County: Dublin

About The Guggenheim Grotto

From their web site:

Irish based trio, The Guggenheim Grotto are; Kevin May, Mick Lynch and Shane Power; multi-instrumentalists, completely at home in charge of a breathtaking array of instruments both onstage and in the studio.

The band wears its influences lightly, blending them into a distinctive contemporary sound. At the heart of that sound, itÆs the songs which drive the music, weaving a heady mix of pop, folk and soaring melodies around their ever present vocal harmonies.

Together as a duo since 2003, Mick and Kevin cut their teeth playing the same Dublin songwriter circuit that spawned Damien Rice. Having produced and recorded a collection of five songs in the confines of KevinÆs tiny flat, in 2004 they approached Shane (a busy musician and studio engineer) to put the finishing touches to what resulted in the self-released æA Lifetime In HeatÆ EP. Instantly impressed by what he heard, Shane and the duo kept in touch, exchanging ideas, occasionally gigging together and eventually combining talents to form the line-up which then set about recording their first Album.

Packaged in a beautifully unique red leather binding, the bandÆs long playing debut æ...Waltzing AloneÆ was self-released to immediate critical acclaim in Ireland on September 9th 2005. Promotional Single æTold You SoÆ rapidly became a firm favourite on Irish airwaves and within weeks climbed to #12 on the Irish National Airplay Chart (compiled by AC Nielsen).

In America, awareness of the band began to rise thanks to the support of DJÆs like David Dye at WXPN, Kate Bradley on XM50's æThe LoftÆ and Nic Harcourt at KCRW. January 2006 saw the band travel to the legendary BBC Maida Vale Studios in London where they recorded a live session for Nic HarcourtÆs show æMorning Becomes EclecticÆ.

As more and more American College Radio and AAA stations picked up on the Album, the band were invited to showcase at SXSW where they played a brace of gigs before heading off to the sunnier climes of Los Angeles for a KCRW sponsored show at the Hotel CafΘ. Airing in early May 2006, an hour long live session for XM RadioÆs æThe LoftÆ was recorded just before the bandÆs departure for the U.S. and most recently, KevinÆs lyrics have been the subject of discussion on WNURÆs Literary Show.

Filled with a host of (as yet) unrecorded gems in addition to their Album tracks, the bandÆs stage shows are incandescent. Their on-stage dynamism and musicianship continue to draw in new devotees, while never failing to impress existing fans with renditions of what are fast becoming classic songs.

Listen to radio session on KCRW