Photo credit: iamacosmonaut
“Oh my gosh!!! You are all so rad!!! You sound great!!!” – Sharon Van Etten
Formed with a mission to highlight the need for more women in music, exciting five piece The Kates, from West Cork, are due to release their debut single ‘All That Talk’ on June 21. Ahead of their upcoming debut EP later this year they will have a single launch in DeBarra’s Folk Club, Clonakilty on June 21, 2024.
The Kates comprises of Eve Clague, Liz Clark, Mary Beth O’Mahony, Míde Houlihan and Paula K O’Brien. All five members have played, sang and written their own music for years, each releasing albums of original work. The five piece have now written a collection of original songs and the resulting Pictures Here Of Dreams EP is set for release in September 2024. Debut single ‘All That Talk’, set for release June 21, is written by Míde Houlihan and commenting on the song, she said “The song is about standing in your own way and feeling bad about it but also not being sure how to improve or address it. it’s about feeling a little frustrated with yourself in not being able to keep up with the world and how it moves.”
Five years ago, Paula K O’Brien had the original idea to set up the all women rock band, specifically for a fundraiser for ovarian cancer charity OvaCare. Paula explains, “The fundraiser was in memory of my mother Catherine who passed away from ovarian cancer, and she inspired the name. She was a feminist who loved to lift other women up. The Kates have been going ever since!” The premise behind forming The Kates back in 2017 was to showcase the depth and variety of songs by women in a time where it became obvious that radio play and festival slots featuring women were minimal. Liz adds, “Five years ago, there were very few female led bands, and certainly very few women artists being played on radio and performing at festivals. The Kates were borne from this, to shine a light on the major contribution women have made to the music industry”.
The Why Not Her data report highlighted stats on gender disparity in radio and festival lineups so The Kates wanted to do their bit for women in music. They focused on performing songs written or performed by women, covers by artists like Sharon Van Etten, Orla Gartland, Angel Olsen, Lucy Dacus, Patty Smith, The Staves, Haim, Joseph…to shine a light on these incredible writers and performers. The stats are still far from equal. However, The Kates soon started gaining interest locally, selling out shows in DeBarra’s Clonakilty, St Matthew’s Baltimore and Levis’ Ballydehob. Since forming, The Kates have come to the attention of Irish festivals and are currently booked for Night and Day Festival in Roscommon and Clonmel Busking Festival this Summer. Eve says “selling out local shows is something we absolutely feel so proud of and we feel so appreciative of the support we get”.
Speaking on the band Paula K adds, “It’s also a wonderful vehicle to express ourselves in an environment that feels true to us as we are all individually songwriters and singers. We support each other. We love that in The Kates band, we are women in our 20s, 30s & 40s, allowing for the sharing of experiences and learning from each other. The support and encouragement from our local communities has been integral to keep playing and to start writing together as a band. From our first gig in 2017 for the charity OvaCare to our single launch in DeBarras in 2024, we are so proud of how far we’ve come and we hope to keep on going.”
The Kates have just completed a five track EP of original songs, recorded in Wavefield Recording Studio Clonakilty. Commenting on their experience at the local studio, Mary Beth added, “Brian and Sarah from Wavefield worked so well with us, getting the very best out of us as musicians and singers, and also showing great understanding of the songs”. The Pictures Here Of Dreams EP features a track written by each member of The Kates and is due for release in September 2024.
The Kates ‘All That Talk’ single launch in DeBarra’s Folk Club is on June 21. Tickets available through www.debarra.ie
Follow The Kates on Instagram, Facebook & TikTok
Connect with Eve Clague/ Mide Houlihan/ Paula K O’Brien/ Liz Clark/ Mary Beth O’Mahony
The Kates are:
Eve Clague – lead guitar and vocals
Liz Clark – rhythm guitar and vocals
Mary Beth O Mahony – keyboards and vocals
Míde Houlihan – drums and vocals
Paula K O Brien – bass and vocals
Upcoming gigs
June 1 – Ardfield Summer Festival
June 21 – DeBarra’s, Clonakilty (‘All That Talk’ Single launch)
June 29 – Day & Night Festival, Roscommon
July 13 – Crane Lane Theatre, Cork
August 9 – Clonmel Busking Festival, Tipperary
August 17 – Shanleys, Clonakilty
