ECMA E-News - SpinCount Featured Artist of the Week - POGEY

POGEY has played at every major American Irish festival. Their unique version of Celtic rock has gained them fans on every continent. And, they released a highly-anticipated sophomore album this summer. With rising popularity and growing tour schedule, the group hasn't had to worry about what their name is slang for in Canada: government relief given to the unemployed. POGEY's fiery live show combines electric guitar, fiddle, mandolin, acoustic guitar, bass, drums and four-part vocal harmonies to produce a trademark Nova Scotia sound.

POGEY is Ray Mattie, Jonny Grant and Warren Robert. Joining the group for several shows this year is drummer Zach Smith and fiddler Donald MacLennan. The band is the vision of Nova Scotia native, Ray Mattie, who moved to Ontario in 1997 to search for like-minded musicians to help break into a new music market - an all-original band with a folk/Celtic-based sound. Not finding exactly what he wanted, Mattie moved back to Nova Scotia in 2000. That fall, a referral had Mattie calling bassist and vocalist Jonny Grant, who immediately agreed to join him. and POGEY was born. Lead guitarist Warren Robert originally signed on for two shows in 2002, but has since stayed.

Visit www.pogey.ca