Graham Hopkins

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Graham Hopkins (born December 20, 1975) is a renowned Irish Drummer. He is the former drummer for the hard rock/punk band Therapy?.^[1] Hopkins was born in Dublin, Ireland and was brought up in Clane, County Kildare in a musical family (father Des being a drummer). He was surrounded by music from an early age and began playing the drums around the time he was 4 or 5 years old. He left school to join Kilkenny band My Little Funhouse in 1993. After signing a recording deal with Geffen Records, the band toured their debut album Standunder for about a year, mainly in the United States. Tours included support to Guns N' Roses and The Ramones amongst others. The band then lived in Los Angeles and recorded a second album for Geffen before imploding.

Hopkins moved on, joining the popular Northern Irish band Therapy? in 1996, recording three albums and releasing a 'best of' album.

Feeling uninspired by the musical direction of Therapy?, Graham left the band in January 2002 and was immediately asked to tour with Irish singer/songwriter Gemma Hayes. After touring with Gemma Hayes for over a year - supporting her Mercury Music Prize nominated album Night on my Side - Graham went on to record two albums with his own band Halite.

Halite played lots of shows over the following two years including opening Slane Castle with the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Foo Fighters.

Recently, Graham has been kept busy drumming on numerous albums, both Irish and internationally. He has played drums on albums, and live, with The Frames, David Kitt, Mundy, The Reindeer Section, Alphastates, Autamata, Ann Scott, Josh Ritter, Jape, Q, The Pale, Pugwash, Miriam Ingram, Paula Toledo, Ferghal McKee (The Whipping Boy) amongst others. He recently drummed on ex-Cranberries singer Dolores O'Riordan's first solo album.

Graham also played on the soundtrack to the new Irish Oscar Award winning musical film Once which was written and directed by John Carney. He drummed on a few of the songs with Glen Hansard of The Frames and Markéta Irglová. Graham also appeared as part of the band on the 2006 Oxfam charity album, The Cake Sale.

Graham is a member of new Dublin band Boss Volenti. They released their debut album in 2006.

Hopkins spent the early part of 2007 stepping in as drummer for Snow Patrol on their European, Australian and New Zealand tours. He also toured worldwide with Dolores O'Riordan for the release of her solo album Are You Listening? in 2007.

Graham is currently on tour with The Swell Season, which features Glen Hansard, Markéta Irglová and members of The Frames.

Hopkins plays Zildjian cymbals, Aquarian drumheads, uses Vic Firth sticks and Drum Workshop drums, hardware and pedals.

SHORT SELECTED DISCOGRAPHY:

THERAPY?

THE FRAMES

DAVID KITT