Dublin 5 piece Buffalo Sunn have followed in the footsteps of such luminaries as The Riptide Movement and Heathers in working with national tourism body Failte Ireland. They have been chosen to front the new Visit Dublin campaign . ‘Dublin - A Breath of Fresh Air’ with their song Ocean. The new Visit Dublin campaign strives to communicate all the best things to see and do around our nation's capital and get the message out there that Dublin is bursting with incredible experiences.

We caught up with lead singer & guitarist Daniel Paxton and guitarist Patrick McHugh to find out what Dublin means to them.

How did you get involved with the "Visit Dublin" initiative?

Daniel: "Someone involved with Visit Dublin must have heard the song and thought it was a good fit. Then they approached our label (Reekus Records) for permission to use it in the campaign."

Did you have "Ocean" already in the bag or did you record it especially for the campaign?

Patrick: "We had Ocean recorded already. It was a single taken from our debut album "By the Ocean, By The Sea", which we recorded with Pat McCarthy (REM, U2, The Waterboys)"

What are you own favourite things about Dublin / What do you think makes Dublin special? 

Patrick: "It's got a good balance of city life and nature, all on our doorstep. I love the city but It's nice to escape down to St. Anne's park Raheny or Bull Island on Saturday mornings. For me it's the warmth of the people that makes Dublin special. It's also exciting to see what a multicultural city Dublin is becoming. "

If you were talking to someone that was considering visiting Dublin for a holiday or short break, what activities or places to go would you recommend?

Daniel: "I've always been envious of the tourists that yell at you on the street as they float by on what I can only describe as a boat on wheels. So I would say the Viking Splash Tours. Also Grogans pub, the toasties alone are magic! And the characters. You could sit there on any given day and hear the wildest yarns, stories and jokes. "

Where is your own favourite place to play a gig when in Dublin?

Patrick: "We've played all sorts of places in Dublin. From the Olympia to the Cobalt Cafe. No favourites just happy to be doing what we love."

After such a spotlight on the band with the Visit Dublin campaign, what's up next for Buffalo Sunn?

Patrick: "At the moment were in middle of preproduction. Lots of new material which we hope to record in the new year. So it's a really exciting time for us, stay tuned!"

Check out the video for Buffalo Sunn's "Ocean" below - it's rather catchy!

For more on Visit Dublin see www.visitdublin.com or #LoveDublin on Twitter.

 

Photo credit: Ben Murphy