Rory & The Island is set to release his new album ‘Centre Falls Apart’ on March 11 on new Irish indie label Voices of the Sea. This is his fourth studio album since going solo in 2008. I caught up with Rory Gallagher to discuss the album in-depth as well as touring and his plans for the year. 

Rory recently released his new single ‘Call My Name’ which was taken from ‘Centre Falls Apart’.The song features beautiful string elements that are a refreshing addition to the song and elevate the soundscape while adding a traditional undertone.

“ I had released it two years ago but because of the pandemic, and it was before I even started doing Facebook live gigs, it was one of those that got lost in the mix. I didn’t properly send it out to radio or press or anything and it just did nothing and maybe didn’t sound as good as it should. So I just did a revamp and a remaster. The strings we recorded in Abbey Road, believe it or not two years ago [ with ] Sean Magee from Fermanagh who was gigging with me at the time, a brilliant Irish trad player. He did the violin part and the cello was done by a guy who was a resident musician in Abbey Road in London called Ian Foster. We basically, figured it out within an hour and I had the melody roughly in my head. We just gave it a little bit of a traditional Irish lilt and Ian Foster on the cello was delighted because he got to play up the neck of the cello a little bit and imitate what Sean was playing with that more Irish fiddle lilt on the actual notes. So he enjoyed the project and we actually got it done in maybe 40 minutes, which is amazing for a string piece. So I decided to turn that up in the new mix. It’s one of those songs that, you play it and everybody sings along, but just to make it more sonically interesting it did need little things, not just strings – there’s background guitar, there’s a low drone, a lot of reverb, a distant kick drum and little things just to add production value, as they call it.”

 ‘Call My Name’ is a celebration of the few people in life who you can call at 1 am on a rainy night if you are in trouble. This appreciation of the special people around you is a running theme on the album. We discussed how Rory wrote some of these songs in lockdown where he experienced deep moments of contemplation and missing friends and family. 

“ I think apart from ‘Call My Name’ and ‘Little Fire’, they were all written in the last year. I wrote about 35 songs during the lockdown and these are the ones that, apart from ‘Donna Don’t Take My Summer’, I decided to put right bang in the middle of this album a little bit of levity because even though it’s a quite melodious album, a lot of the lyrics are quite deep. It’s a bittersweet album and a lot of it has to do with the anxiety that everybody was feeling during lockdown. I tried to write the lyrics in a way that even really obvious lockdown songs like ‘Miss This’, you could listen to it in 10 years, [ and ] it still might make sense that it’s like part of your life that’s gone.”

“I try my hardest to make it timeless [ lyrics ]. Apart from ‘Donna Don’t Take My Summer’ which is like a little breath of fresh air in the middle where it’s just like a homage to late 70s, early 80s Pop Music. I like the way that the likes of The Beatles used to do that on albums where, you would have a really deep album like ‘Revolver’, but right in the middle of it, they throw in something like ‘Good Day Sunshine’ or ‘Got to Get You Into My Life’. So just as it’s getting a little bit too John Lennon deep, this little jokey ray of sunshine comes into it. So that’s what I did.”

“But the rest of the album you’re right, it was actually the company Voices of the Sea, Shea McNelis said to me, why don’t you just put out a really strong body of work that’s artistically solid and has a lot of depth because you’ve got the songs there. I would have probably put 16 tracks on the album and I would have probably put in a few more joke songs and he’s like, you don’t need to do that, because that’s the kind of stuff that works well live and it’s just a bit of craic. But why not have a body of work that, in 20 years, you put it on and you go oh you know, every song was really well thought through. That’s hopefully what it is.”

Throughout the album, Rory subtly blends elements of folk, pop and indie to create an expressive soundscape that is a joy to listen to again and again. One feature that stands out within the songs is the warm guitar moments, particularly in ‘Surely There Is More To Life Than This’ and ‘It’s Been a Good Day’. The album is an excellent display of Rory’s musical prowess and eloquent songwriting.

“I think that’s probably because a lot of the vocal melodies would be quite similar in the style that I’ve written… I feel I do have a direct writing style now. I totally agree with you, that was my fear that it sounds too choppy, but when I did compile the songs and listen, I was like no. I reference The Beatles, you know, even though it’s so cliche, but they can go from like ‘Helter Skelter’ to ‘Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da’ and it still sounds fine on the same album you know, that’s such a tricky thing to do. I’m glad you feel that I’ve gone in the right direction, in the right ballpark.”

“ I remember [the lyric] it’s Been A Good Day for a change, I think, that was a double meaning where it’s like, this is a good day to change your life and then obviously, with depression, it’s been a good day, for a change, you know, – so that bitter sweet thing is running through it. I think I wrote that chorus on acoustic with a capo then I remember thinking, you know, I think this could be heavier. So I remember just going from acoustic to a Telecaster and plugging it into amplifier and turning the amp up and going, this is it you know, just thinking this is probably not going to work on an acoustic EP or whatever. These negative thoughts were coming in and then I was going well what the hell, it doesn’t matter people know that I was in The Revs. They know that I also do rock music. So why not? It’s that kind of thing where it’s bordering on 80s rock a little, you know, ACDC type verse, slightly Smashing Pumpkins as well. It’s got a feelgood factor to the rockyness of it”

The title track, ‘Centre Falls Apart’ is the darkest we see Rory go on the album. Featuring a piano refrain that adds a hint of jazz between the darker indie soundscape, Rory blends R&B elements into the song to give it a little extra punch. Even his vocals take a more gritty tone to the usual velvety charm we are used to.

“Yeah, I sang that one through a distorted guitar amplifier. I put the vocals through a guitar amp just to give it that kind of a White Stripes thing where it’s quite lo-fi, because when I first had it in mind, when I was writing it, I thought it would be cool to write something that has an R&B swing and I was thinking of No Diggity, Blackstreet and that heavy piano. That’s probably where I got the vibe of that one from [ I ] was thinking I would love to write something like that. But I remember when I first started listening back to the track in the studio, I was going oh my god, this is slightly moving into Maroon 5 zone, how can I de- Maroon 5 this track. So I started running things through really heavy compressors and distortion and I got it back on track to where I wanted it to be, it was kind of more like what the White Stripes would do with the James Bond track. You know like you say with elements of jazz where it would have a very distant piano. Instead of the microphone being close to the piano pull it to the other side of the room and crank up the compression a little bit so it gives it that 1950s Miles Davis type, you know, distance on the piano mics and just little things like that you have to be aware of. Even if your song is strong, if you recorded it too quickly and don’t think it through it can just end up in a horrible place that you didn’t want it to be.”

Rory has quite the reputation for flawless live performances. It’s almost guaranteed that the live version of the songs are going to be just as enjoyable if not more so than the recorded tracks. Much to my delight a live version of ‘Give Me Some Good News’ features on the album and it is simply divine.

“ I remember listening back, I had about seven tracks done and I’m starting to feel guilty about how multitrack they all were when previous EPs I’ve had out it’s just been acoustic and vocal. I was thinking, if anybody listens to this album, it’s the first thing of mine that they’ve listened to, I would like to show them, this is where I come from. It’s just acoustic guitar, vocal and a vibe in front of a live crowd and that’s what I’ve loved doing for the past 15 years. It’s so easy these days because you have USB connections on most desks so you can actually take it out and you’ve got the multitrack and then you go back and you listen the next day and you go oh god, that’s awful. But I remember listening to that one and it’s funny because it was recorded in the middle of the pandemic in Glasgow and it was one of those gigs. Is it going to happen? Is it not? It was a sold out gig but only half of the room came in. So that’s why you can hear the crowd on the microphone, but it’s quite sparse. But it has something, just melancholy I think about the actual delivery of the song. Probably if the room was packed, it would have been a little bit too hyper. I probably would have used the kick drum more. So I think it just had a little quality to it”

“I wouldn’t be professional at recording myself, especially like an outside broadcast. So if you are doing an outside broadcast you’d probably normally put four mics in the room and pick up the crowd properly. But I think I only had one microphone on stage turned around facing the audience, which is not the way to do it at all, but it’s just so that it wasn’t completely dry. Because obviously if you’ve got the mic right up to your mouth, and the guitar is going into the desk, you’re not really going to pick up anything so it was a bare minimum pick up but just enough [ that ] it seems like I’m playing in a coffee shop.”

‘Little Fire’ is perhaps my favourite track on the album. Rory’s warm voice coos atop a sweet melody with ukulele accompaniment and soft whistle feature. The track is beautifully arranged and beckons repeat plays.

“That one was probably before ‘Call My Name’. That’s the oldest track. I wrote it just after Aiden was born. My son and my mother wrote, a little poem called ‘Little Fire’. So I just took the title and the first line and maybe another line that she had, and I remember, because I was in the sitting room a lot and you’ve got the crib there and I had a ukulele because it’s not as loud as the guitar. I was practicing ukulele and just this little melody came into my head. Probably when I was just in the middle of the day time with Aiden when he was a tiny baby and I was just singing it. It all seemed to fall into place quite quickly, and I had been listening to a lot of ukulele performers. I don’t know, if I could play it as well now because I’d been playing so much ukulele at the time, that it just flowed so nicely but yeah, I think for a lot of people that stands out for them as a favorite, so I’m honoured. I think that was recorded in maybe two hours because it’s just ukulele and Hammond organ and a double track vocal and maybe that’s the magic of it, that it’s just so pure.”

Rory is set for an album launch in Dublin and Galway on the 11th and 12th of March. We discussed what fans can expect from the shows.

“It’s gonna be very feel good. I can’t wait to get on stage again. The last Opium gig I did there was 300 people there. I think there’s even more this time so hopefully the crowd sing as much as I do. That’s what’s been happening the last seven or eight gigs since I’ve come back and it’s amazing because people were watching me for two years, they know the songs so well. I’ll be throwing in some of the new stuff on the album. They might not know those but I think 80% of the set, the crowd will be singing, which is exactly what I’m going for. I’m gonna go for that escapism – communal crowd where the crowd sing louder than the singer. That’s what it’s gonna be hopefully.”

Like most musicians during the pandemic, Rory and the Island began live Facebook gigs every week and opted for “escapism” in his shows making them very colourful, upbeat and quirky as opposed to holding a mirror up to the depressing situation. Rory & The Island gradually built up 30,000 facebook followers with some of his shows averaging up to 50k views on FB watch playback during the week. The Facebook live gigs are still going strong.

“Yeah, I think it’s because I actually started to enjoy the format towards the end. There’s a lot of people that watch my gigs that are in different countries and a lot of people that, maybe still might have a bit of social anxiety and I’ve gotten into the habit of just having a bottle of red wine and converting the phone onto the television and having a great night. A lot of the people in the group, they got to know each other in different parts of the world during my performances so they like to catch up among themselves while I’m playing which is lovely to see that there’s like a little community there with three or four hundred people. I don’t see the need to completely stop it and to just be sitting in your spare room, doing something like that and to wake up the following morning and check and there’s a couple of hundred euro in the tip jar, it’s really nice. It’s a little bonus, and the practice and to communicate with people around the world, in New Zealand and Canada. It’s just a thing now, I suppose. Until there’s only 20 or 30 people watching I’ll keep at it.”

Rory can finally plan for future shows and we discussed the relief this brings as well as what fans can expect from Rory & The Island in the coming months

“Yeah, that’s the great thing. There’s bookings coming in already for as far ahead as October/ November. So I’m trying to not overplay, I made that mistake before where you go back to the same city, three, four months later, and it’s just too soon, so just trying to space things out, you know, seven or eight months and so far so good. There’s no cancellations and tickets are selling and everything’s good and hopefully get a couple of the summer festivals [ that] are starting to come in now. I’m going to keep the Facebook Lives going as well, because I don’t want to be a travelling musician all the time. I’ve got two little boys in the house and I want to have some Saturdays with them as well, some weekends and just who knows, maybe the fact it’s [the album Centre Falls Apart] getting a proper commercial release, this album might connect. Just see how it goes, playing it by ear.”

‘Centre Falls Apart’ is a glorious collection of songs bursting from the seams with bittersweet melodies, warm tones and comforting textures. Each track is a joy to listen to again and again and showcases Rory’s deft musical talent, beautiful songwriting and exquisite musicianship. 

‘Centre Falls Apart’ is set for release on the 11th of March. For more you can follow Rory and the Island on Facebook here https://www.facebook.com/RoryandtheIsland

Author: Danu