Castlederg band 'Brassneck Saints' set to release new single after Dutch Festival success

RISING folk-country band, Brassneck Saints, are gearing up for the release of their brand new single 'Roller Coaster' on September 1, a cover of a well-known Dutch hit that’s already winning them fans far from home.

Fresh off a triumphant headline performance at Dicky Woodstock Festival in the Netherlands, frontman Kiel Cathers said the band are building real momentum with their new lineup and sound.

"The last weekend of festivals in the Netherlands was great. We’re in the process of building up a following with our new band, so to be trusted with a headline slot at Dicky Woodstock in front of thousands of people was amazing," he said.

"We’ll be back there the first weekend of September to launch the single, which is fitting as that’s where the song was first released."

'Roller Coaster' was originally written and performed by Dutch singer Danny Vera and became a huge hit across the Netherlands.

The Brassneck Saints discovered the track through a Dutch friend and quickly added it to their setlist after connecting deeply with the song's message and emotion.

"We started playing it out there, and it’s such a big song that audiences cheer after hearing just a few notes," Kiel explained.

"We’re hoping for similar reactions closer to home as more people get familiar with it!"

Musically, the single stays true to the band’s roots, blending emotive country and folk elements with their trademark instrumentation.

"The new single is best described as a country-folk song; it’s pretty emotive and details the ups and downs of life and love," Kiel continued.

"It builds up slowly, beginning with fingerpicked guitar and vocals, and comes to life towards the end with the drums, bass, violin and banjo.

"It sounds pretty rooted in the folk style we’ve been known for in the past, but I think people will connect with the feeling that it’s performed with."

The band, made up of Kiel Cathers, vocals and guitar, Chris Speer, banjo and guitar, Chris Darragh, bass, Darrell Nelson, drums and Donegal native, Derek McGinley, fiddle, filmed the accompanying music video in the stunning Barnes Gap area of Donegal, with additional live footage captured at a recent gig in Letterkenny.

"It wasn’t our first rodeo in terms of filming, so it made the process a wee bit easier," Kiel said.

Directed by musician and filmmaker, Michael Gillespie, the video aims to match the atmosphere and emotion of the song itself.

The band admits it’s a rare move for them to release a cover song, but they’re embracing the experience with confidence.

"It takes away the insecurity of ‘will people like this?’ that normally comes with releasing something you’ve written yourself," Kiel added.

"We know how good the song is, and we feel like we’ve done it justice in terms of recording and production, now we just hope as many people hear it as possible."

'Roller Coaster' will be available to stream and download on all digital platforms from September 1.