Mary Wallopers scale to arena venues with unapologetically political album
Irish folk band The Mary Wallopers will headline major venues this autumn on the back of a third album that confronts British colonial history and the modern rental housing crisis.
The Mary Wallopers will release their third studio album, ‘Paddywhackery’, on September 18. The Dundalk band, led by brothers Charles and Andrew Hendy, will support the record with a tour that sees them graduating to headline slots at London’s Brixton Academy and Dublin’s 3Arena.
This ascent to arena-sized venues marks a deliberate commercial evolution. Unlike their previous two records, which relied on traditional Irish ballads, the new album is predominantly original material. Recorded in just two weeks with producer James Skelly, the band prioritised a heavier, uptempo sound designed to translate their raucous live energy to record.
Publicly, the group is leveraging this larger platform to challenge the political establishment. Lead single ‘Crowns Of England’ explores the alienation of Irish immigrants in Britain, critiquing a culture of misty-eyed nostalgia for imperial history. “If the ordinary English person knew what happened – what crimes the British Army did, what crimes Churchill did in India, all around the world, in African countries as well – they wouldn’t be so quick to be marching with St George’s crosses and stuff like that,” Andrew Hendy said.
The band also channels broader European economic grievances. New track ‘Landlord’s Demise’ is explicitly framed around the modern cost-of-living crisis. “It’s a song for all the struggling renters, in dingy flats and mould-infested bathrooms, living in fear of another rent hike,” Hendy explained.
The Hendy brothers have previously clashed with event organisers over their politics. At Portsmouth’s Victorious Festival last year, their set was cut off and a Palestinian flag was removed from their stage setup, though the festival later apologised. Hendy said artists must not shy away from controversy. “If you believe in saying something that’s right, you should just do it regardless,” he said. “They actually brought more attention to it by trying to push us into changing what we do every gig.”
