Photo credit: Davie Norton
We Banjo 3
We Banjo 3 has traveled a long distance since forming in Ireland nearly seven years ago. Their story starts in Galway, a harbor city located on the country’s west coast. Known as the fourth largest city in Ireland, Galway is rich in history and culture. You don’t have to travel far to find musicians performing at pubs and street corners. It’s a place where music collaboration is encouraged and celebrated. In 2011, two sets of brothers, Enda and Fergal Scahill and Martin and David Howley, came together to form the band.
It didn’t take long for others to take notice of their music. We Banjo 3 quickly became a favorite around the country thanks to their unique “Celtgrass” sound, which blends together traditional Irish music, Americana, bluegrass and pop music.
Eventually, they decided to test their luck in America. In 2012, they performed their first U.S. show at Milwaukee Irish Fest. They enjoyed it so much that they’ve returned every year since.
“Milwaukee is kind of our hometown gig,” says singer and guitarist David Howley. “The first time we played, we had maybe 10 people there because we were playing earlier in the day. At the end of the weekend, there were a lot of people trying to jam their way in to see us. We knew at that stage that something magical was happening.”
Howley says each year they challenge themselves to “bring something bigger and different.” For example, last summer they toured with a three-piece horn section. This year is particularly special as they’re promoting their latest album, Haven, which came out last month. Their Friday performance will be devoted to performing the album in full. Saturday’s set will have a mix of old and new music. For Sunday’s set, the band will collaborate with other musicians at the fest.
“We do kind of a party stage where we get as many people as we can on stage with us to play some songs together,” Howley says. “That’s been really enjoyable for us. I think it’s cool for festivalgoers to see bands that normally don’t play together.”
Music can provide a haven for people in uncertain times, he says. Hence the title of the band’s album. “We often get people coming up to us after shows saying, ‘I was having a bad day, but then I came out to the show.’ That’s really important,” says Howley. “The world’s gotten particularly crazy, so the music needs to be a place where people can stretch out. And also connect with other people whose views might be different from theirs.”
“At festivals, we see people in the front row, and they’re all different shapes, sizes and colors, and everybody’s different. But they’re all there for the unified reason of listening to music and having a good time,” he continues. “With this album, we wanted to give people something that was meaningful and had a message but was also inclusive of everybody. It’s been powerful to have people connect so much with the songs.”
“Light in the Sky” is one of the songs people have particularly gravitated towards. The song is a rallying anthem for those dealing with mental health issues. I think a lot of young people feel that, when they set off, they have to be successful. They don’t think they can’t call home and say that it didn’t work out,” says Howley. “In the darkest moments, where it feels like it’s at its worst, that’s where you really need to hold on most, and you can get better and reach out for help. The song’s so triumphant, which I feel it really needs to be. It is a triumphant message that, if you hold on, things will get better.”
The band hasn’t sweated adjusting to having half of its members move to the U.S. Howley moved to Nashville two years ago, and his brother moved recently as well. “We travel and tour so much that, personally, I don’t feel like I live anywhere,” says Howley. “Friendship is very important in our band. I think the band has benefited from us having really good relationships with each other. I think that shows up in the music. It’s nice having a home base when we’re in Ireland but also in America when we’re there as well.”
It helped the band as they recorded their first album in the U.S. with their touring sound engineer, Frank Marchand. “Frank is an amazing engineer and has been on the road with us, and he had a really great studio,” says Howley. “We stayed at an Airbnb and cooked a lot of meals together and really bonded as a band. We were so comfortable. The first or second take was the one we used. That speaks to the energy of our music.”
We Banjo 3 will perform at Milwaukee Irish Fest’s Coors Light Stage on Friday, Aug. 17 at 8 p.m., Saturday Aug. 18 at 8:15 p.m. and Sunday, Aug. 19 at 7 p.m. For the complete festival lineup, visit irishfest.com.
