The Drays

The Drays are a new bunch of guitar/song slingers featuring Paul Byrne (drums), Stephen Ryan (vocals, guitar), Eileen Gogan (vocals) & Conor Brady (guitar, bass & percussion) . Stephen Ryan’s first collection of songs since the Revenants Septober Nowonder in 1996 is now rush released for a June 2015 release (smirk). It’s been a while you might say. It has. And it’s been some time since Ryan’s Clothes Of Pride turned up as the double A-side for The Stars Of Heaven Clothes Of Pride / All About You in 1984 but most importantly he’s still here and he’s still got it. And while in a sense everything’s changed, in other ways nothings changed. There are guitar solos here, a tight rhythm section and Eileen Gogan’s beautiful vocals again underpinning Ryan’s bus-stop baritone. A songwriter whose output has been untroubled by a sense of urgency it is in essence the fifth album containing his work, following two albums on Rough Trade with The Stars Of Heaven (Sacred Heart Hotel (1986) / Rain On The Sea & Speak Slowly (1988) with co-writer Stan Erraught)) and two with The Revenants (Horse Of A Different Colour & Septober Nowonder). The Drays sees Ryan relationship with Blades guitarist Conor Brady (who produced the last Revenants album and in his day turned up in The Stars Of Heaven a few times) continue, Brady is a member of The Drays who also feature Paul Byrne (drums) and Eileen Gogan (vocals) with contributions from Dez Foley, Cian Boylan, Naeem Bismilla, John Wilde and the late Derrick Dalton. The Drays Music