About
Also known as: Young Dubliners
Formed in Santa Monica in 1988, The Young Dubliners blend original rock with Irish folk tradition, a sound their influences — Thin Lizzy, The Pogues, The Waterboys, U2 — make easy to trace. Lead singer and rhythm guitarist Keith Roberts is the only member to have been there throughout every lineup change and label shift. AllMusic compared them to Los Lobos, citing a similar mix of traditional folk, electric rock, and experimentation. Their album Red featured a title track with lyrics written by Bernie Taupin, who gifted the song to the band; they later played it at his birthday party. Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull played flute on their 2005 album Real World, a band they toured with twice. Their covers record With All Due Respect - The Irish Sessions sent Rocky Road to Dublin to number 2 on the Billboard World Music chart, where it stayed for 115 weeks.
