Meet Jake Ferree | Band Leader & Song Writer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jake Ferree and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jake, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
It’s interesting that you use the word business. We are a band first and foremost but a business none the less. Performing, writing, recording and working together for shows, festivals, and social media is a full time gig. Sometimes its unrelenting but thats the entertainment industry at large. All of us come from different backgrounds and different walks of life. Our drummer is a badass chick from India, our accordion player is of Russian decent, our bass player is an MMA fighter, our dulcimer/tin whistle player is a professional roady, both our violin players are entrepreneurs. One is Persian/Jewish and the other is Vietnamese and Chinese American. Our lead guitar player is of Irish decent who is the king of odd jobs. Lastly, I myself as the lead singer and song writer, am a sommelier and actor originally form the midwest with Northern Irish, French and German ancestry. So yeah, we are definitely an odd tapestry of misfits playing Irish punk together. We each have our parts to play. Literally and figuratively. Our diversity is truly awesome and it highlights how music can transcend different cultural backgrounds no matter what. Hounds of Belfast started back in 2018 over a social media post when one of our members wanted to know who was interested in playing some Irish music. A bunch of us responded to the post and the rest is history. We had no idea what would happen and time did the rest to shape us into the rowdy degenerates you see and hear on stage. We absolutely love how different we are and so do the fans. I suppose we’re all a bunch of rogue hounds at heart.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
The city of Los Angeles is not built on the bones of Europeans. As a result there is a significant lack of Irish representation on the west coast. And even less people know of The Troubles and the conflicts of Northern Ireland. California is not without its punk music but we are different by way of cultural connection to both. We are 100% American with our own frustrations and conflicts that only seem to have been exacerbated by our on going tumultuous political clement and social problems. We are all children of immigrants one way or another and our music is a reflection of that immigrated spirit through our music in rage, joy, and love. We’re an Irish punk band in ever sense of the music and attitude. Energy wise theres nothing like coming to one of our shows and watching the masses dance and stomp to the music we have written. You connect with the faces and people and for just a moment, they feel Irish and all the beautiful, hard, and lucky things that come with that. In this sense we are different and the mosh pits remind you of it. In regards to what we are most proud and excited for is our up coming album. We have released 6 songs already and plan to release a full length debut early next year just in time for St. Patrick’s Day. It’s hard doing everything DIY but we love the creative control that comes with it. We are also excited for our upcoming show at the Viper Room on August 29th. Tickets are available on Eventbrite. Simply type in: Hounds of Belfast on their app. We are here today because of our endless collaboration with fellow artists, fans, and people who have believed in us from the start. It’s never been easy and having a band of 7 members more or less reminds you of that. If you keep waiting for the easy part you’re going to be disappointed. Yes it’s work and yes some days are harder than others but ultimately singing on stage to a sea of people who know your lyrics is priceless and worth those hard days. We’ve gotten over challenges by way of divide and conquer. Having that many people in the band allows us to cover more ground in many different ways. We’ve learned a lot about the music scene in 2024 and we’re still learning all the time. There is a great deal of bad promoters and parasites in LA. Navigating them hasn’t always been easy but we’re at a place now in our career where people coming to us to play large shows and festivals. That has felt very rewarding as of late. At the end of the day, our message is simple: Hounds of Belfast is a force of good dedicated to awakening your inner rebel and reminding you what it feels like to be alive in those fleeting moments between joy and rage. We’re an unapologetic good time and you absolutely feel it.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
since we’re an Irish punk band I guess I’ll try to keep this on topic for who and what we are. I feel like everyone in the band might have different answers to this question. Just the same if you were hanging with us we would defiantly take you to Tom Bergins and Molly Malone’s. Not only are they arguably the best Irish bars in Los Angeles with a rich history of celebrities and interesting people who have been patrons throughout the years, but they also pour a very stiff drink. If theres one thing this band knows, it’s how and where to drink in this town. I’m a surfer so I’d suggest hitting the coast for the waves and seafood. Theres so many hidden gems just off the PCH that exploring is half the fun after a long day in the surf and sun. Plus you can take your guitar or tin whistle, sit cliff side and get inspired by the stunning views and salty spray of the sea. I’m a sommelier and a bit of a romantic. So vinyl records, rare vintage wine, and musty old books are my kind of my thing when I’m not playing music. That said I’d probably suggest hitting one of the many incredible wine bars in Los Angles with Mirabelle Wine Bar at the top of the list. If you’re a fellow vinyl nerd I’d suggest scouring the wracks at Record Safari. They have some of the most reasonable prices out there. If its fun old books you desire, hitting The Last Book store is always an adventure and one of my happy places. I love a good hike and LA is not without its hot spots. I love Griffith Park since it’s only 5 minutes from where I live. If I’m feeling like I want to connect with my inner Indiana Jones and find a waterfall, thats a different story. I’d suggest either Santa Anita Canyon (Sturtevant and Hermit Falls) or even Escondido Falls. Honestly theres an endless supply of things to do so you can’t really mess that up in LA. Obviously the number one thing to do is grab a pint of Guinness and come see Hounds of Belfast play. I might be a bit bias but the jury is still out on that one. Cheers.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
We owe a great deal of love and respect to the amazing staff at Molly Malone’s. Sasha Hanlon the owner, is without a doubt family to us. We have played so many shows at Molly’s that we more or less have become the unofficial house band. A big shout out to Angela Frost too. She has booked us for years now and helped us set up some of our favorite shows. Ian Mackley is our amazing producer and we absolutely wouldn’t have the sound we do today if it wasn’t for his tireless dedication to our music. Check him out at ianmackley.com. Love you dude and thank you. Matthew Bambo and Kayli Lau deserve a mention for their amazing video and visual collaborations at our live shows. Additionally we want to thank the talented John Henselmeier for his contribution to our band image by way of his artwork and album art. We want to thank London Celtic Punks publications for constantly supporting our band internationally adding us to their playlists and giving us some of the best reviews for our music. Lastly where would we be without our influences? A big shout out to Dave King and Flogging Molly for their continued inspiration on us and proving to the world that Irish punk is alive and well from the depths of Los Angeles. We’ll always be in their shadow but who knows, maybe one day we’ll collaborate on stage or on a tour together. We’ve always thought it would be fun to be apart of their Salty Dog Cruise.

Website: https://houndsofbelfast.wixsite.com/houndsofbelfast

Instagram: houndsofbelfast

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/houndsbelfast/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@HoundsofBelfast

Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7J1zIMkz9amg50jDaPVK4l

Spotify:
Hounds of Belfast

Image Credits
credits Hounds of Belfast