The Saw Doctors

Born in Tuam, County Galway, The Saw Doctors formed in 1986 around Davy Carton and Leo Moran, two figures who remained at the heart of the group despite numerous lineup changes. Their music mixes rock, folk-rock and guitar pop with a strong anchoring in the west of Ireland, direct choruses, a taste for everyday storytelling and, at various times, touches of accordion, saxophone and country rock. The Saw Doctors first attracted attention in the late 1980s on stage, notably accompanying Hothouse Flowers, The Stunning and The Waterboys; Mike Scott produced their first single, “N17”, in 1989. Their breakthrough came in 1990 with “I Useta Lover”, a single that became a lasting landmark of Irish pop, followed by the album If This Is Rock and Roll, I Want My Old Job Back (1991). Subsequent releases include All the Way from Tuam (1992), Same Oul’ Town (1996), Songs from Sun Street (1998), Villains? (2001), The Cure (2006) and The Further Adventures of... The Saw Doctors (2010). A regular presence on venues, festivals and tours in the UK, Ireland and the United States, The Saw Doctors resumed steady live activity after a mid-2010s hiatus and released the EP Wha’D’ya Think a That in 2024.