"The House of Guinness" helps old Irish band go global

The eight-part series - starring James Norton, Anthony Boyle, Niamh McCormack and Louis Partridge - shadows the four children of brewery patriarch Benjamin Guinness in the aftermath of their father's death.

The semi-mythic drama - and some of its characters' questionable Irish accents (and in one case, lip fillers) - has divided opinion across the country since its release on the streaming platform.

But it has achieved a notable consensus when it comes to the stomping soundtrack accompanying acclaimed creator Steven Knight's latest TV hit.

Knight uses the musical sensory tactics he employed with stunning effect in the "Peaky Blinders", as scenes chop-and-change against the backdrop of the roaring soundtrack.

He told the MOS [Mail on Sunday]: "In putting this show together, we always knew the soundtrack would be important. We are blessed with the fact that there's a new generation of Irish music that perfectly reflects the spirit of the Guinness family.

"Passionate, defiant, melancholy - it made perfect sense to use this music for the show."

 Featuring homegrown acts such as Kneecap, The Stunning, The Mary Wallopers and The Scratch, the musical score lays the foundation to the show's dark, atmospheric scenes. And it has finally given The Stunning a global audience for its iconic hit "Brewing Up a Storm" - 36 years after its initial release.

Spotify confirmed the song has seen a 475 per cent increase in streams since the premiere of "House of Guinness". And the band's overall profile has enjoyed a 155 per cent surge in interest as listeners turn to their other songs.

Frontman Steve Wall hopes the band's resurgence will spill over to benefit the wider Irish music community. The musician and actor told the Irish Mail on Sunday: "It was an obvious choice, brewing up beer and brewing up a storm.

"The series was something that we straight away would love to be associated with. I didn't realise the whole soundtrack was going to be so strong and so Irish. It bolsters the effect for every artist involved."

Following decades of mixed domestic fortunes, the band is now on streaming charts in the Netherlands, France, America and Australia.

"So there's all these people that are shazaming [using the Shazam app to identify a song, movie or TV] the TV and going, 'what's that?'

"Brewing Up a Storm" was originally released as a single in 1989 and later included on their 1990 debut album, "Paradise in the Picturehouse". But it's only now getting the sort of international traction it enjoyed with domestic audiences four decades ago off the back of the song's use in the series, specifically the fifth episode, "Empire's Edge".

The Stunning.

The band's sudden growth in popularity and listeners has prompted the scheduling of an additional show at Dublin's Olympia Theatre in December after two sell-out performances, from which the band has noticed a growth in younger fans "who weren't even a twinkle in their parents' eye" when the band started.

Speaking about his band's break-up back in 1994 after failing to make a global breakthrough, Wall recalls: "We never managed to get that break and an international record deal, even though we toured around the UK. So our music was never available outside of Ireland. Our band broke up in 1994, really out of frustration from that."

The Stunning's initial demise was a fate shared by many other Irish acts of the era, who struggled to make a living recording and touring in Ireland and smaller venues abroad before the age of streaming services and social media.

Today's artists face different hurdles, including the pressure of achieving a bankable level of streams and social media followers, as well as the rising cost of touring. Steve also believes homegrown acts are not helped by radio stations that favour international acts and are "very poor when it comes to playing Irish music".

The leading cast of "The House of Guinness".

However, at the same time, undervalued acts are enjoying a boost thanks to international TV productions funded by streaming giants such as Netflix.

Wall told the MoS: "We are an island and there are many musical artists with so many of them never being heard outside of Ireland.

"A show like 'House of Guinness' with a 100 per cent Irish soundtrack shows the industry, television and radio that we have got fantastic music here. It will stand up with everything internationally and will have a great effect. The series has had a huge impact. The fact that the whole soundtrack is Irish draws a lot of attention on this country musically."

"Brewing Up a Storm" - described by Wall as an 'unofficial Irish anthem' - is one of 38 Irish songs that feature on the "House of Guinness" soundtrack. All of which are experiencing a boom and boosting the presence of Irish artists on the market.

These artists include Dublin band The Scratch, whose track "Another Round" appears in episode three.

"There has been a big uptake in international listeners," says guitarist and backing vocals of The Scratch, Conor Dockery.

"The whole thing was way better than what we thought it was going to be. What the series ended up being was amazing."

"House of Guinness" continues an industry-wide movement of international productions turning to Irish artists - setting the tone in the likes of the lockdown smash hit "Normal People" and "The Young Offenders".

Outside of the brewing dynasty biopic, The Scratch's songs have also featured in other TV shows, including Seanchaí in the 2024 historical drama "Say Nothing".

Dublin group Fontaines D.C. are also benefiting from huge exposure on multiple high-profile streaming hits. Their song Starburster features on the soundtracks of "House of Guinness" and the Paramount series "Mobland". Another of the band's songs - "Boys in the Better Land" - provides the backdrop to a key scene in another new Netflix series, "Black Rabbit".

Commenting on the growing use of Irish artists on international TV productions, Angela Dorgan, CEO of non-profit First Music Contact which hosts Ireland Music Week, told the MoS: "'House of Guinness' is the latest in a long line of TV and movie soundtracks capturing the sound of the 21st century in Ireland and is testament to the sheer breath of talent we have in this country."

* This article was originally published on Extra.ie.