Combining catchy vocal melodies, soaring harmonies and deep rhythmic grooves, Surrey Lane continues to create infectious sing-along pop songs with their latest release, The Long Way Home.
Have you ever had such an intense passion for something that you would change your life for the one-in-a-million chance to achieve it? Well, consider this...
Surrey Lane lead vocalist Enda Keegan quit high school in Ireland because his principal thought music was a 'hobby' and wanted him to pursue a career in woodworking. Risking it all, Keegan began performing in pubs throughout the Irish countryside by night, working ten-hour shifts picking cabbage in the fields by day. One evening, an American businessman and his wife watched Keegan perform one of his original songs, and then made him a life altering proposal: an all expense paid college education to further his musical aspirations... no strings attached.
Just weeks later, Keegan found himself at a Conservatory of Music in Winchester, VA. "Music was everywhere," he remembers. "In the hallways, classrooms, dorms. It was literally a whole new world for me."
For months, drummer and fellow student Kevin Jahoda had heard about 'the Irish Guy' on campus but had never met him. "My schedule was crazy and I was always playing, practicing or something," Jahoda recalls. "One night we just kind of met in the hallway. He was frustrated and upset over something. We chilled out that night and talked about things, and we've been the best of friends ever since."
Keegan and Jahoda were friends throughout college but never collaborated musically. They only started talking about playing in a band together after they both relocated to New York City after graduation. "We'd become brothers; that's how close we are," explains Keegan. "We knew just about everything about each other, and we just started talking about writing and performing together over the phone. The hardest thing when you write with someone is feeling comfortable enough to express yourself completely. Between Kev and I though, that was the easiest."
Almost as elusive as the perfect sound at the start was the perfect name for the new band. The boys were in search of a name that truly represented them. They had a long list of possibilities that "were terrible" as Jahoda puts it. "We were doing a showcase for the Songwriter's Hall of Fame and needed a band name," he explains. "Walking to rehearsal, it dawned on us what to use: the street name where we rehearsed... Surrey Lane. People in the neighborhood used to come and listen to us rehearse, and little kids asked us to show them how to play instruments and things. We have a connection to the place; it just fit." At last, Surrey Lane was born.
With a strong collection of new songs under its belt, Surrey Lane began to perform and immediately began to capture the attention of regulars in many of New York City's top clubs such as The Elbow Room, Maxwell's, The Baggot Inn, The Bottom Line, Arlene's Grocery, and Rocky Sullivan's. Fan attendance tripled within the first few months of performing, which led to the decision to record a self-titled album in early 1999. Working with Producer/Engineer Frank Fagnano, the record captured the power of many of the songs including Turn Your Head, Going Home, and Yesterday I Wished. The album sold over 1000 copies within the first six months of release, and one recording off the record, Pocket Morality, was featured in the award winning film, Alice Underground.
Although the success of the first recording garnered them new fans and continued gigs throughout New York, Keegan and Jahoda were still searching for the definitive Surrey Lane sound. The band went to work on a new record, again choosing to work with Producer/Engineer Frank Fagnano. "We decided early on to go to the studio and not be constrained by time," Jahoda remembers. "We wanted to make something that reflected our passion for playing music." "With Frank you need time to let him do his thing," adds Keegan. "He spent a lot of time before we started recording going to rehearsals and gigs. He learned exactly what we are about as individuals and as musicians. Then we began to work on capturing it on the CD."
Halfway through the recording of The Long Way Home, Surrey Lane halted production to record the single, Love Must Grow, which sprung from the events of Sept. 11th. Written for the benefit of The Chris Dunne Foundation, a charity organization devoted to assisting the families of the victims of the tragedy, Love Must Grow became one of the fastest selling singles in the history of record retail site CDBaby.com. The song was highlighted in an ABC News Radio feature that featured Surrey Lane and Sir Paul McCartney. "I still listen to this song and become emotional about the events of that day," Keegan said during the ABC Radio interview. "Love Must Grow reflects the true spirit of New Yorkers in their shared suffering, comfort and humanity".
Surrey Lane returned to the studio in late 2001 to put the finishing touches on The Long Way Home, completing the CD in the spring of 2002. Mastered by MasterDisk Chief Engineer Andy VanDette, the CD was released to the public on June 27th. The Long Way Home is a diverse collection of modern pop-rock songs, from the contagious energy of Let You Go and Some Days, to the soulful sweep of Why Do We Do and Tell Me Why. Bob Gulla from CDNOW commented "Surrey Lane recalls commercial-pop groups like the Wallflowers and even the Little River Band, outfits that could write ultra-melodic songs for radio with their guitars tied behind their backs". The Irish Immigrant's Cahir O'Doherty wrote "...the band has created their best work yet, a balanced album of driving sing-along pop tunes".
In September of 2003 the band released Some Days to national radio outlets. Jahoda and Keegan continued to promote the single throughout the end of the year and into 2004 with radio interviews and live performances. Some Days charted in the top 100 on the national charts.
The Jahoda and Keegan began the Long Way Home Acoustic Tour in May, 2004. The tour began at The Goldhawk in Hoboken, NJ and brought the band to over 25 states and to thousands of fans. "We were curious how much of an impact Some Days had for us. When you can perform in Cedar Falls, IA on a Tuesday night to hundreds of fans who have never before seen you live and they are singing along... you know it's had a huge imact," explains Keegan. The band will continue to tour throughout 2004 and 2005.
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