A House were an Irish band from the 1980s to the 1990s. The single "Endless Art" is one of their charting successes.

Career

Forming out of the ashes of the band Last Chance, vocalist Dave Couse, guitarist Fergal Bunbury, drummer Dermot Wylie and bassist Martin Healy came together as A House. With a classic, guitar based rock sound, and Couse's sarcastic and bitter tongued lyrics the band released two self-released singles.

Gaining regional popularity, the band signed with Blanco y Negro who released their first album On Our Big Fat Merry-Go-Round in 1988. The success of the release and growing crowds at their live shows allowed the band to embark on their U.S. tour with The Go-Betweens.

After their first major tour, they went back to Ireland, and wrote and recorded the album I Want Too Much in 1988 on the small Irish island of Inishboffin. The response of the press was great for the band, however record sales were poor, and the band were left without a label.

I Am the Greatest

Towards the end of the year the indie label Setanta released two EPs: Doodle and Bingo. The latter featured the now famous track "Endless Art" which first brought in Orange Juice singer Edwyn Collins to record with. The song featured a listing of famous dead people and the year they were born and the year they died, which stabilized the band as a cult favorite among indie lovers.

I Am The Greatest was also recorded with Edwyn Collins, and led to the singles "Endless Art" and "Take It Easy on Me", in 1992. Next they released Wide Eyed and Ignorant (1994) to little notice outside of their fanbase, and No More Apologies (1996). The single "Here come the good times", from "Wide Eyed and Ignorant", charted at number 40, their only U.K. chart placing.

Break-up

The band broke up in 1997. Singer Couse continues to perform solo work and with his band Couse + the Impossible, alongside Bunbury. Martin Healy went on to perform in the band Petrol with Julie Peel.

In 2002 the best of album The Way We Were was released.

Discography

Albums

EPs

Compilation appearances

Singles

• ¹ - Though failing to chart on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, the song managed to chart at #9 on the U.S. Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart.

Trivia

• The single "Here Comes the Good Times" was re-recorded by various Irish celebrities and boy band members for use as the official Irish World Cup anthem in 2002. Proceeds went to charity, and ?40,000 was raised for Our Lady's Hospital for Children, Crumlin.
• Due to the list of dead people in "Endless Art" being made up of male artists, poets and musicians, a second version was recorded using the names of prominent dead women instead, and it was called "More Endless Art".
• Dave Couse performed a third live-version of "Endless Art" called "Endless Art 06" which lists people who have died since the first recording.

References

• Rock: The Rough Guide The Rough Guides ISBN 1-85828-457-0
• Release discography

External links

• A House homepage
• A House entry in The Irish Punk & New Wave Discography