We often get asked, where does the name come from? The truth is, it was lifted from a brilliant song we love to hear our good friend Brendan Nolan sing called ‘Balleyhooley’. The line, “for fear of Peelers” refers to the police, which Sir Robert Peel helped create. Bobbies in England, Peelers in Ireland. Now that we’ve got that out of the way...
The Peelers were formed in a small farmhouse kitchen in Glengarry County in 1999. Born out of loose evening sessions over more than a few drinks, the band has evolved to become one of the most exciting and energetic live Celtic folk/punk acts in Canada. Glengarry County has always been a hotbed of Celtic culture, and most members of The Peelers have immersed themselves in this rich legacy from youth. An area separated by New York State by the St. Lawrence River to the South, it was originally settled by Scottish immigrants who chose the name Glengarry in memory of home. The county has become a stomping ground for many musicians, both Scottish and Irish, who have refined a sound unique to the locale. The Peelers bend the rules of this tradition, with their contemporary Irish/Scot blend drawing more from the insurgent nature of artists such as Shane MacGowan & The Pogues, The Mahones, The Waterboys, Black 47, and Tom Waits, while still maintaining a glint of the sound upon which they were weaned.
Over the past ten years the band has performed at pubs, clubs, arenas, festivals, alehouses’, barrooms, beer gardens, bistros, canteens, cocktail lounges, drinkerys, inns, public houses, saloons, taprooms, taverns, rathskellers, and watering holes throughout North America. Members of the band have shared the stage with proven artists from the genre such as ‘The Mahones’ Finny McConnell, Aaron Chapman of ‘The Town Pants’, Scruffy Wallace of ‘The Dropkick Murphys’, and Alan Snoddy from ‘Stars’. In 2003 the band was fortunate to join the Pyscho Fleadh Tour of Eastern Canada, featuring Terry Woods & Phil Chevron from ‘The Pogues’, and The Mahones.
The Peelers have two releases currently available. In 2002 they released the album "Boots and Suits", (a reference to the band's unique fashion sense). In 2004 the band released "Liquordale", recorded over a twelve month period in three Montreal studios. The album, produced by Fast Forward's Pierre Pineault, was subsequently named Album of the Year on the Boston based webzine Shitenonions.com, considered the online bible for Celtic rock enthusiasts. The band is currently playing select shows in and around Montreal, PQ. A brand new album, titled ‘Temples of Intemperance’ begins recording with Pineault in February 2011 at Audio Suites Studio in Montreal. The Glen will rise again...
