The Towners

The Towners are a Brunanter indie folk rock band from Charles Town, Sint-Anders Parish, active since 2000. The band consists of brothers Steve Hennessey (banjo) and Edward Hennessey (guitar), Bill Ray (stand-up bass), Alistair Richardson (cello) and Ned Jane (drums). Their sound has been described as a distinct mixture of heavy sadness with light pop concision, a tuneful jangle and lots of raw energy. Their lyrics frequently focus on history, myths and folklore.

History
Although playing music together since childhood, the partnership between brothers Steve and Edward Hennessey truly began in the late 1990s with the merger of Steve's high school rock band Eleanor and Edward's college group Belafonte. Together with some friends the brothers started experimenting with acoustic music at night. After a few street performances and get-togethers in Charles Town and Sint-Anders the brothers and Belafonte guitarist David Shark put together The Towners, a self-titled extended play, in 2000. As Belafonte fell apart, Steve and Edward continued to write acoustic music together. With the early 2002 addition of stand-up bassist Bill Ray, the band released their first full length album Hasbeens and Neverweres. The Towners set out on a self-booked tour on Hogeberg Island to promote the album and in late 2002 began preparations for a follow-up.

Members

 * Steve Hennessey – lead vocals, backup vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, piano, drums, percussion, hi-hat
 * Edward Hennessey – lead vocals, backup vocals, banjo, harmonica, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, piano, drums, percussion
 * Bill Ray – backup vocals, stand-up bass, electric bass, percussion
 * Alistair Richardson – cello
 * Ned Jane – drums

Studio albums

 * Hasbeens and Neverweres (2002)
 * Miller Returns (2003)
 * Jubilee (2005)
 * Sweet Reseda (2006)
 * ''Patrickson's (2009)
 * The Crooked Sessions (2010)
 * Crane Is Coming (2012)

EPs

 * The Towners (2000)
 * Henry, Carnival Man (2005)
 * The Glimmer (2006)
 * The Second Wife (2009)

Other appearances

 * Small Town Crooks: Music from the Original Series (2009) - 'Nay (They Say)'