Flogging Molly is a celtic punk band from Los Angeles. They formed in 1997, due to a dispute between vocalist Dave King and Epic Records. King, the former lead singer for the 1980s British metal band Fastway, had planned to embark on a solo career and leave hard rock behind for a sound that hewed closer to the folk music of his native Ireland. Epic refused to let him use traditional Irish instruments in his music, causing him to leave the label to form a band with fiddle player Bridget Regan.
King and Regan worked to find five more members. Eventually guitarist Dennis Casey, bassist Nathan Maxwell, Drummer George Schwindt, mandolin player Bob Schmidt, and accordion player Matt Hensley joined, completing the seven-piece band. Every Monday the band played at a club called Molly Malone's, which prompted them to name their band Flogging Molly.
The band was originally signed to Side One Dummy Records, but beginning with their 2011 album, Speed of Darkness, they publish under on their own label, Borstal Beat Records. The band's music is heavily influenced by politics, and Irish culture and history, as can be seen in the songs "Don't Shut 'Em Down" and "Drunken Lullabies" respectively. In 2004 the band started doing a yearly tour called the "Green 17" tour, which still goes on to this day. They have currently released six studio albums and are still actively making music and playing live shows.
Discography:
- 1997 - Alive Behind The Green Door (live album)
- 2000 - Swagger
- 2002 - Drunken Lullabies
- 2004 - Within a Mile of Home
- 2006 - Whiskey on a Sunday (live album)
- 2007 - Complete Control Sessions (EP)
- 2008 - Float
- 2010 - Live at the Greek Theatre (live album)
- 2011 - Speed of Darkness
- 2017 - Life Is Good
- 2022 - Anthem
Tropes which apply to Flogging Molly:
- The Alcoholic: "Float" is from the perspective of one.
- Audience Participation Song: "Salty Dog" at concerts, on "Then puked until you fell asleep" and the first "Back from hell where you belong"
- Battle Couple: The subject of "May the Living be Dead (In Our Wake)"
- Drunken Song: "Drunken Lullabies" qualifies, although the lyrics go somewhat deeper (see Lyrical Dissonance below).
- Epic Rocking: "Black Friday Rule".
- Genre Mashup: They create their Celtic punk sound by combining punk rock with Irish folk influences.
- Lyrical Dissonance: "Drunken Lullabies" is an up-beat, seemingly straightforward drinking song... about the conflict in Northern Ireland.
- Patter Song: "Salty Dog", being a song with a tight rhythm and fast vocals
- Premature Encapsulation: Alive Behind The Green Door included the song "Swagger". Their next album, which was titled Swagger, did not include the song, but their third album Drunken Lullabies did include it.
- Rockumentary: Whisky On A Sunday.
- Seven Deadly Sins: The name and focus of one of their songs.
- Step Up to the Microphone: Nathan Maxwell sings lead on "Queen Anne's Revenge."
- Subdued Section: "Devil's Dance Floor" constantly has instruments drop out so that only drums, vocals, and the flute are heard.
- Title-Only Chorus: "You Won't Make A Fool Out Of Me."
- Villain Song: "Seven Deadly Sins", a jaunty sea shanty about the personifications of the seven most evil concepts in the world.
- Wanderlust Song: Their song "Wanderlust".
- War Is Hell: Most of their songs about The Troubles.
