The High Kings are Finbarr Clancy, Darren Holden, Brian Dunphy and newest member Paul O'Brien. The High Kings were formed in June 2007 when Brian, Darren, Finbarr and former member Martin Furey were asked by David Kavanagh to join a brand new Irish ballad group after noticing a gap in the market for a band specializing in traditional Irish music.
It didn't take them long during their first studio rehearsal to realize that the way their individual voices blended together meant they were onto something special.
The High Kings play 13 instruments together, creating the unique sound and atmosphere that they continue to this day. This was confirmed when their self-titled debut album reached number 2 on the worldwide Billboard Music chart. In March 2009, The High Kings played 5 consecutive sold-out shows to a packed audience at the Olympia Theater in Dublin.
Towards the end of 2009, The High Kings licensed their second studio album 'Memory Lane' to Universal Music Ireland, signaling the fast track the band had traveled in their short life. 'Memory Lane' was released in February 2010 and after a successful Irish tour, the album went platinum in June, just 4 months after its initial release. They followed 'Memory Lane' with a 'Live in Ireland' album which received critical acclaim for showing off the energy the band brings to the live shows.
By 2011, the band had outgrown the venues they had previously played in and had to start playing larger venues not only in Ireland, but also in America and across Europe. Many fans became regulars as they effectively followed the band on their sold-out tours, crossing many oceans and borders around the world just to see their favorite band perform live. People loved what they did; a new take on traditional Irish ballads for a multi-generational audience. In 2013, the band licensed their forthcoming album 'Friends for Life' to Sony Worldwide, another indication of their worldwide appeal. 'Friends for Life' featured 8 original songs written and composed by the band and was released in 2013. Taking their original songs on the road was a new and exciting milestone for the band and it wasn't long before 'Oh Maggie' and 'Irelands Shore' were sung back by the audience.
November 2014 marked another milestone for the band as they recorded 'Four Friends Live' at the Millennium Forum in Derry, which was their first CD/DVD collaboration and first live DVD recording since the debut DVD 'Live in Dublin' in 2008. part of 2016 was spent in the studio recording their album 'Grace & Glory'. The album charted at No. 1 on the Irish Indie Charts and was very well received by critics and fans alike. The remainder of 2016 and early 2017 was spent extensively touring the new album. In the past 12 years, The High Kings have released 4 studio albums, 2 live albums and 2 DVDs. In 2017, they released a compilation album 'Decade' which celebrated 10 incredibly successful years together and also included 5 brand new recordings.
In 2012, they performed for President Obama at Moneygall, which led to a personal invitation from the President to perform at the 2012 White House St. Patrick's Day celebration. They flew direct from London, where they had already headlined were from the Mayor of London's St. Patrick's Day Concert. In 2015, The High Kings were invited to the Pentagon as guests of General Martin Dempsey, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. They performed alongside the US Marine Corps band, marking another special occasion for the band. To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Irish rugby song 'Ireland's Call', the band were asked by original composer Phil Coulter to record their own version, which was subsequently included in the TV3 documentary.
The High Kings continue to set the bar extremely high for Irish folk bands around the world and are widely considered to be at the forefront of the genre. In 2019, after a 12-year journey, The High Kings continue to perform to sold-out venues around the world to their ever-growing army of loyal fans that span generations.
