When the announcement was made that three priests from Ireland had signed a recording deal with BMG, interest in the group was immediately sparked. As more information about the group emerged, including the fact that legendary producer Mike Hedges would be producing the group, even more interest was generated.



With a career spanning more than 20 years, Mike Hedges has certainly gained a large following and has established a widely respected career. That career began in London at Morgan Studios during the late 1970s. Originally, Hedges had studied to be an engineer. After making the decision to freelance in 1981, he quickly moved on to acting as an engineer/producer. That proved to be a wise decision as his career has taken the world by storm since that time and the name Mike Hedges has become somewhat legendary.

His first major effort was with The Cure. That collaboration resulted in ‘Killing an Arab', the group's debut single. Before long Hedges opened his own facility and continued working with The Cure along with other groups, namely Siouxsie and the Banshees and the Associates. Subsequent successes have included Dido, U2, Travis and Manic Street Preachers. His collaboration on Manic Street Preachers' Everything Must Go eventually resulted in a number of awards including being voted as the best album of 1996 and the BRIT award for Album of the Year.

In recent years, Hedges' work has included collaboration on a Dido album, which went on to sell millions of copies in less than a year. He has also filled a role on the musical team for the mega film Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

As a result, it came as somewhat of a surprise and a disappointment when word was announced in 2007 that Hedges had decided to slow down his career and would consequently be working on fewer jobs. At the time Hedges indicated that he would like to spend more time with his family, particularly his three sons.

Earlier this year it was announced that Fathers Eugene and Martin O'Hagan, brothers, and their longtime school friend Father David Delargy, had signed a recording deal with BMG records for an album of christian music. Although this was certainly welcome news, as popular secular music does not often allow much room for spirtitually based music, when it was discovered that Mike Hedges would be producing the group, the buzz truly began about this upcoming album. Since that time, interest has greatly increased in the album and how Hedges' collaboration on the album could affect it.

The group's first album is set to debut in November and work has already begun on recording for the album. Although final details regarding the album have not been officially released, it is expected that the album will contain such favorite hymns as Abide With Me, Be Still My Soul, Oh Holy Night and Ave Maria.

While Hedges' work in the past has been more secularly based, excitement is certainly swirling regarding his work on The Priests' debut album.