August 14, 2012
(Shite’n’Onions) So who are The Langer’s Ball?
We are from Saint Paul, MN – a hotbed of great Irish music of all sorts! We started out as a Duo, Hannah & Michael, doing pub shows and parties, but over the years, as we started recording, we started wanting to amp up the sound and add musicians. In 2010 we made the jump and put together a 5-piece band, we recorded a live album (Drunk, Sick, Tired) but shortly after that recording the band fell apart as bands do sometimes.
We went back to the core Duo and continued to perform for about another year thatway. But at the end of 2011 we joined up with Drew Miller (Boiled in Lead) Derek Jaimes (ex-Wild Colonial Bhoy) and Trevor Jurgens (Code 13 and other various Punk & Rockabilly bands) and went after the full band sound again. We just finished recording our 1st studio album together (The Devil or the Barrel) it hits stored Aug 1st, 2012.
(Shite’n’Onions) What inspired the formation of the band?
The Duo kept hearing other instruments and parts that weren’t happening, and we wanted to put what we could hear in our heads up on stage. That and free drinks from the venues!
(Shite’n’Onions) Describe your sound?
I dunno, each of us brings different influences. From Folk, Rockabilly, Punk, Hardcore, Baroque, Klezmer, Rrague Rock and a bunch of other stuff, we are drawing from everywhere. If it’s good, we’re happy with it. Most of our music is fast, and a little dark, but we can slow it down and can do some really pretty songs too. When we approach a song, we try to mix it up a bit, like our fast, dark minor key “All For Me Grog” or our
version of “the Wild Rover”, a classic drinking song – well, we made it into a Polka with strong German roots.
(Shite’n’Onions) What going on with the band right now (recording, touring etc)?
We are just releasing “The Devil or the Barrel” and we have a few Midwestern Irish Festivals this summer. We just got picked up by New Folk
Records, so we’ll see what this album brings. Having been a duo for the past 5 years, it’s interesting trying to get the word out that the band
has grown and taken a turn for loud. Some of the places we’ve played before are less appropriate for the full band, and some of the places that
want full bands still think we’re a duo. So we’re trying to get the word out to festivals and a new group of venues that The Langer’s Ball is big!
(Shite’n’Onions) What song in you catalog best defines your sound?
There are a few sides to us, like I mentioned before. I think our main sound and a great example is our version of “Johnny Jump Up”, kind of a
main stay in Irish Music, but again we’ve re-written the melody line, changed up the rhythm added some creepy psychobilly guitar and given that
song a pair! We also have some originals that are fast & fun like “Whiskey Chaser” & “Mackey’s Daughter” these can get a little chaotic, they are
amped up drinking songs. We also have a lighter softer side with songs like “The Little Vagabond”, the lyrics were taken from a William Blake
poem and the music was written by Folk singer Greg Brown – this song offers a breather to the high paced music we usually play.
(Shite’n’Onions) Soapbox – anything you’d like to say?
If you think you know The Langer’s Ball, check us out, we’ve grown into ourselves and I think you’ll like what we do. If you don’t know The Langer’s Ball…same thing, check it out.
Shite'n'Onions 