Scarecrow showcases soulful songwriting
The songs reflect Hope’s love of folk/country, soul and blues. Whether as a solo performer, or as front man with The Henchmen, Hope has been honing his craft as a performer in venues throughout Ireland, and, of late, on European trips.
Hope has been a full-time musician for ten years, but caught the music bug as a child. “My sister, who’s nine years older than me, got a special present for her 18th birthday, an Atlantic Records collection, 1947 to 1974. She got this box-set of CDs. There were seven or eight discs in it and I just remember being mesmerised,” he says. “Being a kid, one of the main reasons I was drawn to it was because of The Coasters — songs like ‘Yackety Yak’ and ‘Along Came Jones’. Also, at that time, I loved Benny Hill and his theme tune and The Coasters saxophone sound was similar. But, once I delved more into the box-set, I was drawn to the likes of Memphis Soul Stew, Otis Redding, Aretha Franklin and Ray Charles.”
