David Hopkins (born 18 January 1971) is an Irish singer-songwriter and producer, originally from
Dublin
Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...
, Ireland and currently residing in
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
, United States. He was the original keyboardist for Irish alternative rock group
LiR
Lir or Ler (meaning "Sea" in Old Irish; ''Ler'' and ''Lir'' are the nominative and genitive forms, respectively) is a sea god in Irish mythology. His name suggests that he is a personification of the sea, rather than a distinct deity. He is na ...
.
LiR (1990s)
Hopkins launched his music career playing keyboard in the Dublin rock band
LiR
Lir or Ler (meaning "Sea" in Old Irish; ''Ler'' and ''Lir'' are the nominative and genitive forms, respectively) is a sea god in Irish mythology. His name suggests that he is a personification of the sea, rather than a distinct deity. He is na ...
.
The original lineup was David McGuiness on vocals, Robert Malone on bass, Ronan Byrne on guitar, David Hopkins on keyboards and Craig Hutchinson on drums. The band came together at the Ballyfermot Rock College, and were known as the Spontaneous Frogs before settling on the name Lir. The group signed to What Are Records and released ''Magico, Magico'', which went to No. 1 on the alternative albums chart and scored a UK top 10 hit, "In A Day," penned by Hopkins. They toured the US twelve times while Hopkins was with them, including touring with
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup consisted of lead singer Roger Daltrey, guitarist and singer Pete Townshend, bass guitarist and singer John Entwistle, and drummer Keith Moon. They are considered ...
. They also opened for other rock icons including
U2,
Ray Charles
Ray Charles Robinson Sr. (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential singers in history, and was often referred to by contemporaries as "The Ge ...
,
Iggy Pop
James Newell Osterberg Jr. (born April 21, 1947), known professionally as Iggy Pop, is an American singer, musician, songwriter and actor. Called the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Godfather of Punk", he was the vocalist and lyricist of ...
, etc. LiR are also the subject of the documentary ''Good Cake Bad Cake: The Story of LiR''.
Solo career (1994–present)
In 1994, while touring in the US with LiR, Hopkins left the band and stayed in the US.
After a move to San Francisco, Hopkins toured with
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup consisted of lead singer Roger Daltrey, guitarist and singer Pete Townshend, bass guitarist and singer John Entwistle, and drummer Keith Moon. They are considered ...
, playing keyboards for the opening band on the 1996 Quadrophenia Tour.
Hopkins then released the full-length album ''Here Comes The Bright Light'', which ''Dublin Event Guide'' dubbed "a classic." Later he signed with independent label Reekus Records, with whom he released ''
Amber and Green'' (2005) and the single "Merry Christmas My Love". The title track for ''
Amber and Green'' can be heard on the soundtrack for ''
Van Wilder 2: The Rise of Taj'', and reached the
Irish top 40 charts as did "Merry Christmas My Love".
In 2007 Hopkins released the album ''
Running With Knives''. The album is featured in the soundtrack to Paris Hilton's 2008 movie ''
The Hottie and the Nottie
''The Hottie and The Nottie'' (stylized as ''The Hottie & The Nottie'') is a 2008 American romantic comedy film starring Paris Hilton, Joel Moore, Joel David Moore, and Christine Lakin. Written by Heidi Ferrer and directed by Tom Putnam, the film ...
'' featuring Joel Moore. In 2009 Hopkins released the album ''
There Are Debts''.
Hopkins' songs found a larger audience through wide-release motion pictures such as Paris Hilton's ''The Hottie and the Nottie'', ''Van Wilder 2: The Rise of Taj'', ''Speed Dating'', and ''
The Year of Getting to Know Us'', starring Jimmy Fallon, Lucy Liu and Sharon Stone. Tracks from this era can also be heard throughout
MTV
MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
's ''
The Real World: Austin'' and ''
Missing
Missing or The Missing may refer to:
Film
* ''Missing'' (1918 film), an American silent drama directed by James Young
* ''Missing'' (1982 film), an American historical drama directed by Costa-Gavras
* ''Missing'' (2007 film) (''Vermist''), a Bel ...
''.
Hopkins has performed his solo material with
David Gray,
Dan Reynolds
Daniel Coulter Reynolds (born July 14, 1987) is an American singer and songwriter. He is the lead vocalist of the pop rock band Imagine Dragons. Reynolds also released an EP in 2011, titled ''Egyptian – EP,'' as a duo with his former wife Aja ...
(of
Imagine Dragons
Imagine Dragons is an American pop rock band from Las Vegas, Nevada, consisting of lead singer Dan Reynolds, guitarist Wayne Sermon, bassist Ben McKee and drummer Daniel Platzman. The band first gained exposure with the release of their sing ...
),
Matt Nathanson
Matthew Adam Nathanson (born March 28, 1973) is an American singer-songwriter whose work is a blend of Folk music, folk and rock and roll music. In addition to singing, he plays acoustic (sometimes a 12-string) and electric guitar, and has play ...
,
Damien Rice
Damien George Rice (born 7 December 1973) is an Irish singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He began his career as a member of the 1990s rock group Juniper, who were signed to Polygram Records in 1997. The band enjoyed moderate success i ...
,
The Frames
The Frames are an Irish rock band based in Dublin. Founded in 1990 by Glen Hansard, the band has been influential in the Dublin rock music scene. The group has released six studio albums. In addition to Hansard, the band's current line-up incl ...
,
Lindsey Stirling
Lindsey Stirling (born September 21, 1986) is an American violinist, songwriter, and dancer. She presents choreographed violin performances, in live and music videos found on her official YouTube channel, which she created in 2007.
Stirling pe ...
,
Teitur Teitur () is a male given name. In Old Norse the word means ''happy''. In Modern Faroese, it is archaic but used as a male given name.
People
* Teitur Gestsson (born 1992), Faroese football player and goalkeeper
*Teitur Lassen (born 1977), a music ...
,
Jeff Buckley
Jeffrey Scott Buckley (November 17, 1966 – May 29, 1997), raised as Scott Moorhead, was an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. After a decade as a session guitarist in Los Angeles, Buckley amassed a following in the early 1990s by ...
,
Sinéad O'Connor
Shuhada Sadaqat (born Sinéad Marie Bernadette O'Connor on 8 December 1966; ) is an Irish singer-songwriter. Her debut album, ''The Lion and the Cobra'', was released in 1987 and charted internationally. Her second album, ''I Do Not Want What ...
,
Bell X1
The Bell X-1 (Bell Model 44) is a rocket engine–powered aircraft, designated originally as the XS-1, and was a joint National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics–U.S. Army Air Forces–U.S. Air Force supersonic research project built by Bel ...
among others.
Dan Reynolds
Daniel Coulter Reynolds (born July 14, 1987) is an American singer and songwriter. He is the lead vocalist of the pop rock band Imagine Dragons. Reynolds also released an EP in 2011, titled ''Egyptian – EP,'' as a duo with his former wife Aja ...
of
Imagine Dragons
Imagine Dragons is an American pop rock band from Las Vegas, Nevada, consisting of lead singer Dan Reynolds, guitarist Wayne Sermon, bassist Ben McKee and drummer Daniel Platzman. The band first gained exposure with the release of their sing ...
cites the Hopkins song "Jackson" as "an early and lasting influence" on
BYUtv
BYU TV (stylized as BYUtv) is a television channel, founded in 2000, which is owned and operated as a part of Brigham Young University (BYU). The channel, available through cable and satellite distributors in the United States, produces a number ...
's
Audio-Files
''Audio-Files'' is a television music series produced by BYUtv. The series combines interviews, concerts, and behind-the-scenes footage of nationally rising indie bands. The show premiered on April 10, 2012, at 6:30 pm MST, 8:30 pm EST.
On Marc ...
.
Bombay Heavy (2014–present)
Using the nom de plume "Barnabus Wu" Hopkins is the frontman for Bombay Heavy. The group draws its influence from the likes of classic rock bands such as Pink Floyd or Led Zeppelin, playing a kind of psychedelic rock & roll; a striking contrast to Hopkins' usual singer-songwriter style. The group's debut EP features
Dave Keuning
David Brent Keuning (born March 28, 1976) is an American musician, best known for his role as the lead guitarist of the rock band The Killers, which he founded alongside Brandon Flowers in 2001 and with whom he has recorded six studio albums. Ke ...
and
Mark Stoermer
Mark August Stoermer (born June 28, 1977) is an American musician and songwriter. He is best known as the bassist for the rock band the Killers, with whom he has recorded six studio albums.
In addition to his work with the Killers, Stoermer has ...
of
The Killers
The Killers are an American rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingd ...
,
which is no surprise considering Bombay Heavy's connection to the Las Vegas-based power group. Two of their earliest gigs were as the opener for The Killers in 2016.
Aubergine Electric (2015–present)
Hopkins, Rob Whitehead, Bobby Lee Parker, Tobias Ashmore, and Mac Burruss released their debut EP, "Unreachable On Mountain", in June 2015. The EP also featured Mark Stoermer (The Killers).
Other contributions
*(co-producer) ''
Dark Arts'' (2016) –
Mark Stoermer
Mark August Stoermer (born June 28, 1977) is an American musician and songwriter. He is best known as the bassist for the rock band the Killers, with whom he has recorded six studio albums.
In addition to his work with the Killers, Stoermer has ...
*(co-producer) ''Filthy Apes and Lions'' (2017) –
Mark Stoermer
Mark August Stoermer (born June 28, 1977) is an American musician and songwriter. He is best known as the bassist for the rock band the Killers, with whom he has recorded six studio albums.
In addition to his work with the Killers, Stoermer has ...
*(co-producer) ''Eternal Reach'' (2018) – The Brummies (feat.
Kacey Musgraves
Kacey Lee Musgraves (born August 21, 1988) is an American country singer. She has won six Grammy Awards, seven Country Music Association Awards, and three Academy of Country Music Awards. Musgraves self-released three solo albums and one as Texa ...
)
*(co-songwriter) ''Segl'' (2020) -
Eivør
Eivor, Eivør or Øyvor is a female given name in the Nordic countries. In Sweden, 4,922 people bear the name. The average age is 78.
The name perhaps originated from either the Proto-Norse word ''auja'', which is thought to mean "good luck", o ...
*(producer and performer) ''Kenzo Cregan'' EP (2021) - Kenzo Cregan
*(producer) ''Fake Flowers'' EP (2021) - Kenzo Cregan
Discography
Albums
*''Over There, Jean-Pierre'' (1999)
*''Here Comes The Bright Light'' (2001)
*''
Amber and Green'' (2005)
*''
Running With Knives'' (2007)
*''Fake Fur Coat'' (2009)
*''
There Are Debts'' (2010)
*''Overlook'' (2018)
EPs
*''Scared Rabbit EP'' (2004)
*''Merry Christmas My Love EP'' (2005)
Soundtracks
*"Amber & Green" – ''
National Lampoon's Van Wilder: The Rise of Taj'' (2006)
*"Summer Song" – ''
The Year of Getting to Know Us'' (2008)
Other
*''Onda (Music for Chakras)'' (1992) – Joint project with Eric Albiez & Ljubo Majstorovic
*''Tangara'' (1995) – Joint project with Eric Liorzou
*''Reekus Christmas Compilation'' (2010) – "Merry Christmas My Love"
References
External links
David Hopkins Music on CDBabyIrish Label Reekus Records SiteBombay Heavy Music on Bandcamp
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hopkins, David
1971 births
Living people
Irish keyboardists
Irish male singer-songwriters
Irish singer-songwriters
Musicians from Dublin (city)