What began as a three-man folk group consisting of two brothers and a seasoned rocker at the beginning of 2011 quickly transformed into a five-member folk, rock and Irish band this past fall.
Drawing inspiration from Irish tunes, traditional folk songs and personal experiences, Clear Blue Sunday has been hard at work building a fan base and preparing to cut its debut EP this November.
The band performs a unique mixture of original and classic songs, said Dave Rice, original member of the trio and lead singer.
“We have about six or seven of our own songs, but we like to play cover songs too,” he said. “We play some Avett Brothers and Mumford and Sons, Van Morrison and Neil Young. We like the old and the new.”
The band likes to make its own arrangements with four-part harmonies to create a rich sound that not many people hear, said Rice.
“We do some of our own Irish music too,” he said. “Steph (Doyle, bass player) plays in a Celtic rock band, and my brother and I grew up on Irish music, so we like to do that. We are always searching for a way to connect the audience with new and old tunes and stories that mean something to us.”
Although Clear Blue Sunday has never performed in Athens, they are excited to come down, Rice said, especially Doyle, an Ohio University alumna.
Doyle graduated in 1997 cum laude with a B.S. in education and a concentration in music.
Doyle said that walking around campus, watching the students interacting with one another and listening to musicians playing on the green was an experience she will never forget.
“I am thrilled to come back to Athens this week,” said Doyle. “Even though I am a Columbus native, I know it will feel like coming home.”
Rice said he is excited to perform in Athens because he knows that Athens has a good reputation in the music scene.
“I know Athens has a good appreciation for alternative folk and country music,” he said. “There are a lot of bands that come back from Athens and tell us how much they love performing there. I think our feel-good music can put a smile on your face, and it’ll be a new sound not many have heard.”
ao007510@ohiou.edu
If You Go:
What: Clear Blue Sunday
When: 8 p.m. Thursday
Where: The Front Room
Admission: free
