Fenians Begin Again

Most local bands yearn for a devoted fan base and musical job security, both of which the Irish folk-rock group the Fenians has achieved by playing Orange County pubs and eateries tirelessly for the last decade.

But the Fenians also woke up recently to discover there’s a flip side to such success: complacency.

“We had built up this incredibly loyal, local following, but the truth is, it’s been a double-edged sword for us,” said lead singer and mandolinist Terry Casey, 35, said during a recent interview at the Harp Inn in Costa Mesa, one of the pubs he frequents with his bandmates--acoustic guitarist-vocalist Rob Williams, bassist Brendan Harkins, drummer Chris Pierce and multi-instrumentalist Tardu Yegin.

“We were comfortable but had been hesitant to take any chances,” Casey said, “so we finally said, ‘This is all well and good, but we don’t want to just be a big fish in a small pond. Let’s see if it’ll play in Peoria,’ so to speak.”

The Fenians, who perform New Year’s Eve at the Galaxy Concert Theatre in Santa Ana, didn’t make it to Peoria, but they did get to Hoboken, N.J., during a summer road tour that covered small clubs to large Irish festivals in Chicago and Philadelphia.

In addition to expanding their geographical reach, the band members also wanted to come up with some original material to supplement the traditional tunes and other outside material they rely on.

That effort produced several of the songs found on the Fenians’ new “Band of Rogues” (Mizen Head Music) album, its first since “A Distant City Street” in 1994. The 13-track collection, recorded live at the Galaxy last June, mixes spirited rebel songs and up-tempo, rock-tinged instrumentals with ballads and waltzes.

At a time when politically charged anthems have fallen out of public favor, the Fenians recall early U2 and Hothouse Flowers with songs about social issues, including the dehumanization of the modern working man and the history of strife in the war-torn British Isles.

In addition to its own arrangements of a handful of Irish standards, the group co-wrote--with Patrick Hegarty--one tune (“Doogan’s Stones”) and composed a pair of instrumentals (“Flower of Philadelphia,” “Drowsy Turk”) and an ambitious mini-epic (“The San Patricios”).

“The San Patricios” is based on the true story of the St. Patrick’s Battalion, a group of 500 immigrant soldiers--led by Capt. John Riley--who, after claiming mistreatment by officers, deserted the U.S. Army to fight for Mexico during the Mexican-American War. By war’s end, the Battalion was captured by U.S. forces. Fifty men were hanged and 15--including Riley--had the letter “D” (for deserter) branded on their faces.

“We didn’t want it to be interpreted as anti-American,” Casey said, “but many believe that the saying ‘One man’s hero is another man’s traitor’ came from this historical saga. We just thought it was an important story that hasn’t adequately been told from either perspective, really.”

The collaborative songwriting effort proved invaluable to the Fenians’ self-confidence.

“Getting us all together in one room with each of bringing something to share . . . that had never happened before. This showed us that we could do it,” Pierce said Since the collective songwriting began, the band has written about half an album’s worth of material that band members say remains true to the Fenians’ sound and style--that is, a mixture of traditional Irish jigs, reels and ballads, and more contemporary-sounding, rock-oriented fare. Although straddling the line between past and present is no easy task, Casey, who started the Fenians in 1989 as a duo with Patrick “Murph” Kerry, who subsequently left the group, maintains that it’s essential to do so for folk music to survive.

“Folk music gets passed from generation to generation as new elements are introduced that keep the music vital,” he said. “Sometimes purists meet that change with resistance, but as long as you stick to the core spirit of a genre or song, you become part of a natural evolution that includes everyone from the Chieftains and Clancys to Luka Bloom and the Pogues.”

That said, the Fenians also know how to bring on the noise when so moved.

“We have found that is easy to slip over the line and play rock ‘n’ roll songs, especially with instrumentation that includes the electric bass and drums,” Casey said. “But the Fenians is a folk group with a rock attitude and energy. We don’t write rock songs and then bring a mandolin or acoustic guitar to them--there’s a big difference.”

It matters little to the Fenians what others call their music.

“ ‘Celtic rock’ is a term, particularly on the East Coast, that is freely tossed around,” Casey said. “I’ve certainly heard it used to describe our music, which kind of makes sense. But I simply prefer ‘Irish music.’ That’s the term I heard growing up--not Celtic or traditional or rock.”

Whatever it’s labeled, the Fenians’ music does pose some unique challenges.

“In traditional Irish or folk songs, there’s no bass or drums. . . . The songs have more of a natural beat and rhythm that drives them,” said Harkins, who has played in reggae, ska and punk bands. “Our job is to propel the song forward but, at the same time, not corrupt the Irishness.”

“Art is more about what kind of feeling the painting or dance or music will evoke in a person,” added Williams, who brings a folk and bluegrass background to the group. “I don’t believe the creative process is that conscious of an effort. We’re not that premeditated in our approach, so why put a name on what we do? The important thing is that the music is honest and represents who we are.”

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* The Fenians and Soma play Friday at the Galaxy Concert Theatre, 3503 S. Harbor Blvd., Santa Ana. 9 p.m. $35-$37. (714) 957-0600.