Kicking off 2022 with a bang, the York-based four-piece rock band Vaquelin have just released their debut album, ‘Where Dreams Hurt’. The band have been gigging locally for a few months now but already have a global audience spanning multiple continents. The group are looking forward to getting back on stage and performing songs from their new record – along with some other unrecorded sneak peeks into the future. Over lockdown, the band hasn’t slowed down, with second and third records already in the works. They have been writing and recording demos while waiting for their mixes and masters.
‘Where Dreams Hurt’ is a diverse collection of tracks that boasts Vaquelin’s genre-blending sound and eloquent songwriting. Oozing dark undertones, shredding guitar solos and driving rhythms ‘Soliloquy,’ ‘The Garden’ and ‘Though the Heavens Fall’ all exude the refined and mature musicianship of the band as they lace heavy rock elements with ominous tones and eerie instrumental outbursts. Throughout the album, the band drench their songs in classic rock bravado however, there are lighter moments within the album as well. A fine example is ‘Iridescent Streetlights’ which is filled with bright guitar elements, buoyant rhythms and dreamy tones.
The album packs one heck of a punch as Vaquelin take their shadowy lyricism and couple it with a shredding alternative rock backdrop. ‘Hyperdepressant’ displays this superbly: with smooth eerie vocals crooning “angle living in a snow globe all smashed up on the kitchen counter oh no, how sad. Glass in your mouth does it hurt, now I feel bad” beneath volcanic guitar riffage and monstrous bass grooves, the band create a sleek tune that showcases the bands swagger and impressive musicianship.
‘Where Dreams Hurt’ is a polished and melodically lush album from Vaquelin that beckons repeat plays.
Thumper – Photography by Ruth Medjber @ruthlessimagery
Irish noise-pop / alt-rock sextet THUMPER’s hotly-anticipated debut LP ‘Delusions of Grandeur’ is set for release on the 18th March. Over the last two years, the Dublin six-piece have been developing their sound and building an increasingly passionate fanbase. With a lineup of two drummers and three guitarists, THUMPER’s maximalist wall of sound has long since set them apart in the booming Dublin music scene.
I caught up with Oisín Leahy Furlong to talk about the band’s debut album, expectations placed on the band as well as touring and getting comfortable with his voice.
“Well, I suppose that’s how we listen to music by LPs, and THUMPER sort of started and stopped and started and stopped. We had lineup changes, changes in direction and the normal teething problems that bands have. Once we solidified the lineup and the intent it was the next logical step to record that album for now and make our stamp”
THUMPER are perfecting their craft, dropping alternative rock gems with each release. Each member of the band is very talented and the album is a confident display of their musical prowess. I wondered if there were any moments of anxiety and doubt while creating the album.
“It’s hard to say really, because originally we recorded the album we had been on tour in 2019. We were going to the studio just to record a single and a B side and because we’ve been so busy touring, we went in and we recorded like eight or nine songs back to back just because we knew them all back to front because 2020 was gonna be so busy for us. It was just kind of warts and all, band in a room, like an artefact of what we sounded like at that time and that was more born out of our schedule. We didn’t have time to labour over something, but then obviously 2020 came along and all of our plans were null and void at that point. So, we’re on tour when Covid really hit and we flew back to Ireland, and Alan [Dooley] went straight into the studio and started working on re- looking at what we had recorded and what state it was all in. I didn’t see him for like two or three months but I knew he was working on the record. I didn’t know what he was doing. When I finally got to see him, a couple of months had passed and he’d grown a huge beard like he was in Castaway or whatever. He had sort of retcon the whole album from being this live in a room, to something way more. So, when we decided that was the direction we want to take it we were pretty confident with it because those are the album’s that we like you know. But we spent so long on it, 2020 felt like it was about three years long because of everything that was going on and we were in the studio non-stop working on the record. You have to just trust your instinct that what you’re doing is the right thing for the music. So I’m not sure that I would say we were confident it was just sort of willful ignorance that we were doing the right thing.”
The instrumentation within the album is masterful. Each song is a glorious display of great musicianship that boasts sleek guitar moments, sweet melodies and abrasive outbursts. The album takes wild unpredictable twists throughout its blustery journey as it shifts from frenetic soundscapes to stripped back instrumental breaks before leaping into dynamic crescendos. Tracks such as ‘Overbite’ and ‘Topher Grace’ are fine examples of this. ‘Strychnine’ is also a riveting display of musicianship from the sextet. Arguably the tour de force within the album the track is mostly Oisín and an acoustic guitar with soft percussion accompaniment and electronic guitar embellishments.
“That song is, in some ways outside of our comfort zone in the way it’s structured and the way we attacked it. I actually had that in my voice memos. I was going through like I have about 500 voice memos on my phone. It breaks every two seconds. But I had that saved on my phone from like 2018 as THUMPER mid-LP song. Then I was like, yeah, that’s what that will be and then that’s just what we did. Really, again, it’s like you make the decision, you’re confident about it. Then when you have to actualize it that’s when you have to be confident or employ a sort of a weird, over the top sense of self-belief. But we’re really happy with it. It’s one of my favourite tunes on the record now.”
The instrumental track ‘The Ghost’ is an exquisite piece of music. Featuring hypnotic guitar strikes, a sweet guitar refrain and abrasive undertones the track is a mosh pit friendly frenzy that is filled with mind-melting distortion and psychedelic elements.
“Well, when I settled on the idea of calling the album Delusions of Grandeur, that was referencing lyrical themes throughout it, but also in reference to the fact that when THUMPER started, it was a solo project. It was just me bringing out tapes and making like 100 of them and giving them around Dublin, really low stakes. low fi badly recorded, just sort of not throw away but the scope of it was much smaller. When we fixed on this Delusions of Grandeur idea, I thought it’d be funny to have a three-part 20 minute long song, finish the album so obviously, ‘The Ghost’ is like the second in that whole three-part suite at the end. The tune ‘Overbite’ which comes before it was the first time that Alan had basically written all the music or the guts of it to that song and I wrote the lyrics and then I was like, Okay, what this needs is, and I sort of sang out this section that didn’t exist yet. It needs to start off with one guitar and slowly build up into this thing. Then he just randomly flicked through his other demos that he had and just clicked on one and it was exactly what I just said. He had already preempted me wanting that to happen. So that became a blueprint then for that piece of music. Again, it wasn’t some huge decision to this instrumental piece that was gonna make the whole album but it was just going with your gut. Yeah, serving the songs as best you can.”
‘Down in Heaven’ brings the album to an end. It’s a heartbreaking finale. Oisín’s earnest vocals croon very raw lyrics “I did it to myself cos I deserved it” while drums trudge through a sweet melody and piercing sting on guitars. The track is both vibrant and mournful all at once as the band’s expressive use of instrumentation and melody creates gripping heart-wrenching turmoil for listeners to experience. This moving tune is a striking end to a magnificent album and provides a moment of reflection on the album as a whole, making the listener want to experience the rollercoaster ride that is ‘Delusions of Grandeur’ again.
“Yeah, It’s funny, it’s our first album, but there’s a couple of moments on it where I really wasn’t sure. It was a creative risk, because it is quite different to what we’ve done before and the worry would be that tune would be perceived as being melodramatic, even though I was kind of aiming for something a little bit more insular. I’m glad you like it. I don’t know what to say about it. That’s probably the one song that I’m most intrigued to hear people’s reaction to because it is quite raw and it’s us trying our hardest to push past what people expect of us.”
‘Down in Heaven’ alludes to a different THUMPER. It’s a cinematic, cliffhanger moment that suggests something exciting could happen with the next release.
“I think so, I think you’re right. This album is a good few years in the making. We started making some of these songs when I was in my early to mid-20s and now I’m early 30s. So, you change as a person, your tastes change and what you find interesting and what you find uninteresting changes. So yeah, I think the last thing we’ll ever want to do is retread old ground just for the sake of it. So hopefully it is a sign that we can expand our palette beyond what people want and, really treat it like more than just something that’s set in stone.”
Throughout the album, Oisín’s vocals anchor the listener within the soundscape of the tracks while at the same time evoking images of live crowds chanting back the lyrics. Oisín has the ability to spark these live sing-alongs when the band perform. He conveys immense emotion and angst through his vocals.
“The vocals, that’s probably the thing that I’ve struggled the most with. I made no bones in the early days about the fact that I wasn’t, totally comfortable on stage that’s why the band is so big. Within that you’d say, well, why are you doing it to begin with? I don’t really know the answer to that question. But, the vocal yeah, it’s the element that I have the least control over but it’s the part that I worked the hardest on. I think part of the reason our songs are so melodic is so that I can kind of learn them like a nursery rhyme. I don’t know something happens in the process of translating that nursery rhyme where it ends with me rolling around and yelping. But yeah, I love singing because it’s a tender transition between writing something in your room and seeing how it ends up on stage and especially hearing people singing back is very strange”
“ I think the tension though of where you’re trying to work with your body to make this thing and you’re not quite sure whether it’s going to happen, I don’t know it’s kind of alluring. Maybe I’m a glutton for punishment or something, but I like not being sure that I’m gonna be able to pull it off”
THUMPER are a one of a kind must-see live act. The band have London and Dublin launch shows this week to coincide with the album release and we discussed the shows and the possibility of a tour.
“Oh, yeah, I’m supposed to be in Europe right now. It got postponed because of Covid, hopefully for the last time.We’ll be doing these shows. We wanted to purposefully keep it really small, so it was like returning to how we started off upstairs in Whelan’s, we probably played there 20 times. So, cramming 100 people in there seemed like a really, fitting way to kick start this next chapter. Then yeah, we’ll be announcing a full Big Boy tour later in the year. We’ll be doing all the festivals and all that stuff as well. “
THUMPER have created a phenomenal album with ‘Delusions of Grandeur’. Musically the band treat our ears to a plethora of shoegaze, psychedelia and alternative rock with speckles of pop embellished throughout while earnest lyrics venture into dark territory and explore the struggle of self-image, internal and external. It’s a wonderful album that provides an exciting glimpse into the many facets of THUMPER.
‘Delusionsof Grandeur’ is set for release on Friday the 18th of March.
Until then you can watch the video for THUMPER’s latest single ‘Fear of Art’ below
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 likesof 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 quitesimilar 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 showthem, 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 onlyhad 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 theend. 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
The Wombats are set to release their fifth studio album, ‘Fix Yourself, Not The World’ on the 14th of January. I caught up with Dan Haggis to chat about the album, it’s recording and Murph’s falsetto range.
“It’s about looking inwards to solve and confront your own problems rather than avoiding your demons by filling your time with endless distractions. I think we’ve always had an introspective side to our songs but after going through the pandemic where most distractions were taken away, there was nowhere else to look other than inwards and I think a lot of people went through some tough times mentally trying to reevaluate who they were and what they need to function. When Murph [Matthew Murphy], suggested the title we all had lots of thoughts about what it means. We really wanted an album title that made people think. Everyone will hopefully have their own take on the title and album and with any luck a few conversations will be started as a result.”
The album was recorded remotely from the band’s respective homes over the past year. They discussed each day’s plan via Zoom, then recorded separately, and sent individual files to producers. I wondered how the band found the remote process and if Dan thought the album would have sounded different if the band had been able to be together in the same place writing and recording.
“We’ve lived in different countries for over 6 years now so we’re used to sending ideas and files back and forth but we’ve never done a full album! As with most things in life there were upsides and downsides, fortunately we had some really organised producers working with us so keeping all the parts in the right folders, everything recorded at the same bit rate, at the right tempo etc was pretty smooth. It was fun hearing the songs come together in a slightly different way than before too. We always have pretty solid demos of the songs we’re recording by the time we make an album and this was more important than ever on this album. We had worked out what we needed to re-record, what we were going to keep and what needed work, our producer even made a nice pdf sheet with each track and the notes we all had!”
“We did write half the album all together in LA throughout 2019 which was great and gave us a good platform for the album once the pandemic hit. Of course the album would’ve been a bit different, you can’t help but be influenced by where you are and who you’re with. Just being in a different studio usually means you have access to slightly different microphones, instruments and outboard gear, not to mention the room itself sounding different so I actually think this album sounds even better and richer than it otherwise would because of that! There was a sitar lying around in Murph’s studio so that is on a few songs, if it hadn’t been there I’m not sure we would’ve necessarily hired one in! (It’s on ‘Ready For The High’ and ‘Wildfire’ for sure if anyone wants to try to listen out for it!)”
‘Fix Yourself, Not The World’ is a vibrant album that boasts The Wombats’ dynamic indie rock sound. The album is awash with irresistible musical gems for the listener to indulge in again and again; for example, ‘Flip Me Upside Down’, ‘Ready For The High’ and ‘Wildfire’ all highlight the infectious, fun and insatiable groove-filled sound we have come to love from The Wombats. It’s a cohesive collection of tracks.
“Thanks! Yeah we always write between 20-30 songs for an album then the album usually starts emerging from the songs and towards the end of the process we get an idea of what’s missing.”
There are such great guitar moments in the album. The Wombats allow the guitar to flourish within each of the songs. The guitar has always been an enticing factor in the band’s sound and within this album, they venture into many genres with the guitar from indie elements to heavier rock, psychedelic and more.
“The first song we made for the album was Ready For The High, I started playing the opening riff on acoustic guitar and we built the song around it, it felt like it could be grungy so we plugged in to this little cigarette packet sized amp which sounds insane and that was the sound we kept for the album. The guitar sounds in the chorus changes completely from the opening, we tried to make all the transitions as dramatic and drastic as possible on this album, Basically, each song we make, we imagine what we’re aiming for sonically and then start playing with guitar sounds, sometimes we’ll use references from other genres to help us find the right sound, it’s such a fun process.”
Throughout the album, The Wombats fill out their sound with experimental synths. ‘Work Is Easy, Life Is Hard’ has a subtle electronic punk/indie vibe. I wondered if the band have multiple versions of each song as they figured out what they wanted.
“We do have pretty solid, well thought through demos of all the songs but yeah, when we record we often do LOTS of options for each section just we try enough ideas and make sure we’re not missing any mind-blowing sounds or moments.”
‘Don’t Poke The Bear’ is another great track. Witty lyrics and jaunty guitar drive the track while rooted bass and buoyant drums create an upbeat foundation. Dan explained to me what inspired the song.
“I wanted us to make a bouncy swing song and so we started messing aroundand before long we had the music pounding, then we usually make a rough backing track for Murph to listen to and he walks around writing lyrics. When we were making this song he had a cold and his wife was worried he’d give it to his daughter so it was a little bit stressful for him. I’m guessing it was about not pushing people too far and knowing when to give each other space.”
Murph’s vocals slip into falsetto for a few tracks on the album. The effect creates a dynamic texture within each tune. The band’s ability to produce fresh and exciting elements in their sound is inspiring and Murph’s sweet falsetto adds an impressive aspect to the album.
“Yeah it’s fun messing with range and melodies, we’d never really done full verses (apart from maybe Emoticons) with just falsetto so on this album Wildfire and Ready For The High it was fun to go from falsetto in the verses to full voice in the choruses. You ultimately come up with slightly different melodies depending on whether you sing full voice or falsetto so it keeps us, and hopefully the fans, on our toes.”
The Wombats bring the album to a close with ‘Fix Yourself, Then The World (Reach Beyond Your Fingers)’. The track is a subtle psychedelic gem and the perfect end to this riveting album. Deciding on an album track list is a gruelling task especially the closing tune. Dan explained how the band decided on their closing song.
“Yeah we always spend a while going back and forth with the track listing, we always try to make album’s that you can listen to all the way through from start to finish. The album closer was potentially going to be an interlude on the album at one point but we realised that Method to the Madness did a similar job on giving the album a couple of minutes breathing space so then we realised it was the perfect album closer. From the chaos of Flip Me Upside Down to the eventual calm of the last track. It was actually a jam we had in Murph’s studio after smoking a little CBD stick and it felt so good we just left it as it was originally recorded.”
The Wombats have announced a series of eleven exclusive UK intimate shows which started on January 6th, 2022 at PRYZM, Kingston to celebrate the album’s release. This is an extraordinary opportunity for fans to catch the band in such an intimate set-up before they go on the road for their biggest ever UK headline tour set for 2022. Dan told me what fans can expect from their upcoming shows.
“Lots of energy and new music!. Yeah we can’t wait. Playing the new album live is the final piece in the jigsaw for us so fingers crossed we get to play the shows!”
With five album’s under their belt since forming in 2003 and numerous shows and tours to date, I wondered what advice Dan would give to an aspiring musician or band beginning their career in music.
“Just enjoy and focus on making music with your mates, don’t worry about getting signed or anything other than being the best musician you can and expressing yourself honestly through your art. If anything else comes along it’s a bonus.”
The Wombats are notorious for their dynamic indie anthems, irresistible hooks, and glorious dance floor boppers. ‘Fix Yourself, Not The World’ follows this trend superbly and highlights the band’s knack for insatiable melodies, witty lyrics and refined musicianship. The album is a thrilling listening experience.
‘Fix Yourself, Not The World’ is set for release on the 14th of January. You can pre-order/pre-save the album here https://thewombats.ffm.to/fyntw.oyd
Watch the video for ‘Everything I Love Is Going To Die’ below.
Muster has released his debut album ‘Volverme a encontrar’.Muster was born in Bahía Blanca, Argentina, where he was part of the rock group ‘Vinyl’ between 2001 and 2004. It had been 17 years since Muster had stopped composing songs and performing live, but with the pandemic, he found some old demos that he had never recorded. With that, ‘Volverme a encontrar’ was born. The name of the album is based on his own life events, making this an incredibly personal record. The main influence and inspiration for his compositions is the music of British rock such as Oasis, Blur and Stereophonics.
‘Volverme a encontrar’ is a dynamic rock album drenched in biting riffs, adrenaline-inducing rhythms and soaring melodies. Muster creates a vibrant and cohesive Brit rock-esque album that surges with infectious hooks and refined musicianship. Boasting anthemic tunes like ‘Vengan’ and ‘El mundo siempre gira una vez más’ and string speckled, psychedelic tunes like ‘Bailando’ the album has something for everyone and showcases Muster’s instrumental versatility. ‘Volverme a encontrar’ is a punchy and energetic collection of tracks that is a satisfying listen from start to finish.
Tainui Richmond has released his new record, ‘Forever A Boi’.This quirky album is a nine-track collection of melodically lush tunes with witty songwriting sprinkled on top. Richmond blends sugar-sweet melodies and twinkling warm guitar between intricate beats to create songs laced in laid back bliss. ‘Procrastinate’ is a sublime example of his rich layering and dreamy pop melodies while the lyrics discuss the dangers of putting tasks off and avoiding them until tomorrow. This album has a retro feel as Richmond takes supple doo-wop melodies like in ‘Complacent’ and peppers them with refined instrumentation of elegant keys and steady beats. His velvety vocals present the songs lyrical humour with charm as the track ventures into more psychedelic tones. There are plenty of opulent sounds to enjoy within ‘Forever A Boi’, there is something for everyone, from soft jazz elements to indie embellishments, psychedelic flurries, and warm country tones.
London-based multi-faceted creative Salvador Navarrete, a.k.a Sega Bodega, has released his new album ‘Romeo’. Romeo tells the story of a joyous relationship between Bodega and a mythical girlfriend, “Luci”, made entirely of light. The project channels the whirlwind of emotions in early love.’Romeo’ will mark the second full-length album from Sega Bodega and includes features from Arca and Charlotte Gainsbourg among the project’s ten songs. The project encompasses the new song “I Need Nothing From You” and previously released singles “Angel On My Shoulder” and “Only Seeing God When I Come’. Following the release of ‘Romeo’, Sega Bodega will head out on a European tour in January 2022. The eleven-date run will begin in Dublin and includes stops in Amsterdam, Paris and London before wrapping up in Moscow in early February.
‘Romeo’ is an intriguing album filled with expressive electronics and crisp production. Bodega immerses the listener in beautiful melodies and rich sounds throughout. He coats pulsing beats, sparkling synths and lush textures in warm vocal harmonies to create songs that surge with heartfelt emotion. From the dark and intense ‘Effeminacy’, with R&B flirtations, muggy beats and reverb vocals to the sugar rush of title track ‘Romeo’, each song oozes luxuriant soundscapes and passionate songwriting while layered vocals and experimental electronics aptly capture the feeling of falling in love.
Bodega’s masterful musicianship is on full display within ‘Romeo’. His experimental approach leaves much to be admired; each mesmerising note, synth embellishment, and beat is deliberate and has a purpose within the arrangement as he blends dance, electronic, indie and R&B to create a unique and exciting collection of tracks. The frantic rush of ’Luci’ is a fine example of this. The brisk tempo, distorted vocals and sweet-toned guitar blends between dance beats to make the track a thrilling rush to close the album on.
Showcasing riveting soundscapes, insatiable grooves and mesmerising vocal arrangements ‘Romeo’ is a fascinating album to listen to again and again.
Mexican singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Julian Lamadrid has released his sophomore album, ‘Rebels of The Neon God’, on Arista Records. ‘Rebels of The Neon God’ serves as the follow up to Julian’s 2019 debut, ‘Mala Noche’. To compliment the album, Julian launched the ‘Rebel Universe,’ a virtual world inspired by the album. Fans can immerse themselves in the world of the Neon God and unlock different rooms by purchasing limited edition NFT keys.
‘Rebels of The Neon God’ is a diverse and enthralling listening experience. The impressive depth of this album is achieved by soft but rich electronics, overlaid by thick beats and the smooth, emotive vocals of Lamadrid. Free from the confines of just one genre, the album meanders between indie, alternative pop and electronic with psychedelic and tropical flirtations displayed throughout previously released singles ‘Teenager’, ‘One More Trip’, ‘Cigarette’, ‘Patience’ and ‘The Neon God’. Lamadrid’s musical prowess is in fine form on the album. Expressive soundscapes filled with bubbling beats, jaunty guitars, sweet steel drums, heavy synth pulses and washes of reverb flesh out his exhilarating treasure trove of songs, with each track’s musical arrangement complementing the overall tonality of the album.
There are many moments of excellence on ‘Rebels of The Neon God’ that display Lamadrid’s artistic talent and masterful songwriting. ’Blue’ is a sublime example of this. Lamadrid sets a dark, harrowing yet grand instrumental backdrop of jarring strings between deep piano thuds, while distressed vocals pine, “I woke up with you on my lips, Harder than a rock, I try my best to cover my ears. But the noises wouldn’t stop”. The coil of tension created for the verses evokes a sharp sense of unease before the track finally loosens for the short chorus. The emotional power ballad ‘Bang’ follows this potent lyrical thread “You’ve got a gun, You took your aim, And that gun went “Bang”, And stole my heart away, And all that I know it’s all that I gave”. Once again, Ladmadrid spreads these striking lyrics over cinematic instrumentation, uplifting brass embellishments and driving pop melodies. Lamadrid manages to whack out some infectious boppers aswell, ’Pressure’ deals with self-doubt against a glittering 80’s synth-infused backdrop that peppers the song in dance vibes, ethereal atmospheres and adrenaline.
‘Rebels of The Neon God’ is richly and carefully constructed to display Lamadrid’s exceptional knack for melody, production and poignant lyrics and the result is a passionate collection of tracks that reveals new exciting sounds, textures and lyrical undertones with each subsequent listen.
About the album, Lamadrid said: “The album is centered around the dichotomy between frustration and dance, vacancy and ecstasy; enlightenment through pain. I have glimpsed into the eyes of The Neon God, pierced through the void and come out the other end, desperate for connection, hungry for the eternal.”
US-based artist Jon Yonts has released his brand new album ‘What it is.’ Jon Yonts’ musical journey began in 2006 when he relocated to Anchorage, Alaska. With nothing but an acoustic guitar to occupy him during his off-hours, it was during this time that he began coming up with his own compositions. In the years that followed Jon Yonts added work after work to his original repertoire, and with each new creation, his style continued to evolve, becoming ever-increasingly intricate and unique. In 2010, he acquired a violin and began attending Humboldt State University in pursuit of a degree in music.
‘What it is’ is a bright and mellow collection of tracks that boasts the glowing musicianship of Jon Yonts. The tracks travel along intricate beats and sweet guitar melodies as Yonts ventures into swirling psychedelic tones and breezy lo-fi elements. From the hypnotic melody in ‘Wings’ to the warm violin and traditional tones in ‘Colors’ each track ebbs and flows with rich instrumentation and easy listening folk -esque ease. Yonts uses biting electric guitar, unique percussion, electronic embellishments and looped vocals to create a mysterious and wholly consuming wall of sound that transports you into a world created entirely by the artists unique and intriguing musical dexterity. The album is a joy to listen to and is a fine display of musical prowess from Yonts.
Dublin-based, The Crayon Set have released their new album ‘Downer Disco’.The album was recorded with producer Stephen Shannon at Experimental Audio in Dublin in 2019. The release was put on hold due to Covid ’19.To celebrate the launch of ‘Downer Disco’ The Crayon Set will play their first headline show in over 2 years at The Grand Social, Dublin on 7th October. Tickets are €9 (Students: €7) and are available at www.ticketmaster.ie
‘Downer Disco’ is a glorious collection of alternative pop gems that ripple with shimmering synths, rich percussion and the irresistible musicianship of The Crayon Set. This band’s ability to whack out diverse earworms while creating a cohesive body of work is simply impressive. They pour sweet melodies and bright instrumentation into opening tracks ‘Don’t Step Back Too Far’ and ‘Summer Song’ before stirring darker tones and brooding melodies through ‘Out Of Your Mind’ to showcase the versatility and freshness within their sound.
The band exude swagger within this album as they confidently sashay through the sassy indie drenched ‘Rock Star// Dream Girl’ and country hued ‘Flames’ before using brooding guitar melodies, jazz peppered keys, punchy drums and a sultry soundscape to create a sense of mystery that keeps the listener hooked throughout. The lush musicianship within ‘Downer Disco’ is compelling. The band effortlessly balance light and sweet tunes such as ‘Boring’, ( with its lush harmonies, ethereal twinkles on keys and warm guitar ) with the more dark, obscure and electronic heavy ‘Not the End of the World’; the latter boasts choppy rhythms, spiralling electronics and distorted guitars that creates an intoxicating and luring psychedelic-hued backdrop for listeners to indulge in.
Alongside oodles of rich, tantalizing instrumentation The Crayon Set display emotive lyrical content throughout the album that depicts themes such as mental health, love and loss to name a few. The lyrics are powerful and evocative on their own however they are greatly enhanced by the band’s artful use of instrumentation; beautiful, poetic and aptly placed turns of phrase are wrapped within bittersweet or brooding melodies, “skimming stones cause ripples that go on”– ‘Miss You in my Dreams’. The Crayon Set have a wonderful ability to touch the soul with their lyrics, while soothing and comforting with their musicianship at the same time and these moments within the album are a joy to experience again and again.
A real treat to the ears ‘Downer Disco’ is an immersive gem of sweet alternative pop filled with beautiful melodies, opulent instrumentation and utterly compelling soundscapes. The Crayon Set are refining what they do best, providing eargasmic refreshing tunes that beckon repeat plays.
Stream ‘Downer Disco’ below
Author: Danu
Indie: (n) an obscure form of rock which you only learn about from someone slightly more hip than yourself.
