Chewie (formally known as Chewing on Tinfoil) are a punk rock band from Dublin. They have been releasing music for over a decade and it appears they've had some international success, yet until this week, I'd never heard of them. The reason I started this blog was to discover great Irish music and I'm so glad I gave Chewie a listen.
The 2013 release Marrowbone Lane is the place to start and I must have listened to the song, Just Like Me, at least 30 times in the last 24 hours, imagining myself on guitar and vocals, then drums and then bass. I felt like a teenager again, as it's so rare to get that rush I had, listening to cool music when I was young. Just Like Me, is one of the greatest Irish rock songs of all time.
Chewie bit me and I'm infected with their raw, honest, emotional and heart felt songs. Their lyrics are delivered straight from the soul with wholesome poetic imagery. The music is fun, fast paced crunchy pop punk with a dash of ska and Irish folk thrown in for good measure. The song, Let Me Let You Down, is one of the most emotional songs I've heard in a while. A beautiful slow song about appreciating the little things in life and wanting to put them ahead of everything else. The stand out lyric from Let Me Let You Down and the line that's connected with me most of any song, possibly ever is, "Got my dog from a pound and I helped her, and gave her a start. And if I get on a plane to the states, it would just break my heart". My dog is getting so many hugs today.
Chewie have two full albums, Marrowbone Lane (2013) and Get Rich or Try Dyin' (2009) plus some EP's including Moving the Goalposts (2016) which features the brilliant Charlene, and they're all available for FREE to download from their site and also on the usual streaming platforms. The wonderful news that I'm so excited about is that Chewie are still active and have a 2020 single called Singing from the Septic Tank. A really great song with a very serious topic. The Bon Secours Mother and Baby Home, Tuam Co. Galway Ireland.
Look it up.
Chewie are amazing and every bit as good as any international band. Go check them out and support great Irish music!
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