meet sean daly & the shams
sean daly
From an early age, Sean Daly was shaped by music that meant something. Growing up in Donegal, he listened as The Wolfe Tones sang songs about Ireland, and The Irish Brigade sang songs about the ten. At thirteen, he stood in front of more than a thousand comrades and sang "Joe MacManus" — and something locked into place.
He carried those songs with him across the ocean, through San Francisco bars and rock and roll stages, even when the setlists said otherwise. The longing to sing songs of freedom never left him. When he brought his family back to Donegal, he found his way back to those songs too.
The Shams toured Europe, Sean singing every word from memory — the same words he'd learned as a boy, now sung as a man who understood their weight. A tribute to Ireland, to its struggle, and to the ten whose sacrifice those songs were written to honor.
He took the mic. And he hasn't put it down since.
meet The Shams
New Jersey born and raised, Matt Finn grew up steeped in Irish music as the son of legendary Jersey Shore balladeer Joe Finn. A second-generation Irish American, Matt brings that heritage to life as guitarist for The Shams, proudly carrying forward the Irish rebel music tradition.
matt
Franko brings a world of sound to The Shams — trad Irish, blues, Americana, rock, and funk, all woven together with fire and precision. That glint in his eye isn't just mischief; it's a musician who's graced the stage at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium and the Bluebird Café, and brings every bit of that experience to the rebel rock cause.
franko
Helmut De La Cruz brings a drum line built for stadiums to the rebel rock cause. Born in Barranquilla, Colombia, and raised in Long Beach, CA, he played snare in the USC Trojan Marching Band - the Rose Bowl, the Rose Parade, the Grammys - before taking his rhythms across genres and continents, from Colombian folk music to African reggae to Irish trad. The Shams are his third Irish band, and he's still putting a little Latin flavor into every beat.
helmut
A trip to Ireland in 2004 changed everything for Jason. What started as inspiration became obsession — mandolin, accordion, whistles, and a deep dive into Celtic music that led him to co-found three Portland area bands: Sons of Malarkey, Bellow Bridge, and The Morags. Now he's bringing all of it to The Shams, keeping the rebel songs alive and well.
jason
Cole Derry cut his teeth playing bass in the bars of southeast Portland, backing the Molly Starr and Stan Casell duo before co-founding Salem garage rock outfit T.K. Now anchoring The Shams' rhythm section, he's bringing that gritty, road-worn energy to the rebel rock cause up and down the west coast.