After two years touring Europe, David Hope is back with a new band and a new EP. Andrew Hamilton caught up with the Shannon singer-songwriter and found out what it takes to be big in Germany.
There’s something about the Irish sound that make the Germans stand up and take notice. More than that in fact; there is something about the music of the west, and Clare in particular. From the days when the Russell brothers were as famous in Dusseldorf as they were in Doolin, the Germans have always latched onto something in the music of Clare and taken it for their own. And so it remains. The latest in this long line of musicians is Shannon singer- songwriter David Hope. After releasing his debut album, A Picture, in 2007, things seemed to go a bit quiet for Hope. This perceived quietness in Ireland was brought about by the explosion in his popularity in Europe and in Germany in particular - something which may have had some influence on his latest EP, Daybreak Someplace. “I’m not sure if it has or it hasn’t. It’s hard to know what exactly can sneak in and influence you on a subconscious level. Stylistically, I don’t think it has really influenced me. The new CD is a little bit more rootsie, a more American kind of sound than the first album had - it was more Irish-sounding. I still like that element and I wouldn’t say that I’ve changed things too much since I’ve been touring over in Germany. I guess the reason I’ve been over there so much is that they like what I do and that reinforces it with me. Working as an independent artist, undertaking a record is a big, big responsibility. It’s all well and good to put together recordings and put them out there but unless you have time enough to do it and do it right, then maybe it’s best to wait. It’s not as if I took a break or anything. I was always writing or recording but never found the right group of songs or the right group of musicians to sit down and play with.
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