunity to play with one of their musical heroes Clarence Clemons of Bruce Springsteen's E-Street band in the Voodoo Lounge. In April 04 Gav got the opportunity to record two as-of-yet unreleased songs with Clarence - "No Superman" and "Sleeping With The Devil".

The debut single "Big Shoes" released in May 04 received critical acclaim and was play-listed on 2fm, (making single of the week on the Fanning Show) and many other regional radio stations. The follow up singles "Days are No Better" and "Skinny Girlfriend" were also favourably received by Radio, The Irish Times, Irish Independent & Hot Press. In February 2006 after a gruelling touring schedule, Glass decided to record a second album with a new line-up, taking the band in a more rootsier direction.

The album "If God Be With Us, Who be Against Us?" was recorded live in Glass' new studio - "The Sound Asylum" in Ringsend, Dublin and features guest performances from the Modern Gospel Ensemble & harmonica legend Don Baker. The record dips into the Country-Roots influences of The Band, Neil Young, Springsteen, Johnny Cash, Tom Waits, Dylan & Van Morrison and blends them with Glass' trademark pop sensibilities. The samplers and synths were put into the closet while the Dobros, Lap Steel, Banjo & Mandolins all played a more significant role.

Solo Work

Following his output with Gavin Glass And The Holy Shakers, Glass released the solo albums Myna Birds (2010), Sunday Songs (2015) and Opus Pocus (2018). Glass also works as a producer, mixer and session musician based out of his Orphan Recording studio in Curracloe, Wexford.

Video

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