As a teenager, Anthony Furey didn\u2019t want to follow in the footsteps of his father, George Furey, prominent member of Irish folk band the Furey Brothers.<\/p>\n
In an act of defiance, he tried his hand at football and worked towards becoming a sporting star. But Anthony\u2019s stubborn mindset came with its shortcomings, and things changed when George went on tour and he spent more time hanging out with his mates who were experimenting with instruments.<\/p>\n
It wasn\u2019t long before he voluntarily switched his footy boots for the guitar. \u201cI think I was trying to be a bit of a rebellious teenager,\u201d he remembers.<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of my friends were playing guitar and we were sitting around in a place called Tyrrelstown in the city in Dublin (Ireland), playing football and guitar. We were maybe 12, or 13, or 14, trying to show off and play instruments.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy dad didn\u2019t discover I was playing until one day he popped his head into my bedroom, saw me, gave a nod and walked out. He had a good ear. It was the reaction I was hoping for.\u201d<\/p>\n
Anthony\u2019s love for music saw him attend a music college in Dublin where he met and befriended Paul Butler.<\/p>\n
When college wrapped up, Anthony moved to Holland for about a year while Paul worked as a music teacher in Dublin.<\/p>\n
Upon Anthony\u2019s return home and in a twist of fate, the pair reunited and began playing together before forming their band, The Young Folk.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe name (of the band) kind of came about a few years ago. It\u2019s a bit of a play on words, as in new folk kind of music back then. We were using a lot of different instruments; I think maybe 20 something instruments from electronic to drum machines,\u201d says Anthony, TYF\u2019s lead vocalist and guitarist.<\/p>\n
From there, the band added two new members and started performing shows around Ireland. In 2014, TYF released their debut album The Little Battle which was recorded in five days.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe released an EP in October that year, and we got asked if we\u2019d like to go to New York to play and represent Ireland with a few other bands. But they asked us if we had an album and we didn\u2019t,\u201d Anthony says.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe all had full-time jobs, but myself, Tony and Carl (ex-members) wrote nine songs in one day just so we could play.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Young Folk\u2019s sophomore album, First Sign of Morning, was recorded over a nine-month period. Playing shows in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, France, Germany, Scandinavia, America, New Zealand and Australia, The Young Folk will return down under as part of Portarlington\u2019s National Celtic Festival.<\/p>\n
Anthony says he\u2019s excited to get back to Australia despite the fact he checks under his hotel pillow each night for spiders and snakes.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe absolutely love it (Australia) \u2013 we\u2019ve been over there during summer the last two years,\u201d says Anthony.<\/p>\n
\u201cFestivals in Australia are really good for getting people together. In Ireland, you get booked into a festival and you\u2019re there for three or four hours before you go back home. In Australia, it\u2019s more like a little gathering.\u201d<\/p>\n
Anthony says audiences can expect \u201ca bit of Irish humour and good music\u201d at TYF\u2019s show at NCF.<\/p>\n
The Young Folk will perform as part of NFC from June 7 to June 10. For tickets and this year\u2019s program, visit nationalcelticfestival.com.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
As a teenager, Anthony Furey didn\u2019t want to follow in the footsteps of his father, George Furey, prominent member of Irish folk band the Furey Brothers. In an act of defiance, he tried his hand at football and worked towards becoming a sporting star. But Anthony\u2019s stubborn mindset came with its shortcomings, and things changed […]<\/p>\n