I have been listening to and loving music for as long as I can remember. I'm always amazed at how music seems to turn in circles. If you like one artist you will always find that there is a connection between that artist and another artist that you like. Some really odd ones can exist, like Nirvana and Leadbelly.

 Music is a never ending voyage of discovery and when you're starting out on that voyage having an older sibling can be a real advantage. My older brother John introduced me to rock'n'roll at a very early age.  At the age of ten my main men were Elvis, Dion and the Everly Brothers. In my early teens I discovered the Stones and the Animals, this in turn bought me to Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker and the Chess catalogue. Then someone introduced me to Bob Dylan's 'The Times They Are A Changing' and another  piece of the jigsaw fell into place. Woody Guthrie, Cisco Huston and Leadbelly entered my musical world. The final piece was the Byrds album 'Sweethearts of the Rodeo'. Blues, Country, Rock, all meat from the same bone.

At the moment  I have just finished reading Philip Norman's biography of John Lennon. It's interesting but maybe a little too long. I'm also half way through Homicide by David Simon. He's the guy behind that excellent TV series The Wire and the book is as good as the series.
Paddy Hehir

And how would you describe your musical career ?

Erratic, interesting ,ongoing. Drunken sessions in Joe Malones and Kilkee singing Eagles, Lightfoot, Prine, Young and Hehir. Busking London Underground with one song 'Teach Your Children'. Ended up doing just that, well, trying! Exposure in the Amharclann with Tony, Paul, Gussie, Joe and Johnny Duhan (almost)...Supporting Thin Lizzy in Savoy in Limerick. Philo said 'Hello Master Hare' Tom, Tom, Brian, Eddy and me. Solid rock and so onwards and.. well onwards. Mystery Train journeys with Joe. Train Train and the Train Now Leaving , no more trains choo chho e coo.. and Raglan Rodeo.

Briefly, you influences?

Neil, Bob, John, Joe, Gordon, Brian, Tom, Johnny, Bock, Eamonn, Ryan, Tony, Hank..what..ok..Young, Dylan, Lennon, Deegan, Lightfoot, Wilson, Jones, Cash, the Robber, Hehir, Adams, Fitz, Williams.

Current Listening ?

Living With War, TV On The Radio, John Wesley Harding, Bright Eyes, Jacksonville City Nights, Cash at San Quentin, Belle and Sebastian, Riot City Blues, Dusty In Memphis.

Books?

I’ve played music since my early teens. From my earlier Trad days as a whistle player I graduated to Mandolin and played with Ballad and Trad Irish group “The Squares”. Early influences were Planxty, Clannad and the Chieftains.

In my late teens I discovered guitar and started listening to people like Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits, Eric Clapton and Fleetwood Mac, and American songwriters like James Taylor, Jackson Browne, Paul Simon, Jim Croce and Dean Friedman. This healthy balance of genres, gave me my grounding in roots music, however, my musical career would follow a very different path over the next 20 years or so.

In 1979, I formed pop-rock outfit “Emergency Exit” along with 7 others. With so many band members, I undertook to learn Keyboards, to add to my versatility.

We had a 4 track demo which generated radio play, media and A&R interest. Unfortunately, it was difficult to keep such a large body of people happy therefore we went the way of a lot of emerging bands did, and dissolved in acrimony!

Eventually, I tired of playing in cover bands, and yearned for a new beginning.

Answering the call to play Bass with Raglan Rodeo, has been the most positive re-awakening in my recent musical history.

The highlights so far have been playing at the open air festival in Cavan in 2005 and the Kilkenny Rhythm & Roots festival in 2006. I look forward with relish to the completion of our first album and to continue playing to appreciative audiences.

I’m currently listening to the likes of Lucinda Williams, Ryan Adams and the Dixie Chicks, but people like Marc Cohn, The Pogues and Friedman’s newer material are never far from my ears.