Double the value as instrumental group Tucan play concert in city

Date Published: 26-May-2011

Sligo instrumental group Tucan play at Monroes Live venue this Friday night, having recently expanded to a quartet following the addition of two new members.

Originally a duo composed of Donal Gunne and Pearse Feeney, Tucan is now a four-piece outfit with the added fat bass lines and thumping drums of Paul Wherly and Keith Kelly.

Their debut album Aliquot Strings, produced by Kíla’s Lance Hogan, was greeted by critical acclaim both at home and abroad, and the group has gone on to perform with the likes of Alabama 3, Rodrigo y Gabriela and Jose Feliciano.

The album was self-released but climbed to number 29 in the Irish charts, which prompted Pearse Feeney to point out that, if they had sold seven more records, they would have overtaken the Pussycat Dolls.

They also shared a stage with New York based singer/songwriter Regina Spektor and have been regulars at Electric Picnic every year since 2007. Tucan have recorded a series of eight live videos of interpretations of classic dance tracks, as well as a number of their own original tracks, which are set to be released exclusively online through social networking sites, YouTube and iTunes. The videos have been dubbed The Factory Sessions.

The expansion to a four-piece band has added another dimension to the energetic play of the acoustic instrumentalists Gunne and Feeney.

Tucan will perform at Monroes Live venue on Dominick Street at 11.30pm this Friday, May 27.