About Fred
FRED began life as a hobby for three teenage lads (Jamie, Emmett and Liam) from Tralee, Co. Kerry. A move to Cork city for college saw FRED grow to a six-piece as the lads recruited three Corkonians Joseph, Justin and Eibhilin.
After a series of fitful stops, starts and misadventures FRED launched themselves in earnest with the release of their debut album Can't Stop I'm Being Timed (2002). Released independently with no proper distribution or coordinated PR push, FRED were overwhelmed by the response to it. Their hard work and reputation as one of the most exciting live bands in the country helped them to sell over 2000 copies.
Their string of achievements based on this first tentative step was remarkable by any standards. The press response was glowing. They received airplay on all the national Radio stations (highlights being performing live on both Tom Dunne's Pet Sounds and The John Creedon Show on Radio 1). They also made their first appearances on TV (RTE 2's ID, TG4's Cula 4).
Their reputation on the live performance scene also went from strength to strength after the release of their first record, with the highlights including two successful tours of Central Europe, as well as filling the Witnness Rising tent to heaving point at the Witnness Festival in the Summer of 2003.
Different commitments forced a line-up change in summer 2003. So as Emmett and Liam departed, Jamin O'Donovan from Limerick was drafted in. One man to replace two is an onerous task indeed, but O'Donovan rose to the challenge admirably and FRED have become the tight knit five piece they are today.
Musically they acknowledge such legends as Sly Stone, Curtis Mayfield, Bill Withers, and The Beach Boys as well as tipping their hat to such contemporaries as Wilco and The Flaming Lips.
During their time as a band, Fred released four albums, with their final one, Leaving My Empire, debuting in 2011.Their journey began with the Fred EP in 2000, followed by their debut album, Can’t Stop, I’m Being Timed, in 2002. In 2004, they released the single "October" from their second album, with two more singles, "Summer’s Coming" and "Four Chords and the Truth," following in 2005.
Their self-financed third album, Go God Go, was released on 30 May 2008 and later in the U.S. in 2009. The album, recorded at Love Tap Studios and mixed by Mark Wallis in London, peaked at No. 30 on the Irish Albums Chart. It included popular singles "Skyscrapers" and "Running," which received extensive airplay that summer. Fred performed at various festivals, including Electric Picnic and made their Canadian debut at NXNE in June 2008.
In January 2009, the band faced a setback when thousands of euros worth of equipment were stolen from their van in Cork, just before a North American tour in support of the Go God Go album. Fortunately, the gear was recovered within 48 hours. Following a tip-off that the thief had tried to pawn a bass guitar worth €2,500 for €150 using his real ID, Gardaí raided a house where all the gear was recovered. That year they played Oxegen festival and sold out Cork Opera House for a hometown gig.
On 11 April 2011, Fred streamed Leaving My Empire on SoundCloud ahead of its official release on 15 April, where it entered the Irish Albums Chart at No. 23 and the Indie Chart at No. 10. The album received glowing reviews, with State Magazine calling it "a burst of Technicolor glory" and Hot Press noting it marked a new level of brilliance for the band. In August 2011, their song "We Are The City Now" was featured in a national Canadian commercial for TBooth Wireless.
In 2013 Fred announced their split and played two emotional farewell gigs in The Pavilion.
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FRED Villains
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