Joe Kirschen
The Hooligans’ talented guitarist and mandolin player Joe Kirschen had just wrapped up production of the band’s new CD, “The Ferryman.” He’d spent 16 great years rocking out with lead singer Luke Jardel and the gang, but the exciting business of helping to bring the CD together and posting it to iTunes lit yet another creative fire in him.
“It was a group production,” Kirschen explains, “but it was primarily recorded here in my home studio. It was the first time I’d gotten involved in that aspect of the music. After the CD was finished, I wanted to continue recording and producing. I decided, well, I learned a lot about pushing music through iTunes, and I figured: Why not try to work with other bands, and network with other musicians in Philadelphia, and get them involved in creating new things? And find a way to promote that music to an untapped audience, which is the world, really?”
Kristen’s brainstorm: Create a website featuring Irish music podcasts and live video recordings predominantly, but not exclusively, featuring Philly artists.
It’s called “The Session: Irish Celtic Music Show,” and it launched in late April with a 46-minute podcast, featuring a performance by the Bogside Rogues and an interview with lead singer Bob Hurst, together with tunes from the John Byrne Band, Scott McClatchy, The Fair Trade, The Birmingham Six, Barleyjuice and … oh, yes, The Hooligans. Since then, Kirschen has produced two more audio podcasts, and three live concert videos featuring the Bogside Rogues, the John Byrne Band, and the McGillians and friends. You can log on here.
When it comes to finding and showcasing local talent, Kirschen’s longstanding relationships with Philly-area bands and musicians gives him a leg up.
John McGillian (button accordion player) has been on just about every Hooligans record,” Kirschen says. “I’ve worked with Jamison, and with The Fair Trade—they were here just last night. We do the whole thing in my living room. We call it The Love Lounge. It’s got great sound.”
So far, he says, the site is attracting attention from listeners not just in the Delaware Valley, but throughout the United States and abroad. “It’s going really well so far. I’ve been getting a lot of reaction from bands in Ireland and elsewhere in this country, like Denver and Illinois.”
For his full-time gig, Kirschen is a media strategist and ad salesperson for a human resources trade magazine in Horsham. His first job out of Temple was as a reporter for the Times Chronicle in Jenkintown. He then moved on to other jobs in communications, including his own highly regarded start-up publications, “Philly Rock Guide,” “Magnet,” and “Rockpile.”
Working in communications, Kirschen explains, also proved an advantage as he began work on the Irish Celtic Music Show.
“I’ve always been involved in communications and doing my own thing,” Kirschen says, “and that’s another reason why I love this podcasting thing. Its a low-cost way to disseminate great content. Hopefully I can build it to the point where I can sell ads or sponsorships.”
For now, though, Kirschen is dedicated to his website’s core, if unpaid, mission. “I’m doing a lot of good in the music community,” he says. “It’s a win all the way around.”
