The Cranberries

1989–1991: Formation and early years[edit]

Brothers Noel Hogan and Mike Hogan, descendants of the nineteenth-century Irish poet Michael Hogan, met Fergal Lawler in the mid-1980s.^[2][3] The young kids who grew up together in Limerick, Ireland, also shared their love of 1980s English/indie music and were "galvanised by punk's DIY ethic".^[4][5] Lawler received his first drum kit as a Christmas present when he was about seventeen; two months later, Mike Hogan received his first bass and his brother his first guitar.^[3] Niall Quinn, who also lived in the region, played with his own group called Hitchers and occasionally shared his experiences with the trio.^[5] Thereafter, they moved towards the idea of a four-piece ensemble and Quinn decided to stay on with the band.^[5] In mid-1989, brothers Mike (16) and Noel (18) Hogan formed the Cranberry Saw Us with Lawler (18), and singer Quinn.^[6][7] The initial release from Cranberry Saw Us was the demo EP Anything in January 1990. Shortly afterwards, Quinn left the band to return to his previous group Hitchers, although they remained on good terms.^[8][9] Despite this unexpected break-up, the three musicians transitioned to an instrumental group for several months, continuing to improve on ideas and song structures of instrumental pieces.^[5] Lawler and the two Hogan brothers then placed an advertisement for a female singer.^[5][10] Subsequently, Quinn introduced the trio to a friend of his girlfriend's sister, mentioning that she was a singer-songwriter looking for a group who would compose original music.^[5][4]


On a Sunday afternoon in mid-1990, 18-year-old Dolores O'Riordan cycled to the audition at Xeric Studios dressed in a tracksuit and with a broken Casio keyboard under her arm.^[11][12] O'Riordan said of the first encounter "I really liked what I heard; I thought they were very nice and tight. It was a lovely potential band but they needed a singer – and direction".^[9][11] Noel Hogan gave her a rough cassette demo incorporating chord sequences of indie-jangly guitar sounds, then O'Riordan took home Hogan's tape and began writing lyrics and overlaying melodies which would underpin the group's future material.^[12][4] Within a week, she returned to the musicians with whom she sang along a rough version of "Linger".^[12] Mike Hogan later described it as "we were immediately blown away, her voice was something special".^[9] Noel Hogan elaborated, "she was so small and quiet... then she opened her mouth and this amazing voice, this huge voice came out for the size of her";^[13] and then acknowledged: "how come she's not already in a band? [...] that day changed our lives".^[5][4] A musical relationship rapidly developed between O'Riordan and Noel Hogan, who had enough songs to record a demo.^[14] “It was that thing where you’ve found somebody that you clicked with, and you wanted to get as much as you could out of that,” says Hogan. ^[15] The fledgling band recorded a four-track demo EP called Water Circle, released in cassette format by local record label Xeric Records.^[16][17]


In July 1990, the group performed their first gig with O'Riordan at a hotel basement called Ruby's Club, Cruises Hotel, Limerick, performing six original songs to an audience of 60 people including three other local groups.^[18][11] The Cranberry Saw Us moved to Xeric Recording studio and recorded Nothing Left at All,^[19] their first commercial three-track EP released on tape in 300 copies by Xeric Records, which sold out in local record shops in Limerick within a few days.^[20][21] The owner of Xeric Studios, Pearse Gilmore, became their manager and provided the group with studio time to complete a demo tape, which he produced.^[14] It featured early versions of "Linger" and "Dreams", which were sent directly to record companies in London by Noel Hogan, determined to leave the underground circuit of small Irish clubs and pubs.^[4][22] Rough Trade label founder Geoff Travis immediately gave his approval, and although the Cranberries did not sign on to his label the demo continued to earn the attention of both the UK press and record industry and sparked a bidding war between major British record labels.^[4][22]


On 18 April 1991, the group played a decisive show in their hometown at Jetland Center as part of the University of Limerick's RAG Week to 1,400 students.^[9] In attendance was record producer Denny Cordell, who was then A&R for Island Records, and thirty-two other A&R men who flew from London.^[9][4] Shortly thereafter, the band changed their name to "The Cranberries".^[23] Nothing Left at All began to circulate in the UK with the support of John Best PR agency.^[2] Then, they performed their first UK tour opening for the British band Moose over the course of three weeks.^[2] The Cranberries received more letters expressing interest from Virgin, EMI, Imago, CBS, and Warner, which led the Hogan brothers to quit their jobs.^[14] Eventually the group signed a six-album deal with Island Records who won the battle through Denny Cordell.^[24][2] In mid-1991, the Cranberries headed back into the studio with Gilmore as their producer to "hastily" record their first EP Uncertain and created a music video for the title track, which was not released.^[14] Gilmore made various alterations to the album's rough cuts.^[25] 5,000 total copies of Uncertain were printed and released in October 1991 by Island Records under the Xeric name.^[14][26] The EP received poor reviews in the press and led to tension between the group and Gilmore.^[25] By this time, Gilmore began restricting information to the Cranberries and made separate arrangements with Island's U.S. branch.^[14] In October 1991 the Cranberries performed at Underworld in London during a UK and Ireland tour.^[14] Adding to this period of doubt, touring conditions and money were lacking with maximum earnings of $25 a day.^[24] On 9 December 1991, the Cranberries was supposed to support Nirvana in Belfast's Conor Hall, but Nirvana canceled their tour at the last moment as well as the five remaining shows due to Kurt Cobain's ill health.^[27][28]