Welcome! We're the Rogue Diplomats.
After releasing our self-titled debut EP in 2015 on a shoe-string budget, we are thrilled to be working on our first full-length studio album, Whiskey Picnic! Whiskey Picnic will be recorded at Virtue & Vice Studios with Producer/Engineer Anthony "Rocky" Gallo in Brooklyn, NY and will be bigger, better, and capture the energy and humor of our live performances.
We are beyond excited to announce that Robyn Adele Anderson from Postmodern Jukebox will be a featured guest vocalist on the album AND violinist, Nyk Van Wyk, will be a featured guest musician.
Take part in the creative process and help us guarantee exceptional quality by PRE-ORDERING our upcoming album; and/or participating in one of the many fun perks for helping us fund this project. Perks include: Merchandise, Personalized Serenades, Recording Studio Visits, Private Concerts, and More!
We are passionate about sharing our love of Celtic music with our fans and hope you enjoy the original songs and fan favorites that we have planned for our upcoming album!
Sláinte!
The Rogue Diplomats
Brian, Matthew, Pat, Nate, and Christine
What We Need (& What You Get!)
The budget for our upcoming album is $7,500, which is a rather modest budget for an 8 song album. The money we raise through our campaign will help us to subsidize the following costs of funding a studio album.
- Pre-Production
- Recording Studio Time
- Mixing
- Mastering
- Album Artwork
- Layout & Graphic Design
- Manufacturing Cost of CDs
Perks include: Merchandise, Personalized Serenades, Recording Studio Visits, Private Concerts, and More!
Stretch Goals
$4,000: 9 Song Album. If you help us reach our first stretch goal of $4,000, we will be able to record an additional song on the album.
$5,000: 10 Song Album. If you help us reach our second stretch goal of $5,000, we will be able to record an additional song on the album.
$6,000: Posters & Free Signed Digital Album Art Proof. If you help us reach our third stretch goal of $6,000, we will be able to have posters designed and printed featuring our vintage style album cover art by UK-based illustrator, Otto Von Beach. As a thank you, all of our backers will receive a Digital Album Art Proof signed by the band.
$7,000: Film & Livestream Album Release Concert. If you help us reach our fourth stretch goal of $7,000, we will be able to film and livestream our August 12th Album Release Concert at the Metropolitan Room in NYC.
Other Ways You Can Help
We understand that not everyone is in a position to be able to donate, but there are other ways that you can help us meet our goal!
- Help us get the word out by sharing our campaign on Social Media.
- Reach out to friends who might be interested and text or DM them the link to our campaign.
Who We Are
The Rogue Diplomats are an Irish-American Pub Band based in both New York City and Bethlehem, PA. They perform the spirited melodies and lyrical story-telling of traditional Irish jigs, shanties, drinking songs and ballads, with a dash of contemporary American folk songs and original compositions, all delivered in close harmony and with charmingly irreverent humor.
The Rogue Diplomats got their start in Astoria, Queens, playing annual St. Patrick’s Day shows at Blackbird’s Bar. They’ve since gone on to play Bloomsday on Broadway, the annual celebration of the works of James Joyce at Symphony Space in NYC, and a multitude of pubs in New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. The Diplomats have also headlined at Musikfest, and the Annual Celtic Classic Highland Games & Festival, both in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania; Celtic Fling & Highland Games at Mount Hope; and the Shawnee Mountain Celtic Festival.
The Rogue Diplomats are: Brian Donnelly (Guitar/Vocals), Matthew Breiner (Bodhrán/Tin Whistle/Vocals), Patrick Marran (Irish Bouzouki/Guitar/Vocals), Nate Diehl (Accordion/ Vocals), and Christine Scharf Breiner (Vocals).
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BRIAN DONNELLY (Guitar/Vocals) holds a BA in Theater from DeSales University. The "Best Legs in Kilt" runner-up is the former guitarist of alt-rock band Laura and the Riot and has appeared at a myriad of bars throughout NYC, occasionally playing music in them. He got his start in Irish music when he was four, standing on his parents' dining room table and singing for company. He hasn't stopped since.
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MATTHEW CULLEN BREINER (Bodhrán/Tin Whistle/Vocals) is a SAG/Equity actor who has appeared on The Sopranos, the motion picture Voiceless, and in the first National tour of "Big, The Musical." He has a BA in Theater from DeSales University and attended the conservatory program at the Atlantic Acting School. A stand-up comedian who has performed at Comix, Eastville, and Gotham Comedy Clubs, Matthew revels in the history and storytelling surrounding Irish music and culture. www.MatthewBreiner.com
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PATRICK MARRAN (Bouzouki/Guitar/Vocals) is a New York-based Actor/Director and Song Writer. A graduate of Hofstra, Patrick is a founding producer of Dreamcatcher Entertainment's "Talent on Tap" workshop program and has collaborated as both an actor and director on various projects with Classics on the Rocks Theater Company, Turn to Flesh Productions, and Dreamcatcher Entertainment. A life long lover of Irish music and whiskey, his original song, "Old Brown Ale" can be heard on the Rogue Diplomats debut album. www.PatrickMarran.weebly.com
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NATE DIEHL (Accordion / Vocals) is an accomplished musical director, conductor, pianist, and music teacher. He has worked with the PA Shakespeare Festival, DeSales University, Muhlenberg College, and Moravian Academy. Nate holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Moravian College and a Master of Music degree from West Chester University. He currently teaches at the Lehigh Valley Charter School for the Arts in Bethlehem, PA.
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CHRISTINE SCHARF BREINER (Vocals) is an equity actress with an extensive musical theater background. A graduate of the Hartt School, she originated the role of Corey/Caller #1 in the Off-Broadway musical Wanda's World, headlined shows for Carnival Cruise Lines, and has performed with indie rock band Stella Never Sleeps and music collective PostModern Jukebox. Christine is of Irish and Swedish descent and can drink the boys under the table. www.christine-scharf.com
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