Corner Boy have returned with their highly anticipated new single ‘Blackstairs Winter Snow’. It’s an energetic song brimming with vibrant passionate musicianship while boasting the emotive songwriting of the band. I spoke to frontman Mick D’Arcy about the new single, what we can expect from the band’s upcoming debut album and how they found working with producer Gavin Glass. 

“Yeah, so the song was written very differently than any previous song we’d done before because it was during the lockdown. We were writing music separately in different counties, in different locations in Ireland. So, automatically, it was a different kind of writing process that we never really explored before and as a result, the song itself is different from any other songs that we’ve written previously. It was exciting to be working in that way. It was the first result of two years of lockdown. So we felt like it was the right song that would represent us as a first single from the album.”

‘Blackstairs Winter Snow’ builds beautifully with freeing soundscapes and evolving instrumentation and D’Arcy explained to me how that captured a sense of freedom in the song.

“Yeah, what we would have done is, when we were working remotely we’d be sending each other back and forth different sound beds relating to the lyrics of the song as well. We wanted to capture the idea of place and different locations of origin that are actually name-dropped as it were, in the song. We wanted to capture that sonically as well. So we would have sent different sound beds, be it either with more kind of rootsy instruments or with different layers of synth and that’s how we explored and how we found our way in the song. Then we wanted to really let the song grow organically as well. So the addition of different instruments on top of it really drove home the message and the feeling behind the song as well. The intent behind the song was to capture an essence of place with that, that’s how the song kind of formed itself, very naturally in that way.”

Though lockdown and the pandemic brought difficult times to many it did aid the band’s sound and gave them the space, time and ability to create the theme of escapism so beautifully captured in the song. 

“Yeah, absolutely. I guess when you’re writing in a room together with musicians, there’s six of us in the band, you know, the process in itself can sometimes be very immediate. So something is decided upon and you might tease it out here and there but it’s copper fast and there in the moment. Initially, we were challenged in that way because it was something that we hadn’t done or explored before. But for us, we just became so happy with the song and how it was progressing and the feeling that we were capturing. So yeah, I guess it was really a testament to the times that we were able to write it in that way and as a result write a new piece of work that’s different from anything that we’d released previously. “

Corner Boy have a wonderful knack for emotive melodies. Their songs are laced in sweet earworm melodies and rich intricate refrains that perfectly capture feelings of joy, passion and sadness.

“We wouldn’t be prodigious writers by any means. A lot of the time what we do is we bring different ideas to the practice room and different pieces of music that we would write would capture various emotions or different range of emotions. So I think melodically with ‘Blackstairs Winter Snow’ a lot of it was the combination of a few different musical ideas that we felt were able to capture that feeling that we were trying to get across in the message of the song. So I actually think I’m right by saying that the chorus of the song, the melody for it was written maybe three years ago, the verses were written across 2021/ 2022. So we were taking old ideas, old themes, old feelings and matching them with themes that we were writing there and then in the moment. So it was no real A to Z in the moment writing of the song, we very much are a band that kind of move around. We go back and forth. We revisit different ideas, different soundscapes that we’ve had previously that may have worked in some ways, and then just try to find a marriage between them all. So yeah the song itself, for the most part, about 80% of it would have been written in 2020/2021 but we did revisit old themes that can try to drive home the message and the feeling of the song.”

‘Blackstairs Winter Snow’ is an anthemic track that oozes rich musical tones and lush textures. It is the first single to be released from the band’s upcoming debut album. We discussed how the song provides a taste of what is to come from the album.

“Yeah, I would very much say so. I think we were very blessed, we’re all from Wexford. I guess a very notable Irish producer Gavin Glass recently moved down to Wexford in the last couple of years and lives quite local to us as well. So we’re getting to know him and the way he works and those interesting synergies between both of us and how we see music and the process of songwriting as well. We would have sat with Gavin on a number of pre-production sessions before we even, recorded the first note of the album and through that, we were able to for once in our lives, really sit in a room, sit in a studio space, get to know every instrument in the place and from that create a record that had this collective identity from start to finish. Blackstairs Winter Snow is definitely something that’s indicative of the next singles that are due to come from the album and the album as a whole as well. So having that opportunity to work with somebody like Gavin as well he’s had so much experience across different genres and he’s a wonderful way of being able to filter all of that for us to arrive at that finish point of what we wanted. So it was a long process, but it was something that was just so beneficial for us to have, that unified sound for the album. So we’re super excited.”

Corner Boy have been around releasing music for nearly 10 years, However only now have the band decided to release their debut album. I wondered if this was due to the band finding the right message, songs or just finding time to craft an album.

“We were actually pretty much ready to record the album in 2019. We were putting everything in place and then of course, you know, an extra two years lapsed. In that time, we were able to find moments where we could get in and work with Gavin, like I said we were working remotely. But at the same time we said look, we can’t wait around any longer but for us, I mean, we were lucky enough to be in a position where we toured extensively in Ireland, UK, Europe and elsewhere. Asia ,North America, I guess it was really just years and years of that experience building it up and being on the road and being more comfortable with this sound that we eventually arrived at, that we felt was completely representative of us as a band. But for us, it was really just finding the right collection of songs and from that process of working with Gavin then as well, being able to solidify your sound as a starting point was really important. I guess now that we all understand that now and we understand the expectation and the intention behind how we want to write and release music and all those years of experience being on the road we’re really confident about the record and we really do love the music that we’re going to be releasing “

The band worked with Producer Gavin Glass in Orphan Studios on the album and D’Arcy explained to me the importance of working with Glass and how his approach helped the band refine their sound.

“Yeah we’d worked with producers previously and every producer is different but the biggest compliment that I could probably pay to somebody like Gavin is that he has this unique ability of being your worst enemy and your best friend at the same time. He will sit with you he will tease through different opinions about sometimes even the slightest of things and it’s something that we’ve learned over the years sometimes it’s those slightest of things that really make a record. Gavin will give you his time, his energy, his thoughts to look at something very specific from a couple of different angles. It was really, really important to us and I guess unlike maybe other producers that we worked with in the past, Gavin’s way of working he essentially becomes a member of your band for the time that you work with him and that’s great. Yeah, he just does it in such a seamless way as well, it really makes you enjoy the entire experience of recording also.”

Corner Boy have also released a video for ‘Blackstairs Winter Snow’. The video sees D’Arcy travelling the length and breadth of the country for his loved one and the band use clever camera angles and crisp edited shots to narrate the message of the song in a touching manner. 

“It was something that we would have all come together as a band about, the feeling we’re trying to capture with the song. We did sit down and talk about the song, what it means and what it represents. The song itself is about exploring the idea that you would go to any lengths for the people that you love. All of the band are from Wexford. So the Blackstairs mountains are kind of the border of Wexford. It’s where, when you’re entering Wexford, from a lot of different counties it’s once you get there, you’re home and it’s the idea of being with the people that you love in your home in a place that feels natural to you. In the song we’ve just been able to traverse different landscapes and different environments and different challenges overcoming them to really capture the essence of what that feeling is. We shot it over two days earlier this year and we had great fun doing that. So that’s obviously an integral part to capture in the song correctly as well. “

“We’re really happy with it. It was all self-produced by the band as well. So all of the editing, all of the shooting, the storyboarding everything was done by us. It was great to just have that sense of control over it and being able to sometimes execute with a creative vision on something is one of the hardest things that you can do. But when you get there in the end and when you’re happy it’s so rewarding.”

Like all musicians, Corner Boy have had to become familiar with social media and do live streams, TikTok videos etc to help promote themselves and reach their fans. We discussed the challenges and advantages of using social media. 

“Yeah, as a band we’ve been around for 10 years. So we’ve seen the full spectrum. When we first started out it was very much the occasional, online posts here and there across a few different channels and now it’s a case where most artists really have to be this kind of provider of content, this kind of entertainment channel. So we’re trying to embrace it as much as we can like we’ve done with the video. It’s just trying to have really strong and evocative visuals as well that represent the music well but also showing off the character of the band, we have the bit of craic that you would have on the road and the fun. We’re all really, really close. We’re all really really good friends. So it’s just trying to capture that feeling in the band as well. Camaraderie is a large part of why we’re in a band together and why we pursue it. So you can look at it one or two ways I guess, you can look at it [ social media ] as a challenge or something that takes up a lot of your time or you can also look at it, as a way to explain the narrative and the story of the band and more than anything demonstrate who you are as people because at the end of the day people are really going to connect to your music that bit more when they understand you as people and who you are.“

Corner Boy’s sound surges with hearty melodies and a rich array of instruments that subtly build to create an immense soundscape that rushes with passion. They are a band who have been cultivating their sound to its purest most invigorating form. ‘Blackstairs Winter Snow’ is a fine example of this and an exciting glimpse of what we can expect from their upcoming debut album. Corner Boy have some exciting announcements coming up so keep an eye on their social media to keep up to date with new music and live dates. 

“Yeah, so we do have some dates booked in for later in the year. Nothing that we can announce officially yet but we will be announcing details on the release of our album later this year so we definitely have a few Irish dates in mind and some dates abroad as well. I would say details of that will definitely be released sometime before the summer in the next month or two so we’re really looking forward to getting back out on the road. We’ve been in the rehearsal room for the last couple of weeks. I guess like many acts we’re just excited to get back into a venue, into a live setting and just feel the buzz off the crowd. It’s going to be a great moment for us. So we’re really excited for it”

Watch the video for ‘Blackstairs Winter Snow’ below 

Author: Danu