Profile of Damien Rice

Damien Rice is a Irish folk singer who came close to recording an album on a major label, but let it all go to do it his own way. Born in 1973 in Dublin Ireland, this thirty-three year old musician has paved his own way.

While attending Salesian College in Celbridge, where he was raised, Rice founded a band called Juniper with friends Paul Noonan, Dominic Phillips, and Brian Crosby. Juniper was formed in 1991, and by 1994, they were recording their independent EP, The J-Plane. They performed in small, local bars, and any other gigs they could get. They did this until they recorded their second EP, Manna, in 1996. Over the years, their fan base grew, and by 1997, they signed a contract with the large record label, Polygram. From Polygram, they recorded an alum, and released the singles, Weatherman and World Is Dead, both of which did well on the charts, but earned poor critic reviews. It was during this time that Rice made mention that he'd wanted to release the single Eskimo, a tune that many fans enjoyed, but the record label had told him no.

By 1998, Damien Rice had become so unsatisfied with the workings of Polygram, that he left the band and moved to Tuscany, Italy to work on solo music. Shortly after the move, he got a band together and they started playing gigs in small bars and anywhere else they could play. The band includes members Vyvienne Long (cello), Tom Osander (drums and percussion), and Shane Fitzsimons (base). Lisa Hannigan sang vocals, but would later stray from the band to pursue her own solo career. Rice, with David Arnold being his second cousin, used that connection to get the chance to record his first solo album, O. The success he earned with that album, gave him the chance to record his second solo album, 9, last year.

While his fans have followed him since the days of Juniper, his music has also been spreading and reaching out to other people, bringing in new fans. He has been fortunate enough to have his music in such movies as Closer, starring Julia Robers, Natalie Portman, Clive Owen, and Jude Law, I Am David, and The Girl In The Café. Also, his music has been featured in such television shows as The Black Donnellys, Alias, Lost, House, Grey's Anatomy, One Tree Hill, and Criminal minds. More recently, 9 Crimes, a song from his most recent album, 9, is featured in the Blockbuster hit, Shrek the Third.