Nearly five years ago, singer/songwriter Joe Hurley had an electrical fire in his apartment that burned away his past.

"I lost everything; every lyric I'd ever written, every recording, all my photos, every family heirloom, everything that ever meant anything to me--gone. I was devastated." the gruff voiced Hurley recalled with a mournful tone. "for months I was in a daze, shell-shocked. But I learned a lot."

He becomes downright philosophical in fact. One night while watching a news story on the Oklahoma City bombing, he said to himself, "Here was this enormous tragedy unfolding before me and though it didn't negate my own pain, it did offer me a clearer perspective on things--the big picture. I mean, hell, I was alive, wasn't I!"

Word of Hurley's fire soon spread with even the New York Post writing an article on the downtown music community's supportive response. lndeed, several benefits were held with local bands (including Black 47) performing to help Hurley get back on his feet. And the hope wasn't just local.

Legendary singer Marianne Faithfull (who had recently joined Hurley's band, Rogue's March, on stage and sang a whole set with them) donated signed copies of her autobiography for a raffle at a fundraiser. Says Hurley about this response, "I was very touched by everyone's help and support. It meant a lot to me that the community cared so much."

Hurley got everyone out of his burning building and though his landlord's negligence caused the fire, fought a four year battle for compensation where he received more aggravation than reward (he ended up settling out-of-court).

Not long after the fire, Hurley's close friend Johnny Byrne (who had co-produced Rogue's March first CD) died in a tragic accident. A song of Hurley's "if I was an Angel" was written to help him deal with the painful losses around him.

Now Hurley has closed the chapter on that period of his life and in doing so has opened a new one that began with the release of their second CD Chaser (Arbaon) and a deal with an indie label that has major label distribution. This is about time since Rogue's March have been thought of as "the next big thing" for years.

Hurley is still the favorite local boy rock hero in the minds of fans that follow him and the band as they make the circuit from clubs to concert halls.

Although his mom is Irish and his dad was an Irish New Yorker, his parents raised the family in south-east London. (Hurley grew up there and after spells in Paris, Berlin, and New York, he moved permanently to the States in the late '80's.) His childhood was not always the greatest as he was one of two Irish kids in his school."When the IRA was setting off bombs in London, I wasn't exactly the most popular kid around", says Hurley "but the anger directed towards me, made me feel even more connected to my Irish roots, to my heritage in a way" A great deal of Hurley's awareness and knowledge of Irish culture, came from his grandparents."They taught me the old songs, the history, they told me the stories, the importance of keeping tradition alive.When they were kids, they went to 'hedge school/' Secretly meeting at night under the hedges they were taught Irish culture, songs and language. They couldn't get that at school--the English wouldn't allow it.

Hurley's family background places him squarely among the outsiders--the sort that feel the alienation from self and heritage; something which clearly filters into his songs. "l write a lot about the downtrodden, the dispossessed, the disheartened," Hurley says. "There's a melancholic feel in some of my songs that probably is connected to my Irish blood--a certain lucidity, a clarity that comes with being Irish. I see through the superficial shit and recognize the aching sadness at the core of our lives, It might not be unique to the Irish, but its certainly there in a big way.

Rogue's March have been together for almost nine years with a few lineup changes.Although Hurley has been there for the duration, his original partner Garyjohannas left the group a few years back to get married. Now Hurley works mainly with his guitarist j-F who is half-Chinese, half-French,-and all rock-n-roll.The rest of the bands lineup is Rich Feridun (guitarlmandolin), Chris Nappi (drums), and Matt Lindsey (bass).They also boast alternating accordion players, Pat Robinson and Kenny Margolis.

When writing, Hurley allows a song to emerge and mold itself.As he states,"l don't alter songs just because they might not fit with the other tunes on a record. Some are ballads with a country feel, some are punk with an Irish feel, some might be pop with a cabaret twist. Like having a child, they just come out when you give birth to them.You can't pick and choose their sex.That's the best part. In a way, you have no control over it:' Hurley has also been active in the theater and finds the chance to immerse himself in another character enriching--"a great breal< from personal story telling in songs." In 1990 he wrote and performed a one-man play, The King of UPton Pork.The story follows five years in the life of an English football hooligan. The Village Voice termed it "a cross between A Clockwork Orange and A Threepenny Opera " with Hurley touring the show in the Northeast.

Football is a favorite topic of Hurley's, as he is a life-long West Ham supporter. He still spends most Sunday mornings going to Nevada Smiths in the EastVillage to catch live matches."l'm a bit obsessed:' he admits. Rogue's March's first record Never Fear was dedicated to the late Booby Moore, former captain of West Ham and English NationalTeam.A song on the CD "When you feel like crying:' namechecks Moore as a IO year old boy's hero, who looks up to him when his world is falling apart."l'd love to get a copy of the song to Bobby's widow and children. He was one of the last true greats as a man and an athlete, he was pure class," says Hurley.

As for Hurley's current music, he and the band recently released Chaser-produced by james Mastro of the Health & Happiness Show (and formerly of the Bongos).The album features appearances by Dennis Diken of the Smithereens, Joan Osborne guitarist Eric Dellapenna, Black 47's Chris Byrne, Kenny Margolis of Cracker, Joe McGinty, Debbie Schwartz, cellist Jane Scarpontoni, and duets with Amy Rigby and Jennifer Jackson.

Some of the best songs on the album such as the opener "On My Way Home," mix broken-down, anguished vocals with a rock upbeat. But underlying the energetic pulse is that hard-nosed world weary vision. Hurley has been compared to Elvis Costello, Tom Waits, even Bruce Springsteen or Rolling Stones acolyte David Johansen. Hurley's songwriting style--telling stories with words spewed out with an edge--suggests the best of American or Irish rock.

Ashley Maclssaac, Shane MacGowan, Mekons, and Squeeze. When Rogue's March toured Canada and the midwest with Ashley Maclsaac, they enjoyed a great reception.

Last year, the Bowery Ballroom put together a special night called Local Heroes with Rogue's March headlining. Recently Hurley has been writing and recording with David Bowie producer Tony Visconti.They're about to begin working on songs for the band's next CD which will include a new recording of "Shut up and Drink" as the first single.

Channel 11 just filmed a story on the band which aired recently and the group is throwing a huge bash at the Mercury Lounge on St Patrick's Day.As for the future, Hurley has only this to say about his goals. "Well there are certain degrees of success. I'd be happy with the one that would enable me to have a different pair of shoes for every day of the week, loose change and a judge in my pocket, a big old house in the country, and, oh yeah, a Christmas card every year from Drew Barrymore hand-delivered."

Story by Brad Balfour