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Engine Alley are a rock music band from Kilkenny, Ireland, active since the 1990s. Their biggest success came in the early 90s, with many television appearances and successful singles. They have toured the UK, United States and Europe and continue to play live shows every year.
A key figure in the early development of the band, Pete Holidai (of The Radiators from Space) discovered the band around this time, having heard the band's Fanning Session and subsequently attending one of their shows. With growing interest from record labels, Holidai helped the band cut more demos and he would later become their manager. Following on from these demos the band signed a record contract with U2's Mother Records later that year. In 1991 the band added classically trained violin player Kenneth Rice from County Kerry, who also doubled up as keyboard player. The band had quickly built up a following; largely due to their colourful and energetic live performances, in tandem with their 70s glam-inspired image. Biography With the band making numerous appearances on prominent chat and music television programmes in Ireland, October 1992 saw the release of their full-length debut album A Sonic Holiday, produced by Steve Lillywhite (U2, Peter Gabriel, The Rolling Stones). The record would win the Best Irish Album accolade that year, awarded by Ireland's leading music magazine Hot Press. Newspaper article The album featured many successful singles, notable of which is Song For Someone which featured Lillywhite's then-wife Kirsty MacColl on backing vocals. Info on recording of Song for Someone
The changing musical climate of the early 90s caused problems for the band commercially – frustrated that the band had failed to mirror their domestic success overseas, it was deemed necessary by record label that the album be re-jigged and re-branded for a UK release. In 1993 the band returned to the studio with ex-The Vibrators man Pat Collier (Robyn Hitchcock, The House of Love, New Model Army) acting as producer/engineer. The album was released by Polydor Records in November of that year under the title Engine Alley, the bulk of which was made up of material featured on A Sonic Holiday. This version of the album would later be released with an alternative cover in the US by Island Records. The band would, for a brief period, relocate to London (where they lived together under the same roof) before embarking on a short but successful tour of the US. Upon returning to Ireland drummer Emmaline Duffy-Fallon departed the band, being replaced by ex-Hothouse Flowers drummer Jerry Fehily. February 1995 saw the band part ways with Mother Records, following which they entered Sun Studios, Dublin to record the follow-up to their debut album – the result of which was Shot in the Light. Released 28 July 1995 on Independent Records, it was somewhat of a departure from the songs of the debut album; being more raw and displaying a darker edge. The album was a critical success but failed to match the hype and radio exposure of previous releases.
The band went on hiatus for a short time in 1996 and have not since returned to their prior level of activity, though they have continued to record and perform music as Engine Alley and otherwise. In 1997 the band line-up was bolstered by the additions of Paul O'Byrne, who replaced Gary Sullivan on drums, and Mark Murphy (guitar) of The Valleys, which had been Brian and Eamonn's interim project. Though Murphy parted ways with the band soon after, O'Byrne continues to play drums for Engine Alley at live performances. In 1999, the band released the five-song Lavender Girl EP. The band has recorded at least an album's worth of material, which has as-yet not seen an official release.
A Sonic Holiday was included in Tony Clayton Lea's tome 101 Irish Records You Must Hear Before You Die, published by Liberties Press in 2011. In 2013, A Sonic Holiday was featured as one of the 'Top 30 Irish Albums of All Time' in The Irish Independent. Irish Independent Top 30 Irish Albums Writing for RTÉ, Dan Hegarty said of the band's follow-up Shot in The Light; "If 'A Sonic Holiday' was the sound of that youthful exuberance that debut albums can sometimes harness, 'Shot in the Light' captures the band in their prime. Calling it a master stroke is not false praise." Dan Hegarty on 'Shot in the Light' Dan Hegarty would again praise the band's second album in the book Buried Treasure: Overlooked, Forgotten and Uncrowned Classic Albums published by Liberties Press, in 2015.
Engine Alley continue to play gigs every year, most frequently in Dublin and Kilkenny, Recent gigs and released their third album Showroom in September 2018.
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