SIR REG is an energetic Celtic punk rock band based in Köping, Sweden. Vocalist Brendan are from Dublin, Ireland, while the rest (Karin – Fiddle, Chris – Electric guitar, Johan – Electric guitar, Filip – Mandolin, Olle – Bass, Daniel – Drums) are from Sweden.
The band formed in 2009, and has released 6 albums and lots of singles. They have also been touring here and there.
This short interview was done with Brendan in late May.
How come your frontman decide to move from Ireland to Sweden to form a Celtic punk rock band? Shouldn't it be the other way around?
I met a Swedish girl in Dublin and soon after we decided to move there. She showed me a magazine article about Sweden being the World's 3rd biggest music exporter at the time and I felt the clouds were aligning, so Sweden it had to be! It took a while to find the right musicians but when I did we just went for it.
You sing a lot about alcohol. So how often do you really drink?
We don't really drink a lot when we're at home. More so when we meet up and tour. Our favourite beverages include Guinness, Jameson and Tuborg Classic.
A new album was released a few months ago. What can you tell us about that?
The new album, "Kings of Sweet Feck All", is a kind of diary from lockdown. I was in Denmark with family through most of the restrictions and for long periods, was forced to stay there.
Most of the songs deal with day to day life during lockdown and how I dealt with not being able to work or visit family and friends. Also my frustration with the media and so-called experts continually getting their estimations wrong.
How many countries have you been to with the band so far? Any favourite?
I haven't counted, but we've been everywhere from Russia to The US and an awful lot of countries in-between.
We spend most of our time touring Germany, so would have to say Germany is our favourite, although the crowds in Switzerland are a really close second. Italy is also fantastic!
Is there a good Celtic punk scene in other countries? Where's the best scene?
I think every country has a Celtic punk scene of some sort. I was really surprised with the Celtic punk scene in France. Some great bands. But, the US are at the forefront, followed by Germany, Canada and Australia. Lots of good stuff to discover!
I actually don't have that many questions, so what happens in the future with SIR REG, and is there anything else that you would like to add?
Guess we'll just continue touring and releasing new material as much as we can.
We've a Swedish tour in October and some German and Norwegian festivals coming up in the summer.
Plenty to keep us busy!
Cheers and thanks!
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