American musician set for book launch at Kildare library

American musician Amanda Kramer (of The Psychedelic Furs)  will join Naas author Wayne Byrne to launch and discuss their new book Hired Guns: Portraits of Women in Alternative Music.  The event takes place at Naas Library and Cultural Centre on Wednesday, December 11 at 7pm.

Amanda Kramer is the keyboardist for legendary post-punk/new wave band The Psychedelic Furs.

In a career that spans four decades she has toured, recorded, or performed with lauded artists such as World Party, The Golden Palominos, 10,000 Maniacs, Siouxsie Sioux, Lloyd Cole, Thompson Twins, Information Society, and Eurythmics. Wayne Byrne is a film historian and prolific author who has written best-selling books on subjects such as Walter Hill, Burt Reynolds, A Nightmare on Elm Street, and the Halloween film franchise. 

The pair recently published their first literary collaboration Hired Guns: Portraits of Women in Alternative Music, which was released to critical acclaim. Their following book, to be released in 2025, will document the history of film music of the New Hollywood and American Independent movements. 

Byrne says, “It will be very exciting for Amanda and I to be in Naas Library for this event. It will be a rare opportunity for fans to hear about her amazing career in-person and should offer a unique insight into writing on music and film as we will be discussing the making of our books.” 

Tickets for this event are free and can be had  by contacting the library venue at 045-980795 or naaslib@kildarecoco.ie