The Billies’ upbeat Celtic folk and rock: The Local Spins Artist Spotlight (Story, podcast, video)

With a new studio album, the five-piece Grand Rapids band which embraces musical camaraderie already is gearing up for another busy St. Patrick’s Day.

 

As Irish bouzouki, mandolin and banjo player Nate Carey so aptly puts it, Celtic music simply has to be experienced live “to get it.”

Guitarist and singer Joe Troyer, a bandmate in The Billies, learned that lesson soon after he started playing with Carey a few years ago.

“We went to a few live gigs and then I was hooked,” says Troyer, who was reared on rock ’n’ roll. “When you go and see it live, it’s really upbeat. The first time I saw it live, I couldn’t help dancing. There’s just something about it.”

That upbeat approach has propelled the five-piece Grand Rapids band since its inception in 2011, and permeates the seven tracks on the group’s album, “Who Wants Some,” released late last year.

Ranging in age from 21 to 38, the current lineup of The Billies – Carey, Troyer, bassist Phil Snijders, singer and tin whistle player Mary Ellen Peck and percussionist Christian VanDuinen (who’s also member of the Brad Fritcher + trois jazz band) – blend rock and pop (from Guns N’ Roses’ “Sweet Child o’ Mine” to Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive”) with traditional Irish tunes and originals.

This week, Carey, Troyer, Peck and VanDuinen played one of those peppy, rock- and Celtic-hued originals, “Legend of Kate Shelley,” on Local Spins Live at News Talk 1340 AM (WJRW). Listen to a podcast of the show here and watch a video of that performance below.

Troyer jokes that weaving familiar radio hits into performances for audiences is a way “to trick them into liking” the band’s music.

“Add a bouzouki or a mandolin and tin whistle to any song and you can give it an Irish flair,” notes Peck.

Unlike other band members, that Irish flair captivated Carey early on. “I come from an Irish family. I think I had my first Guinness when I was 15,” he says. “I listened to Irish music from a young age. I asked my mom to buy me some when I was quite young.”

From The Irish Rovers to The Rumjacks, Dropkick Murphys and Flogging Molly, it’s inspired Carey and The Billies to craft their own lively take on Celtic music that incorporates rock, pop, folk and bluegrass elements – and often, other musicians.

“It’s a really open band. We let a lot of people sit in with us,” Troyer says.

That bond between The Billies and other Celtic-driven Grand Rapids bands such as The Waxies says a lot about the camaraderie and spirit that permeates this slice of West Michigan’s music scene. The Waxies’ Brendan Malloy filled in for Carey at some shows after he had back surgery, and drummer Mack Adama played on several tracks on The Billies’ studio album.

“The Waxies have been a great help to us,” says Carey. “They’ve gotten us a lot of gigs. … We’re very tight with them.”

Indeed, both bands will perform again at the gigantic March 15 Irish on Ionia street party which celebrates St. Patrick’s Day in downtown Grand Rapids. Organizers earlier this week announced the lineup for the outdoor bash, which will expand to two stages this year. (Read a story about this year’s upcoming Irish on Ionia bash online here.)

Before that, The Billies make their debut at Rockford Brewing Co. at 8 p.m. next Thursday night. Admission to that show is free.

For more information about the band, visit its official website at thebilliesirishband.com.

Email John Sinkevics at jsinkevics@gmail.com.
Copyright 2014, Spins on Music