John Deery and The Heads are a Derry band and have established themselves as one of the finest original Irish bands in recent years. Formed in 2010 by brothers John and Matt Deery, the band have released three critically acclaimed studio albums and a 25-track live album to date and have shared the stage with some of the biggest names in music.
The band’s debut album Smoke and Mirrors (2010) was recorded in France with renowned Irish producer David Odlum (The Frames, Gemma Hayes, Glen Hansard) and helped to launch the band after John’s own successful solo career as a singer-songwriter. John Deery and The Heads quickly gained a reputation as a must-see live band and toured extensively, before starting to write their second album.
The band’s second album ‘Horizon’ (2013) was released to coincide with Derry’s year as City of Culture in 2013 and led to the band playing several high-profile shows, including supporting The Beach Boys in 2014.
In 2015, the band released the ambitious live album ‘Echoes’ (2015), recorded in Echo Echo Theatre in Derry, where the band played an energetic 25 song set in front of a live audience and released the album soon afterwards.
John Deery and The Heads’ third studio album ‘Nothing Permanent Lasts’ (2017) was their most successful to date and saw the band gain a whole new audience of fans and critics alike, earning regular radio play and support from the likes of Stephen McCauley (BBC Radio Foyle) and Ralph McLean (BBC Radio Ulster).
With plans for a new album and more live dates coming up in 2022, John Deery and The Heads look set to continue from strength to strength. Check out their track, 'Nothing Permanent Lasts', and the songs that inspired to make their music below.
David Kitt – Song from Hope St (Brooklyn, NY)
I remember first seeing David Kitt interviewed by Dave Fanning on TV at a time when I was starting to write and record my own music, following the breakup of our teenage band, Such As. I got a Boss BR-532, 4 track digital recorder as a Christmas present and had started recording demos of my own songs on it, when I saw Kittser on chatting about how he recorded and produced all his own music from home. I found this so inspiring and liberating, the thought that I could write and record my own music without relying on other people or a big studio budget to get my songs out there. They played the little stick man video for Song from Hope St (Brooklyn, NY) and that was it, I was hooked on recording and releasing my own music. Soon after that I had recorded and self-released my first 8 track EP that would kick-start my solo career. I remember meeting him at university when he played the Conor Hall in Belfast and I got to thank him for the inspiration.
The Beatles - Blackbird
It would be tricky to narrow down the top ten Beatles songs that have had an influence on my life and music, having grown up surrounded by the Beatles’ music, but Blackbird has to be the standout track for me and my song writing. The plucky guitar and chord progressions of this song make it one of my all-time favourites and was one song that gave me a great sense of achievement once I had it figured out and was able to play it for friends and family. Simply stunning song start to finish and something that I can only aspire to achieve in my own songs.
The Frames –Revelate
The Frames are a huge influence on our music and have sound tracked some of the best moments of our lives, from early gig experiences, to festivals, road trips and good old-fashioned sessions. Anything off Fitzcarraldo, Dance the Devil or For the Birds could have probably made this list, but I’ve gone for the iconic Revelate as my choice of Frames song. I feel that it sums up my relationship with the band’s music and the impact they had on my formative years as a musician, from singing it at the top of my lungs with my friends, to meeting the band backstage in Derry and giving them an early demo of my own songs. The band collectively and individually have been a major influence on our music.
Little Hooks – Running Each Other Down
One of my first proper solo gigs was in Lavery’s in Belfast supporting Little Hooks. I remember being totally blown away by their debut album and listening to it on loop while living and studying in Belfast. The fact that this amazing album had been made by a few Derry lads in their flat made it even more impressive, and I was buzzing to support them when they came to Belfast. The album is full of great songs, but for me Running Each Other Down is one that always stands out. Over the years I would become close friends and colleagues with Marty and Ruairi and in 2013 was asked to be part of the ‘Little Hookers’ choir to sing alongside the band for a series of gigs, including the powerful ‘Six Strings and Stigma’ album for mental health and suicide prevention, which was a lovely full circle for me.
John Martyn’s Solid Air album was very influential on my song writing for my first full solo album, Life to This (2004) and a lot of my playing style is developed from John Martyn’s playing on this album. Songs like May You Never and Solid Air are among some of my favourite Martyn songs, but I’ve selected Don’t Wanna Know as it went on to inspire our song ‘Swings and Roundabouts’, particularly the acoustic version, which started out as a tribute to John Martyn, based on a dream that our sister had of coming to see us play a song called Swings and Roundabouts, in New York.
Nick Drake – River Man
River Man was the first Nick Drake song that I heard, after my mum heard it on a late-night radio show when I was a teenager and introduced me to it. I went out and bought the ‘An Introduction to Nick Drake’ album and immediately fell in love with Drake’s sound and his whole relaxed vibe, from the mellow vocals to the intricate playing. Nick Drake soon became a major influence on my music, guitar playing and songwriting.
Kings of Convenience – Summer On The West Hill
This is one of my all-time favourite songs and the song I want played at my funeral. It has everything I love about Kings of Convenience, from layered soft vocals to plucky guitars and strings and a lovely chilled out vibe. This song reminds me of the time I spent travelling in Australia and New Zealand and most definitely had an influence in my style of writing and playing, along with a lot of the band’s other songs. For me this song symbolises escapism and represents a reconnection with nature, travelling and broadening your horizons, experiencing new places and things with great people.
Fionn Regan – Hunters Map
Fionn Regan’s album, The End Of History, made a big impact on me when I was living and playing in Scotland around the time of my second solo album ‘Pen and Ink’ in 2007. I remember this album became very popular among the singer-songwriter community in Edinburgh and Glasgow and Regan’s influence started to become apparent in several of the new songs being written at the time. Regan’s playing, singing and lyrics were all brilliant on this album and it’s still one I listen to regularly today.
Damien Rice – Volcano
I remember first hearing about Damien Rice when I started playing gigs around Derry and Belfast and people saying to me after the show that I sounded a bit like Damien Rice. Having never heard of him, I remember thinking that ‘Rice’ was an unusual surname and went on a mission to find his music. These are the days long before streaming platforms, so I went to Cool Discs in Derry and picked up a copy of ‘O’ and what a great album it was. I went to see him perform in the Playhouse in Derry soon afterwards and remember being mesmerised by the small stripped back setup he had with a wee half drum kit played with brushes, his guitar, Damien, and Lisa Hannigan. It was a beautiful gig. We used to run amazing local music nights in bars in Derry and my good friend Marty Doherty and I would often belt out a duet of Volcano, so this song in particular holds some very special memories for me.
Oasis – The Masterplan
Oasis were at the height of their fame when I was a teenager learning to play guitar and they produced many of the first songs that I learned to play. Our old band, Such As, covered Oasis songs playing in bars and venues around Derry, which in turn provided the templates for our own early song writing attempts. The Masterplan was one of the band’s songs that I learned to play early on and became a firm favourite to play during those formative years.