Prison Love

Given the band's eccentric moniker and its eclectic fusion of Irish bluegrass, gospel, Cajun, and assorted old-timey styles, it is hardly shocking that Prison Love also assigned each member a playful stage name. The Dublin-based sextet—Hurricane Barry on vocals and triangle, El Nino handling mandolin and banjo, Will N. Dowd on guitar and banjo, Dancin' Pete at the accordion, Reverend Ex Kon on bass fiddle, and Beau Breaker on fiddle—issued its debut long-player, This Corn Is Awesome, in 2005. Audiences and reviewers alike lauded the group’s blistering live performances and instrumental precision. Two years later the musicians returned with the sophomore effort A Night in the Box, again appearing on Claddagh Records. As with the first release, promotion relied on an extensive circuit of seasonal and genre-aligned festivals.