Legendary record executive Alan McGee has signed Galway band The Clockworks to his latest label, Creation23. The four-piece band features Loughrea locals James McGregor (vocals, guitar), Seán Connelly (guitar) and Damian Greaney (guitar), as well as Limerick City native Tom Freeman (bass), who met the rest of the band whilst studying at NUI Galway.

McGee has managed or championed successful acts such as Oasis, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Primal Scream, My Bloody Valentine and The Libertines.

"The Clockworks are the best band to come out of Ireland since My Bloody Valentine...thank God I signed them!" said McGee in a statement about the news.

Speaking about the decision to sign with Alan, the band said: "We decided to make the move to London in January. We had been living together in Galway for the past 2 years, and after achieving our goal of selling out the Roisín Dubh, our local, we felt that the time was right. No more than 3 weeks after we touched down we had McGee coming to see us play in our rehearsal room. Fairytale stuff."

Guitarist Seán added: "I sent [McGee] an Instagram message one morning claiming that our music was 'like The Streets with guitars', or something like that, and he got straight back saying how much he really loved the song. He was due to head out on tour with The Happy Mondays in Australia quite soon after that exchange, so we arranged to meet up at our rehearsal space in Mill Hill that week for him to hear the rest of our songs.”

“It's great to think that songs dreamt up and put together in the West of Ireland have already brought us some great opportunities in London, so far removed from the little rehearsal room they came from,” mused vocalist and guitarist James.

You can catch The Clockworks on 31 March at The Borderline, London (supporting Inhaler) and from June 21-23 at the Body & Soul Festival, Ireland.