Joe Echo

It doesn't get much better than co-writing the signature track, ‘Celebration’ for Madonna’s new album. Despite this Joe Echo still remains a little known entity here in the UK.
Maybe it’s because the singer/songwriter has spent 10 years in a band gigging under his birth name of Ciaran Gribbin, and the last 2 years building his solo career in his home town in Ireland.
Those lucky enough to have secured a ticket to see Sir Paul McCartney at Hyde Park in London this summer may have caught his warm-up act.
Those who didn’t, fear not as his work will soon be bought to life on the big screen in the form of the eagerly awaited forthcoming film, ‘Killing Bono’.
The Irish singer/songwriter not only wrote but also recorded and co-produced all of the original songs on the film staring Ben Barnes & Robert Sheehan.
The rising star took time out of a creative song writing course this weekend to speak to Music-News.com about his key success thus far, his musical influences and Bono. Meet Joe Echo…

Music-News.com: Why the name Joe Echo?

Ciaran: I’d been in a band for seven years but wasn’t sure if I wanted to focus on being just another stand-alone artist. Instead I wanted to be seen as a collaborator and so I thought it best to reinvent myself. Joe is actually my grandfather’s first name and so it means a great deal to me and Echo is the name of an old acoustic guitar I've had for years.

MN: The last year has been huge for you, tell us more about your live shows and who you’ve supported thus far?

Ciaran: It’s been amazing. Right now I’m pretty well known in Ireland, but we’ve not yet hit the London scene, so it’s been great to start off by playing alongside the likes of Paolo Nutini, James Morrison and The Script. One of my best performances of the year, and the largest yet, was opening for Paul McCartney in Hyde Park, it was immense.

MN: In terms of genre, you’re pretty hard to place. Where would you position yourself at this moment in time?

I’ve spent a long time working out where it is I want to be in terms of music. I think the trouble is I am so heavily influenced by so many different artists and that comes across in my work. It might sound corny, but passionate music is how I’d describe it. In everything I’ve done and every piece of music I’ve written and performed it’s always been with the utmost passion. I want to make music that moves the heart, but also the feet. The music I’m writing and producing as Joe Echo is quite different and there is no one genre to describe it, but one thread that runs through it is passion, and I intend to continue that.

MN: Who have been you key influences?

Ciaran: Gosh there really are so many. As a baby boy growing up in Ireland, Dad used to play traditional Irish music to me. When you’re little you don’t tend to think of it as influencing you, but it definitely did and I think that’s where the story-telling element to my songs and lyrics stems from.

Seamus Heaney the famous poet, writer and Nobel prize winner was born in the same town I grew up in, and our headmaster used to read his poems to us, so I think it’s fair to say he had a huge influence in my song writing too.

Growing up I also listened to the rock classics who were around before my time such as; Thin Lizzy, U2, Deep Purple and Black Sabbath. These bands were my first real introduction to recorded music.

MN: Rumour has it you are due to support The Stereophonics in Belfast later this year, how are you feeling about it?

Ciaran: Absolutely delighted. I can’t stress how important it is to me. I’ve spent the last 10 years slogging my guts out and playing in the pubs and clubs of Belfast, to finally get to the point where you get a call like this, asking you to open for The Stereophonics, it’s just amazing. It may have been a long time coming, but it’s not something I am taking for granted and I cannot wait. It will be the biggest crowd I’ve played to yet.

MN: You wrote, recorded and co-produced all of the original songs for the forthcoming movie ‘Killing Bono’. How did that come about?

Ciaran: My first big break came as a result of my work with Paul Oakenfold which led to the co-writing of Madonna’s song, Celebration. Following on from this I was informed director, Nick Hamm was on the hunt for Irish songwriters for the movie ‘Killing Bono‘. I pitched a song I’d written and was then asked to write a further song for a scene in the movie. They liked what they heard and asked me to pitch for more. Having read the entire script by this point I was in a good position to suggest further songs for scenes which they were happy with and they asked to write all the songs throughout the movie.

It’s been great, as it’s given me the chance to work with producer, Mike Hedges who has worked with The Cure, U2 and the Manic Street Preachers. I was on set throughout the film to provide musical direction and all the guitars, backing vocals and produced sounds you hear during the original songs within the film are me. It was agreed that the main vocals would be performed by the actors, Ben Barnes and Martin McCann and many of the songs are performed live, making it much rougher round the edges.

MN: What are you thoughts on Bono? Are you a fan?

Ciaran: I think it’s fair to say Ireland has a love/hate relationship with Bono. There’s no getting away from the fact he is one of the biggest rock stars of our time and he’s right up there with James Morrison and such like. He does have a lot to say for himself and there’s those who criticize him when he does, but I personally think that’s the way it should be. When you’ve worked as hard to get where he has and you’ve achieved as much as he has musically why shouldn’t you have the right to say what you feel. I think it’s great! There’s no getting away from the fact U2 are like royalty in Ireland. They’re to Ireland what The Beatles are to London.

MN: You’ve had huge success in Ireland, when can we look forward to hearing more from you in England?

Ciaran: In two weeks we’ll be shooting the video for my third single, ‘Sink Your Teeth In’ in Ireland which will have a gruesome Halloween theme to it, so it should be a lot of fun. I’ll be doing a lot more in the UK towards the end of the year and start of next and hope to release my debut album in March.

Joe Echo's new single 'Wonderful Way' is available on iTunes now.
www.myspace.com/joeecho