What do you get when you cross a radio DJ, a former Olympic athlete, a graphic designer, a photographer and an engineer? No, it’s not an extremely fit and well turned-out bridge builder who moonlights as the voice of the shipping news! Instead you get a feast of intelligent, sometimes blistering electro-folk-rock, all wrapped up in the band Acrojunk. They have a new single “Generation X-Squared” on the way after Christmas. Heavily influenced by the cultural writings of Douglas Coupland and melodic tuneship of The Divine Comedy, “Generation X-Squared” has the wit, the heart and the hooks to succeed on the airwaves.
In 2006, Waterford’s Acrojunk grew out of the ashes of the critically lauded group “The Bearded Ladies” and with their fervent stage presence are quickly gaining a reputation as one of Ireland’s most promising acts. Even though they’ve only been together a year, they’ve already shared stages up and down the country with such luminaries as The Walls, Mark Geary, Fred, Jerry Fish & The Mudbug Club and Dae Kim. In February of 2007, Acrojunk released their debut EP “The Cold Old Playboy” to much applause and aplomb:
“Their overall sound is quite unique. Acrojunk take the best, leave the rest and develop a likeable combination of old and new styles” – Hotpress.
The EP received much airplay on radio stations around the country, a selection of which are Phantom FM, Beat 102-103, WLRFM, RedFM, FM104, Flirt FM, Galway Bay FM and Live 95. Acrojunk are currently recording their debut album, which is due for release in Summer 2008.
The five members of Acrojunk are a reflection of some of the more positive aspects of modern Ireland. The newest member is Brian Roche, an engineer by day but a multi-instrumentalist by night. As well as playing guitar, piano and god knows what else, Brian has taken up bass duties in Acrojunk. Synths and habitual guitars are handled by Neal Byrne, himself a fine singer/songwriter and former Olympic rower, who represented Ireland at the Sydney 2000 games (that was before he was bitten by the musical bug). Guitarist Dave Manser was formerly a member of the national 2002 O2 New Band Competition winning The Real, who on the back of a top 20 single scored two successive shows at the UK’s Reading Festival. Drummer Trevor Nolan is developing quite a profile as a photographer, specialising in offbeat weddings and music shots. Meanwhile, frontman Rob O’Connor is familiar to many as the voice of the Irish Beats radio show on Beat 102-103.
Acrojunk - imagine a musical cage wrestling match between The Kinks, Johnny Cash, Joy Division, Dinosaur Jr. Squeeze, Soundgarden and The Beatles and you're halfway there.
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