The Band
"Irish trad/folksters shift up the gears."
- Hot Press Magazine
Strings & Things are a fresh high energy Tipperary Neo-Folk band, mixing trad & folk with a twist. Travelling to different venues & even countries every year to celebrate playing music and sharing it with everyone.
JAMES O'MEARA RYAN
// Guitar & Lead Vocals
James O Meara Ryan is a crossover Irish musician from Thurles, Co. Tipperary, Ireland.
Having originally started his musical career on the Electric Guitar, he began to explore acoustic and Roots/Crossover genres which resulted in him moving his focus to the Acoustic Guitar and Lead Vocals.
He next expanded his musical explorations to take in Traditional Irish Music and Traditional Irish Folk music, quickly learning how the guitar functions in a Irish Traditional Session environment and gravitating towards powerful legendary vocalists such as Luke Kelly, Christy Moore and crossover instrumentalist Paul Brady (Guitar/Lead Vocals/Whistles).
In 2013, he won the Bank of Ireland Student of the Year award – for his services to Music in his Secondary school. He was also awarded the North Tipperary VEC award in Music. These achievements provided the impetus for his forming Strings & Things in February 2013.
James has played on 5 studio albums to date and also is a songwriter in his own right.
Additionally, he is a regular player at Wednesday/Friday night Trad and Folk sessions in The Monks, Thurles, Co. Tipperary.
EOIN SHELLY
// Percussion & Vocals
Eoin Shelly is a Trad/Roots musician based in Thurles, Co. Tipperary.
His first foray into music came at the early age of 8 years, when he competed in the Traditional Irish competition Scor Na Paistí, representing his primary school. Throughout his school years he involved himself in school choirs learning singing techniques that benefit him to this date.
After his education he took an interest into learning different instruments. He took a keen interest into percussion from listening to American band Boyce Avenue. From there he continued to learn guitar, taking lessons in his local town of Thurles. He joined the local music scene in 2012 playing along side other musicians from the town, learning vital components to being a work worthy musician.
Eoin joined Strings & Things in October 2013.
Eoin has released 2 original albums (Turbulence 2017 and The Unsolicited Dance 2020), 1 EP (Anorak Jack 2018) and 2 cover albums (S&T 2014 and Four Thousand Miles 2018).
Eoin is also a member of the Lash @ D’Glash music Festival Committee since 2016, which includes many musical styles from Irish Traditional right through to Rock.
SEAN MONGEY
// Banjo, Mandolin, Whistle & Backing Vocals
Sean Mongey is a Multi-Instrumentalist from Loughmore, Co.Tipperary.
He started playing music at the age of 5, under local teacher Kathleen Nesbitt in Loughmore village. His music tuition began on the Whistle and he now plays Banjo, Whistle, Mandolin, Guitar and Cajon.
He was an active participant in Irish music sessions in Co Tipperary throughout his youth and is a medal winning performer in several Traditional Irish Music competitions, including both the County Fleadh Ceoil and the Scór. Sean was also a member of the Irish national heritage organisation, Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann.
He has played in regular Traditional Irish Music sessions including - The Monks (Thurles), Jim o' the Mills (Upperchurch) and Bowes (Thurles).
His musical influences come from all different background of music, prominently Irish bands such as The Fureys, We Banjo 3, The Dubliners, and other influences such as folk and rock.
Sean joined Strings & Things in September 2016.
To this date he has released 1 original album, 1 EP and a Irish cover album with Strings & Things. There is a collection of videos of him performing (solo and with Strings & Things) on YouTube and Facebook.
EOIN SALMON
// Bass Guitar
Eoin has been playing bass from the age of 16 and in those years he has adopted many different styles and techniques from different genres of music. His earliest experiences of learning the bass guitar came from learning iconic basslines and listening to rock music which he became fond of very quickly.
Different genres include Punk, Metal, Country, Funk, Jazz, Pop, Hip Hop, Disco and of course Traditional Irish music. This mix-match of genres allowed enough room for Eoin to combine different styles and music theory together to get a groove sounding just that much more interesting.
Eoin joined Strings & Things in December 2017 and from there not only broadened the knowledge of music he had not yet learned, but also grew as a musician too with more time spent with the instrument than he would have previously liked to have admitted.
Although Eoin had went from his first band ever, which was a rock band, to his second band being a country band, he decided that with the line-up in the band he is in currently consisting of a banjo, guitar and percussion, that he had the best of both worlds, and as a result was able to fit in nicely when a song was in need of a groove.