Hothouse Flowers – hothouseflowers.com

Say It With Flowers

With their fifth and latest studio album, ‘Into Your Heart’, are planning to steal their way into hearts everywhere.

"The one thing I tell everyone," says Hothouse Flowers guitarist Fiachna O’Braonain, "is that this record is the most raw, soulful record we have ever done." Coupling the Flowers’ hunger for a solid soul sound along with the distinctive, instantly recognisable vocals of lead singer Liam O Maonlai, ’Into Your Heart’ is the sound of a band in love with their - and completely comfortable with the many roots and sources that give their music its unique vibe.

'Your Love Goes On', the first new single from the record, debuted as the highest-ranking new single that week in the Irish charts. With the February 6th release of ‘Into Your Heart’ in Ireland and a scheduled mid-March release in the UK, the band plans to tour extensively behind the record. Additional world/regional releases are being planned throughout the year. With the pressure long gone off the band as Ireland’s next big thing, Liam, Fiachna, Peter O’Toole, bassist, and drummer Dave Clarke can get on with the more enjoyable task of making albums according to their own pace. Recent years have seen them play festivals in Europe and take on concert tours across North America where magazine once dubbed them ‘the best unsigned band in Europe’.

This coming year expect to hear a lot more from the Flowers as they make their way into more and more hearts around the world.

’Into Your Heart’ is available on the Irish Rubyworks .

Ireland's Hothouse Flowers made a name for itself during the late '80s and early '90s with a passionate, bombastic fusion of rock & roll with the rootsy sounds of Irish folk and American gospel. The group was founded as a -performance act called the Incomparable Benzini Brothers by schoolmates Liam O'Maonlai (vocals, keyboards) and Fiachna O'Broainain (guitar), the former of whom had played in My Bloody Valentine forerunner Congress.

After winning the Street Entertainers of the Year award in 1985, the Incomparable Benzini Brothers added bassist Peter O'Toole, saxophonist Leo Barnes, and drummer Jerry Fehily and changed their name to Hothouse Flowers. The group received a glowing write-up in Rolling Stone before even landing a record deal, but that drawback was rectified when 's saw them performing on a late-night television show. A single on U2's label Mother got Hothouse Flowers signed to PolyGram.

Their 1988 debut, People, cruised to the top of the Irish charts and peaked at number two in Britain. Their follow-ups, Home and Songs From the Rain, continued their success, but the band has never been able to break through in America to anything beyond cult status. Hothouse Flowers has been quiet since 1993; several members have guested on other artists' albums. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide