Tag Archives: A Chat With

A Chat With, Indie, Interviews, New Music, Singer/Songwriter

A Chat With: Throatsugar

Brand new electropop artist Throatsugar has released her debut single ‘Ascend’. Throatsugar is a new project from the multi-talented musician Colleen Heavey, a songwriting graduate who holds a master’s degree in Music Technology. I spoke with Colleen about the new single and her plans as she introduces this new project to the world. 

“Basically, I’ve been writing my own music for 10/15 years, a long time. I was doing my degree in music and then I went on to be a teacher and now I’ve finished my master’s degree in production. I’ve been writing the whole time [but] I never released anything. So I got to a stage where I was like, Okay, I need to get over the imposter syndrome and just go for [it] because I had songs recorded and everything just sitting in the Google Drive. In terms of the name I knew I wanted a name that was in some way, visceral I guess would be the word. So I used a random word generator and I came up with a few combinations I really liked and I sent them to a few friends. One of my friends said throat sugar is vile and I loved that reaction so that’s why I chose it.”

Colleen has released her debut single ‘Ascend’. A debut track is a big deal. It announces your sound and musical style to listeners. Colleen told me she has a lot of songs written and we spoke about how she decided ‘Ascend’ was the perfect one to introduce her solo material.

” Ascend is my favourite song that I recorded so I was like, Okay, I’m going to choose the one that I guess gives me the most confidence. So I decided to start with that one because that is the one that for me I feel most comfortable with. I feel like it’s something I would enjoy and I would listen to. When people did ever ask to hear any songs of mine, that would be the one I would play for them. So I decided you know in order to start with even a miniscule degree of confidence, I would choose that.”

Colleen has a career’s worth of accomplishments to her name already. She has toured all over Ireland, the UK and the USA as a member of the band Brass Phantoms, and has performed at major festivals as well as opening for the likes of Delorentos and The Slow Readers Club. Music she has worked on in the past has been featured by the likes of BBC, RTE, and more. Colleen told me how daunting it is establishing her own sound away from the band.

“Yeah, it was terrifying. I never wanted to be the front woman. It’s never my thing, I love collaborating. So yeah, it was really scary for me. I’m really fortunate now because the song was recorded a long time ago with Mick Heffernan and he’s an amazing producer. He helped me a lot with it. One of my bandmates Greg [ Greg Whelan of Brass Phantoms] he is doing an amazing job, just monitoring all my PR and all that stuff. He’s been great, he’s given me a lot of confidence as well and really helped push me along. So yeah, with him it’s been a lot less scary and obviously we’ve worked together musically for so many years that it’s been great working with him. He’s put me at ease a lot which is nice.”

” I wish I had told myself sooner to not be so precious about it. I should have earlier on collaborated and gotten help from people and there’s so many people who want to help and want to be part of things. I lecture in the music college now and I’m always telling my students, if you’re going to release something, get someone to help you with it or maybe you can help release each other’s stuff or get someone to do your social media for you or maybe get a group of you together and make a spreadsheet of what playlists that you want to get on or who you want to contact, essentially just encouraging other people to collaborate because for me collaborating has absolutely got my career to the place it is.”

“I’m very fortunate that I’ve had experience in such a ridiculous array of things – a very quick rundown of my experience, there’s Brass Phantoms a kind of post punk band. Then I’m also a DJ and when I DJ I do everything but my main thing I DJ is metal music. So anything metal I’m really into. I’m also a big fan of math rock, and then especially in my masters I did a lot of compositions. I did electroacoustic composition and I did contemporary minimalist composition and obviously I’m really into production. So a lot of the time I’ll be writing a song and I’ll think okay, no, this is too weird, this is too niche. But it’s been great because I’m in a position where I feel I have a bit of an outsider’s perspective. I can think okay, I would like this but, what would the general public think or what would listeners think or you know, what kind of market am I tapping into and things like that. So yeah, I try not to get too weird when I write music.”

‘Ascend’ is a dynamic electronic pop track that exudes subtle cinematic undertones. It’s well layered and filled with intoxicating beats and dark ethereal electronics. Colleen explained how she crafted the song.

” I spent way too much time just layering it and stuff. I’m sure I made it on Logic Pro X, but I’m sure I still have the actual session somewhere. But even when I brought it to Mick [Heffernan], I don’t know how many different tracks or different layers were involved with it but it was a very long, painful, slow process. But it was great. It’s great working with someone like Mick Heffernan because he’s able to take what I have and build off of it. He doesn’t try to start his own thing he basically just tries to expand what I have and just refine the vocals because where I live it’s a bit noisy and the microphone is picking up a lot of things. But yeah, a huge amount of time. I recorded quite a long time ago, I feel like if I did it now I’d probably get through a little bit quicker. But yeah, when I was in my early stages of learning to record and produce at home, it was a long experimental process I guess.”

The lyrics within the song are beautifully evocative, eloquent and poetic and display another facet to Colleen as an artist, “Fill my blood with bitter warm sweet love. The colours in your mouth The feathers in my breath”. I wondered if she wrote the lyrics in a stream of consciousness.

“Yeah, I love what you say about stream of consciousness it’s definitely part of it for sure. One thing that inspired me was the poem “Night Piece” by James Joyce. I had read that recently and I knew I wanted the song to use that whole poem as a theme. As far as a narrative I don’t want to reveal too much about the meaning behind it but yeah I think the word stream of consciousness is absolutely right. It’s telling a story and I want to tell it in an abstract way so that people can derive their own meaning of it, which I think is important. I don’t want anyone to be like this is what the song is about and you’re not allowed interpret in your own way. I want it to be interpreted in whatever way the listener feels applies to them most.”

The artwork for the single is beautiful and adds a lovely dimension to the track. We discussed the concept behind the artwork.

“I was incredibly fortunate with the artwork. I didn’t know much in terms of visual art. Basically I’m not good at visuals at all. I knew what colors I wanted, and that was really about it. So I went onto Fiverr which is a freelance website and I found this incredible guy from Slovenia. He’s called ‘topcreativemind’. I messaged him and I explained what I was looking for and he was amazing. I couldn’t believe how many times he got back to me and he gave his opinion on what he thought was best and he just gave me loads of different options. We talked through what we didn’t like, and he listened to the song and it was cool to work with someone who actually did have a visual mind which I don’t have. He gave some insight as to what he thought was the best thing for the song and I love what he chose. He gave us loads of different options and combined all the things that I liked. So yeah, it was weird for me to use Fiverr but I would definitely recommend, we’ll definitely be using it again.”

People experience and consume music differently and it’s only when you are speaking in-depth with someone about songs and crafting them that you become aware that people enjoy music in different ways. Colleen and I discussed how people’s senses affect how they experience music.

“Yeah, I studied a little bit of synesthesia when I did my masters which is the whole, your senses crossing over and I’ve never had visual synesthesia, which is like conjuring up pictures in your brain but music for me, especially when it’s played through decent quality headphones I get a very euphoric brain tickling sensation. When I DJ and the music is blasting, I find myself just smiling uncontrollably. I just feel a lot of euphoria with music, whether it’s happy or sad. It just tickles my brain in that right way. It doesn’t necessarily matter what the music is, pretty much anything of any quality even if it’s just a phone recording can often hit me in the right spot, which is pretty cool. I know a lot of other people have that as well so it’s a nice thing to experience.”

Throatsugar is an exciting project with a sound full of invigorating textures and melodies that would be fantastic to hear in a live setting. Colleen told me what she has planned for the project in the coming months and if we can expect any live shows. 

“That’s a great question. My answer has always been no because I want to be just a digital artist. Now, I would say I wouldn’t rule anything out. But at the minute like I said I’m not crazy being a frontwoman. I love everything behind the scenes. I love producing I’m happy to sing when recording and everything like that. I can sit for hours mixing and stuff. But yeah, I’m not going to rule it out is all I’ll say.”

“I have another single, which I have recorded. It’s actually pretty old. But I did a mini release of it many years ago and I got great feedback. It’s very different. It’s a lot more like pop. It’s different. But yeah, I think it’s a really fun kind of song. That’ll be ready to go I guess whenever the right time is, so I’ll definitely keep you updated.”

‘Ascend’ is an emotive tune dripping in ethereal tones and first-rate musicianship. The track boasts expressive soundscapes filled with pulsing beats, smooth vocals accompanied by soft R&B tones, and shimmering keys throughout. “Ascend” is an invigorating, immersive tune from Throatsugar that beckons repeat plays. Looking forward to hearing more from Throatsugar.

Stream ‘Ascend’ below 


Author: Danu

A Chat With, Album Release, Album Review, Indie, Interviews, New Music

A Chat With: Harry From Hudson Taylor

Photo Credit: Nat Michele

Hudson Taylor’s eagerly-awaited third studio album ‘Searching For The Answers’ is set for release on June 3rd. This album is a glimpse into a more personal facet of Hudson Taylor and musically the album is a triumph. Filled with bittersweet melodies, earnest lyrics and gentle instrumentation, this album might come as a surprise to fans who loved the fast-paced catchy ditties the band have become known for. 

I spoke to Harry Hudson-Taylor about the maturing and natural growth of the album, his debut main vocal song which features on the album, as well as the duo’s return to touring.

“I’d say its a whole host of different things influencing it. I obviously couldn’t really not factor in the whole big you know, that thing that happened there for the last couple of years, the big C. I think that affected the chilled way that we approached singing. You just start singing differently, when you’re at home and you’re not playing in gigs all the time, playing in front of people in loud venues. It’s like, you desire a little bit of a more chill thing, but if anything, for us….[it] just felt more natural. It’s our third album as well, the first one that’s the one you get to work on for years before you actually release it. Then the second one, it’s the hard, second album and we were really lucky with that, we were lucky with what it did for us, except we didn’t get to tour it at all because of the pandemic. Then with this third one, Alfie and I actually didn’t speak for the rest of 2020. Basically,the pandemic came and all of our shows are cancelled. We’ve been living in each other’s pockets, you know, emotionally, physically, financially, for 10 years, and just naturally, without either of us saying anything, we just didn’t really speak for the rest of the year. Then the start 2021 our record label were like, Yo, do you lads have anything? We want to do another album with you and so at the start of last year, Alfie and I got together over a zoom call and just discussed what we want to do, and if we were going to do it, how we would want to do it. So this is the combination of that. Essentially, half of the songs were written by Alfie, half of them were written by me initially and then we shared our favourites that we’ve been writing over the past year and collaborated on them to finish them and turn them into Hudson Taylor songs.”

I wondered when the duo reunited to write the album if Harry and Alfie slipped back into the old way of doing things or if it was very different once they had that break.

“It was very different for a couple of reasons. I mean, one was that we weren’t in the same place. Alfie lives in the UK at the moment. During the pandemic, I moved to Berlin, Germany and so we actually wrote the initial stuff over zoom and Dropbox, sending each other ideas and helping each other finish them. The first time we played any of these songs together was in the studio so that’s different because in the past, we’d be playing songs on the road, we’d be touring them, we’d be practising them, we’d be refining them. These are songs we’ve never played live so it was very different in that sense but also just the wealth of experience from getting a chance to just chill out and reflect having been pretty much back to back constantly on the road or promoting something for the previous 10/ 12 years. So there was a bit more time to reflect, there was a bit more time to question what we want to actually say, who we want to work with, how we want to do the album. The guy we worked with Luke Potashnick, to bring this stuff over the finish line, he’s a chap that we wrote with. We wrote a song in 2015 and we really wanted to work with him back then… with this third album, the record label were a bit more, you know what, lads, what do you want to do? and that was beautiful. We came up with a plan. We said we want to work with this person [Potashnick]. We said, realistically, we think we can get the whole thing done by this date and they were just like cool, here you go, here’s some money, go and do it. So it was in many ways a huge breath of fresh air to get to work on a body of work, fully having creative control over it, and working with people who we love.”

The title ‘Searching For The Answers’, is a perfect title for this collection of songs and similarly, the title track is a beautiful representation of the duo’s musical and lyrical growth. The song is earnest and delicately composed and uses the sweet harmonies of the brothers, warm guitar, steady beats and pristine piano embellishments to highlight themes of longing to great effect.

“Oh yeah, we had a good feeling about that song from the off. It was actually written about three/four years ago, on a break from touring. It was the only song that we brought, from the past. All the other songs were written in 2020 and 2021. That one was floating around since 2018, or ’19. It was written with a really good friend of ours, Jack Morris, and another friend, our bass player in our band, Ronan Sherlock, and Alfie’s partner Gabrielle [Aplin] also helped. So it felt like a really nice community that represented me and Alfie’s two part harmonies, structure around the song. It was one of those ones that came out of a jam. It didn’t sound anything like the production that you hear now. It just was piano and guitar but yeah, I think that song encapsulates the whole thing really well. Not just lyrically but also the sound, it really captures the two part vocals, the harmonies, and it was entirely recorded live as well. So there’s a few songs on there like ‘Searching For The Answers’ is one of them, ‘Overloaded’ is another one, there’s about six songs on there that were recorded, entirely live and you wouldn’t know it. I’m really happy about that.”

There are plenty of well-placed thoughtful slow burners on the album. ‘Overloaded’ in particular is a heartbreaking musical gem. With just soft vocals and twinkling piano, the duo create a raw, stripped back tender tune to indulge in. The song, however, encases some surprising musical treats within as it builds to an eerie and dark crescendo.

“That one was written in the studio. Actually, the two main singles, ‘Hold Out Hope’ and ‘You Me Myself’ were written in the studio and ‘Overloaded’ was also written in the studio. So we actually came in only wanting to do 10 songs and we came out with 12. Essentially, ‘Overloaded’ it was written just at a certain moment. Alfie sat at the piano and started doing this back and forth piano thing and we wrote a song and it had themes about relationship toxicity thematically it’s like dealing with mental health really. A good few of the songs on the album really have mental health themes, and that was one of the ones that was mental health-related and everyone will relate to it differently. The people who wrote it was myself, Alfie and the producer, and we all had our own different ways of interpreting what was going on. For me, that song spoke directly to a relationship that I had been in that was really painful and toxic. For my brother I’m sure, he was bringing his stuff in and then the producer, I think around the same time there had been, a death close by. So it was very much cathartic writing for all of us that just came out in the moment, written over a few hours, recorded and that was it. The instrumentation just felt right. We were taking influences from like Radiohead, for that song, just this kind of eerie stuff using some weird synths. Yeah, really fun. To be honest a lot of that stuff was just instinctual. It was not really a decision like, Oh, well, this is definitely going to have this instrument on it. It just kind of unfolded. A lot of the time, the producer would be mixing, or just cleaning up something that we’d record and then one of us would be in the background, holding an instrument and playing a note or something and then we’d be like, Oh, that’s cool. Let’s put that in there. “

“Me and Alfie, both coming from different perspectives being able to marry them to [create a] Hudson Taylor song, you know, because the songs could be in theory, solo songs from Harry or solo songs from Alfie sometimes, and it’s just like we decide between us. We either say Oh, do you think that could be a Hudson Taylor song or just leave it for some future project and we made a good few decisions like that. That led to us refining what we ended up choosing in the end.”

It feels as if the band eased listeners into this generation of Hudson Talyor. The singles released this year give a glimpse into different facets of the album from the peppy ‘You Me Myself’ and the most recently released ‘Hold Out Hope’. They hint at something special and different but maintain a hopeful and upbeat tone.

“Yeah, in some ways we give our finished body of work to the record label and they’ll have their pick and we’ll have our pick and it seemed like they aligned in some ways. We probably would have chosen slightly differently. I think ‘Honest’, was our favourite collectively, between me and Alfie and the producer. We thought that was probably the strongest and so it’s cool it got released and actually in some ways we were affirmed because it got really good traction by the different digital service providers, putting it on playlists and stuff. So that’s nice to know that your, own instinct can get affirmed by it. But in terms of the choices,  from the get-go, we were all like Oh yeah, these ones are definitely doing the right thing. Getting a song put on some radio stations, regional radio station can just be really helpful for us for when we want to do a show because then you’re in people’s consciousness or you know, oh yeah, those lads were on the radio, that kind of thing.”

“But in this case, though, none of the songs were written with that kind of angst that we used to have when we were younger, where it’d be like oh God we need to make this thing, it has to be for the radio.A lot of that stuff, just with time and age and I guess some of the immaturity has evaporated a good bit. Obviously always having an ear to the ground and to hear for yourself and be critical and be like, oh yeah, this could have a bit more commercial success perhaps. But really, for me, definitely, I can say, I just felt really proud of all of the stuff we wrote this time. There was no compromises made. It’s just like, No, this is what we’re doing and we’re enjoying it and if people like it, great.”

“Actually, I got so much healing out of just not caring too much whether other people would find it appealing. It was just a really nice experience for connecting deeper to our truth, you know, and me and Alfie as brothers as well getting to basically have a bit of a conversation through the music.”

For me, ‘You Decide’ is a special moment in the album the harmonies are beautiful and the ambient textures and warm guitar show how Hudson Taylor don’t need much instrumentation behind them to create a compelling listening experience.

“That’s my first time ever singing a song in lead and [in] Hudson Taylor as well. So yeah, there’s no other songs on there or really ever before in Hudson Taylor where I have a lead song and that’s a song that really I wrote and brought for the project. I’ve always wanted to have a song that I sing, because Alfie tends to be singing the lead most of the time and over the years I’ve been building my confidence to do that. So just really happy about that song. I think it really represents a moment in time in my mind and in my experience and getting to share it and having Alfie sing on it and just again that was one of the ones that was recorded live as well. I just really enjoyed that experience.”

Harry explained the mixed feelings that come with releasing his first main vocal song. 

“Yeah, I am a bit nervous. But I’m also excited. I’m excited because down the line me and Alfie will end up doing our own stuff outside of Hudson Taylor and for me to know that there’s something out there at least that represents the timbre of my voice… I love being able to sing harmony, but you know, this was like cool. It’s was nice.”

Hudson Taylor have announced an Irish tour which will be the duo’s first tour since 2019 and includes a 3Olympia Dublin headline show on Saturday 4th June.

“Yeah, cannot wait because we’re playing some of these songs for the first time. We have rehearsals just before the tour and then we’ll be playing some brand new songs. We’re playing some of the ones that have been on the radio now in Ireland, and then just doing the old ones. We have a slightly different band lineup and stuff though. It’s really exciting for us. Just to get home as well, as I said I live in Berlin. So it’s any opportunity to get home, I aways want to get home you know.”

‘Searching For The Answers’ is a captivating body of work. There are elements of soul, jazz, pop, blues and more all delicately blended into an emotive album that lays bare emotions of loneliness, anxiety, joy and love. It’s a fantastic album that showcases the ever-growing talent of Hudson Taylor both as a duo and individual artists. 

‘Searching For The Answers’ is set for release on June 3rd. 

Watch the video for  ‘Hold Out Hope’ below 


Author: Danu

A Chat With, Indie, indie rock, Interviews, New Music

A Chat With: The Backseat Lovers

The Backseat Lovers performed their debut Irish show, in The Button Factory last Wednesday night as part of Eastbound Dublin. Their show was completely sold out, following two venue upgrades. The Salt Lake City four-piece have had huge streaming success. They independently released, their debut album ‘When We Were Friends’ which smashed through industry ceilings after its 2019 release with 120m+ Spotify streams for the international phenomenon that is their single ‘Kilby Girl’ along with achieving a sold-out, first-ever 48-date US Tour and a Lollapalooza debut last year.

I spoke to Joshua Harmon (vocals/guitars), Jonas Swanson (vocals/guitars), Juice Welch (drums) and KJ Ward (bass) before their show in The Button Factory. 

The Backseat Lovers have become known for their sun-kissed indie rock sound. The guitar in particular is an irresistible factor in this band’s songs. The sweet mellow and nimble guitar melodies weave soothing tones through each song, making every track utterly glorious to the ears.

Joshua: “ I think we look at guitar melodies pretty similar to the vocal melodies. They both guide the song and sometimes either/or will come first, especially with our older stuff, some of those songs will revolve around a riff or it would revolve around the melody and the riff would come later. It’s always sort of different”

Though the songs are laid back and melodious there is enough grit to keep each song interesting. ‘Pool House’, is a fine example of this, the song builds to a shredding guitar-heavy crescendo that is just exhilarating and the band explained to me how they crafted the song.

Joshua: “Well, I started writing that song on a classical acoustic guitar at a party somewhere. I guess it’s the morning after a very bad party and I was in Southern California. So it kind of…came from weird, some sort of beachy energy somehow. When we started playing it as a band, it kept that energy. I remember the moment we were in my parent’s basement, we were jamming it and I hadn’t written the chorus yet. It was once we kind of written that chorus we were just jamming it and I just started singing that “wait outside”, just that melody. It wasn’t even any lyrics yet, it was just singing that melody, and it got heavier as we kept jamming it, so it’s naturally the evolution, having a heavier side once it got to the chorus.”

The Backseat Lovers have an intricate sound. They carefully build the tracks to create catchy, light tunes filled with oodles of passion that is enhanced by delicately placed instrumentation. This creates a mature and lush listening experience. I wondered how the band write their songs and if they approached writing like a jamming session or if each member brings bits they have written to each other to work with.

Jonas: “I think that one depends too, a lot of the songs we have out were songs that Josh had written and then brought to us and we all arranged our parts. But as we’ve kept playing together as a band, we’ve started to, write songs more out of just jams or, either me or Josh coming up with a seed of an idea and then bringing that to the band and it growing from there. But there’s lots of different ways. We like to continue to explore new ways too.” 

Well crafted and clever lyrical content is an obvious element in each of the band’s songs. Lines such as “Feels like a night to carry a tune, I’ve been carrying yours since you wrecked my room” “So we chase jack with love” from Kilby Girl eloquently express subtle messages and poetic undertones. The band explained to me the effort that goes into coining these lyrical elements and how they don’t feel pressure from outside influences to write poignant lyrical content.

Joshua: ” I feel Jonas and I are the main lyric writers and yeah, we’ve probably spent hours and hours most days churning through lyrics. Sometimes you’re just singing a melody and the lyrics are making their way into the melody in a very natural way in real time and sometimes it’s much more methodical, like trying out different puzzle pieces to fit the rhythm of the song and make a rhyme, and a certain cadence. It’s a combination between the two. It’s really fun, and it’s incredibly frustrating. It’s the best and worst part in my opinion”

Joshua: “ We don’t really feel pressure from outside. I think we have a certain amount of pressure that we create for ourselves. I think, at least for me, when I’m writing a song, it’s so much more.The only reason I’m doing it is to feel like I’m doing something for myself and I’m connecting with myself. When I think of something and it clicks and I’ve been working on it, for a second I feel it click in place. It’s the most satisfying feeling, it’s like Oh, I haven’t done that before, that pushed a little further than I went last time, you know. So that’s where the pressure comes from.”

Jonas: “Sometimes the most satisfying lyrics, feel the most genuine and I feel a connection to, are really simple ones that don’t really have a lot, I guess, super poetic value to it. But because they’re just saying exactly how it is, sometimes that’s even better than something that’s really flowery, I think.”

The Backseat Lovers’ song titles are interesting. They aren’t obvious song titles, they appear random with hints to the lyrics within the song. This adds a new dimension and meaning to the songs. Maple Syrup is a superb example of this. We spoke about what sparked that name for the song.

Joshua: “With the first album there is a strange arrangement of song titles. It’s something that’s fun when you can think of a song.. because naming a song isn’t very fun, generally, in my opinion it’s kind of like the last part, it’s like okay now we have to name the song. But with those ones, it was really quite fun, because there were certain important backstories behind certain lyrics that only I would know about, that would end up making their way into the song title and Maple Syrup, I wrote about my friend. In the second verse, I’m talking about the purple sweater that he left at my house and he smelled like maple syrup. So that was where that came from.”

The band have been making waves in the music industry independently. With over 120m streams, their UK and Irish run of shows all sold out and they return to the US to support Jack White on his Arena tours. I asked the band if they had any advice for any upcoming independent artists and if we can look forward to their next album soon.

Joshua: “I think, take it with a grain of salt because we don’t know what the hell we are doing. We’ve always understood the reason why we’re making music in the first place. Ask [yourself] that question, then answer it and then act with that as the centre of what you’re doing. If you want to make music to get attention, then you have to know that’s why you’re doing it. But if you’re making music because it fulfils you, and because it’s something that you care about and you want to share it with people and that’s why you’re doing it doesn’t really modify it, essentially, if you’re acting on principles [that are] reasonably good.”

Jonas: “Yeah, we’ve been recording [album] for the last year. We still don’t have a date yet, but it’s getting close.”

Joshua:”Yeah, it’s about done”

The Backseat Lovers are crafting their sound beautifully to create tunes filled with compelling indie rock, wonderful intricate melodies and first-rate musicianship. Their debut album ‘When We Were Friends’ is just a glimpse into the many talents of this band. I’m looking forward to hearing what delicious musical gems they have in store for us with their next release. 

Stream ‘When We Were Friends’ below


Author: Danu

A Chat With, Indie, indie rock, Interviews, New Music

A Chat With: Emily 7

Dublin Four-piece Emily 7 have released their new single and fan favourite from live sets ‘Oh Me Oh My’. I spoke to Kyle and Scott Bellow, Daniel Clarke and Brandon Craig about their new single, songwriting and their energetic stage presence.

The last time I spoke with Emily 7 the band was a two-piece consisting of brothers Kyle and Scott Bellow. At that time we discussed the potential of adding more members to the band and I was intrigued to find out what sparked the decision to welcome Daniel Clarke and Brandon Craig into the Emily 7 family.

Scott: “Well, over lockdown myself and Kyle, we really started to look into the production side of things a bit more, looking at it a bit more carefully and looking at the live sound at the time wasn’t half as, I suppose, good as it could be. We knew both Daniel and Brandon. I knew Brandon through college and we knew Daniel from gigging in the past together and just being on the scene. We always got on, we just made the decision to go from two to four, what was the worst that could have happened you know, and we’re happy we did”

The addition of two new members has given the band the ability to expand and evolve their sound to create rich diverse tunes and dynamic live performances.

Daniel: “Yeah, the sound definitely changed a lot just because it was like the two boys to begin with. So when me and Brandon came in we were like, what else can we do because the songs are already class to begin with. It was just supporting the arrangement bit that was their big thing.”

Brandon: “Yeah broadening the harmonic structure as well along with filling out the sound especially in recording and we looked to adding more instruments as well in the recording.”

Daniel: “Yeah I think in ‘Oh Me Oh My’ we have a piano. We’re changing constantly, seeing what we can do better and what we can add. It is the four brains thinking there and we all have different influences. It’s like, oh, what can I put in.”

Brandon: “We gel it together as well with our own unique styles and it blends you know. “

Daniel: “ It oddly works.”

Writing songs as part of Emily 7 is a collaborative process. Each member brings their strengths and styles into the rehearsal room and the result is a melting pot of shredding guitar, resounding drums, catchy melodies and a plethora of indie rock goodness.

Kyle: “I suppose the four of us would have our own ideas individually. Then we just bring them to the rehearsal and flesh it out from there. The odd time, we could come in with fully formed songs or whatever, but more often than not it’s bringing in the bare-bones structure to see what as a collective piece we can add to the song to make it the type of song we’d be happy to put out.”

Emily 7 have released their new single ‘Oh Me Oh My’. It’s a catchy tune that pivots around indie guitar hooks and buoyant rhythms which translate well in the recording. The song depicts the feelings of regret the day after a night out and the lyrics slowly reveal the memories of the protagonist as the song progresses.

Kyle: “That song in particular came very quick. Some songs you can find yourself gruelling over for a long period of time but fortunately that was very quick. From the initial writing of the song compared to the version we released, it’s completely different. When we were in the studio recording it, as Daniel mentioned, there was the four of our brains bouncing off each other. As the lads mentioned, there’s a piano in the final recording which was just one of them spur of the moment ideas and the backing vocals as well because that’s something we’ve never really experimented with before. It was just on the fly in the studio. So, it went through some development, from the initial song to what we came out with but we’re very happy with how it turned out in the end.”

Kyle and Daniel share main vocals on some of Emily 7’s songs providing a refreshing listening experience throughout their tunes. We discussed how they share out the different vocal parts and if they write songs with the other in mind for the vocal.

Daniel: “ It kind of just comes when I write the song. I’m like, oh, I won’t be able to sing this so I’ll ask Kyle to do it, type thing. It’s just something that clicks. I just know Kyle’s voice. So it’s like, oh, he’ll sound like he has more meaning when he’s saying this, as opposed to me.”

Kyle: “Yeah, If I bring the idea of a song in, I’ll end up singing it or vice versa if Daniel brings something in and I suppose just going from there and just figuring out the arrangements and then help to flesh it out and make it into the fully finished song that we’d like. It’s just something that happens naturally.”

“There’s a handful of songs I suppose where Daniel comes in with a song, he’ll sing the verse, I might do the chorus or vice versa and then I suppose thinking about the backing vocals and such but there’s no power struggles.”

Emily 7 exude swagger and energy on stage. From suave guitar poses or standing on the drum stool to effortless banter with the crowd, the band appear to have a tight and flawless stage persona. For a young band, they know how to put on a show and get the crowd moshing in a manic frenzy.

Scott: “To be honest, it is completely on the fly. It really does come from the crowd’s energy. Every gig is different. Every gig is unique. We don’t work off a script or even on some nights we will decide to play a certain song that hasn’t been in our set in a good while. It really does depend on the crowd, the venue and the gig and just really how we’re feeling I suppose. We put more focus into creating good music because that’s really what it’s about at the end of the day it’s not about a swagger really as such. We’re there to create good music and if the swagger comes along with that so be it. If people enjoy it, they enjoy it, if not f*ck off.”

‘Oh Me, Oh My’ is a great track live. I have seen Emily 7 live a few times and this particular song is a hit with their fans and the crowd seem to love bellowing back the lyrics.

Scott: “Yeah, well, for me personally I don’t write many of the lyrics but I see a lot of these tracks when they are just general ideas and we’re bouncing them around in the studio. When you work on something for a long time and then, you notice that other people are getting enjoyment out of it, it’s great. I think it’s the best feeling in the world. You can only keep these things secret for so long and you have to let it out to other people. I think I speak for the rest of the band as well there are some songs that I think we personally don’t even like ourselves. However, other people have gotten enjoyment out of it and I think that really is the main thing, to be honest.”

Daniel: “Yeah for me and Kyle [we] definitely have where it’s like, oh, I wrote this in my bedroom, and you’re like playing the venue and people are enjoying it.”

I wondered if it was the live reaction to the song that made the band release ‘Oh Me, Oh My’ as their next single.

Kyle: “We released a couple of tracks last year and any time we played that song people seemed to like it even if it wasn’t necessarily a gig like if we were in rehearsals, and some of our friends were with us they always seem to like that song so when it got around to recording the next single it was a no brainer really, considering other people liked [it] anytime we played it live. Hopefully, people like the recording as much as they like it live.”

Brandon: “ I’ve seen people singing it live before it was released as well. It was so easy to catch on to as well, but a lot of people, even that we knew personally as well they would be listening to the song and you’ll hear them singing along in the rehearsal as well.”

The four-piece are a young band making their imprint on the music industry with people like Liam Gallagher giving them a shoutout and brand endorsements from Fred Perry and Dr. Martens as well as playing their own sell-out headline shows in Whelan’s, The Workmans and The Grand Social. From their experience so far the band had some advice for a budding young band trying to make a name for themselves.

Scott: “To be honest, getting involved with other people is the main thing and don’t be too close to yourself. You really need to be willing and open to other ideas, collaborating with other people and communication is the main thing but just work really hard. I think that the decision I made years ago to start playing drums was probably the best decision. I’ve met some friends that I’ll know for the rest of my life. I’ve been in some wacky places and stuff. It’s not a choice that you’d regret. Give it your all and just enjoy what you do and you’ll never work a day in your life.”

“I’ve made the choice now that I’m not going to be a bank manager in a couple of years. I just enjoy what I’m doing and the only reason someone would say don’t do it or anything they’ve obviously not tried it or experienced it themselves you know. I’m 19 and the stuff that we’ve done so far, I’m very proud of and I don’t think there is a lot of people this age that do stuff like that. I don’t think there’s a lot of people enjoying themselves this much in that sense. I’m really having the time of my life really. I love this band, I love gigging, I love releasing music it’s all great. It all just works out. It’s brilliant.”

Emily 7 have some exciting few months ahead and the quartet told me what is next on their plan for world domination

Scott; “ Well we will start with Dublin then the world. We will be playing This Is It Festival in The Grand Social on June 2nd and we’re also supporting THE K’S in The Workman’s Club on the 21st of May. So yeah we will be releasing more tracks, a collection of tracks, an EP at the end of the year. They’re really good tracks. I think in the past we’ve been patient to say the least in terms of releasing music. Yeah, we’ve been spending a lot of time rehearsing and, writing in the studio and we have a lot of new sounds and new ideas. But until then, you can catch us supporting THE K’S in The Workman’s Club on the 21st of May and playing at This Is It Festival in The Grand Social on June 2nd.”

Emily 7 are a hard-working and dynamic band who lace their songs with effervescent indie rock and oodles of talent. ‘Oh Me, Oh My’ is a fine example of this. The track is filled with jaunty guitars, a bustling bass and drum foundation and warm vocals. ‘Oh Me, Oh My’ is a satisfying new tune to indulge in again and again.

Stream ‘Oh Me, Oh My’ below 


Author: Danu

A Chat With, Interviews, New Music, Singer/Songwriter

A Chat With: Bradley Marshall

Dublin based artist-songwriter Bradley Marshall has released his first official single ‘Make Believe’.The song is a cinematic tune that surges with earnest lyrics and lush textures and is anchored by an elegant piano melody that exudes tender emotion throughout. I caught up with Marshall to chat about the single, what inspired him to write it and how the artist is crafting his sound.

“It was a song that came from my own personal views and perspectives. I wanted to write something that a lot of people would relate to, and I think a lot of people have gone through something of love that was never really reciprocated back to themselves. So what I tried to do was, write that from my own perspective of my personal experiences, but also try to make it as relatable as possible for other people and yeah, it worked out really well that way”

“ The song was written on the piano. I did it with a few people because I can’t really play [piano] that well. So I didn’t do the piano part but yeah, the song was written on piano because we felt that it makes it more emotional.”

Through eloquently crafted lyrics Marshall creates a song that is moving and relatable. We discussed how he crafted the lyrics and whether they came to him in a flow of inspiration or if it was something he spent a lot of time creating.

“Yeah, it was a mix of both. It was the inspiration of what happened but with melody and with writing, it kind of just flows. I don’t really think too much about it. Just whatever I’m feeling inside, I just write down on a page.”

‘Make Believe’ is Marshall’s first official single. The song introduces Marshall as a heartfelt songwriter with an ear for melody and rich compositional arrangements. He explained to me his decision on releasing this song as his first release and how the song is only a glimpse into his diverse sound.

“Yeah, definitely. I have a good few that I could have brought out but I felt ‘Make Believe’ was the most powerful, and emotionally [the] one to start with because it’s probably the most relatable to a lot of people too. “

“Make Believe gives a lot of what I’m about but I’m also very versatile in what I do so I have a lot of more upbeat [songs].. but yeah, I’m definitely going to change it up. When people hear that [Make Believe] they probably think that’s what I’m about, but I’ll probably bring out something completely different next time. So we don’t know yet.”

Marshall has recently released a black and white live performance video for the song. How a performance is presented can make all the difference to an audience and his visually minimal approach is beautiful and wonderfully impactful.

“Yeah, we wanted it to be as real as possible. So we actually decided with the video to do just a live vocal. So that was actually a live vocal performance. I just felt it’d be more powerful and more real. I didn’t want to mime it or anything like that because I know the song is so powerful to me, so I wanted to sing it and yeah, we found a setting that’s really nice. We decided to put it black and white because we think it matches the theme of the song so yeah, that was our decision to do that.”

Marshall has a warm, confident, easy on the ears voice. It appears effortless when he sings. I wondered if he was always a confident singer.

“Yeah since I was a kid, I’ve always been a confident singer. I reckon in the late teens, you know, sixteen/ seventeen I stopped for a while, I cared too much what people think. But, I definitely don’t anymore. I’m glad that I got back at it”

“Even in school and stuff, it was difficult [singing] you know, I don’t know some people just think different of it but you’ll never get anywhere in life if you care [what] people think”

Marshall has garnered a big following across social media by posting heartfelt, soulful videos singing a mix of both covers and self-penned songs. Navigating through social media channels and keeping up with creating content can be a daunting task for artists but Marshall appears to have the ability to not become overwhelmed with the task.

“To be honest, lately, I haven’t really been posting as much on TiKTok and stuff but I don’t stress about it, you know….I don’t think people should really feel stressed to post things. It’s not easy to keep posting things every day because you have to come up with things and songs to sing and things to cover and all that kind of stuff. So it’s not as easy as it looks.”

Having recently performed in the Academy to his biggest audience to date. Marshall is making a name for himself as an artist to keep an eye on. He explained to me how surreal and exciting the experience was.

“Yeah, that was amazing. I went on the Tuesday and it was basically sold out. I think there was only like 30 tickets left. I haven’t done a proper gig like that. Ever. So it’s my first time in front of five/ six hundred people or whatever it was there. It was just an amazing feeling – people singing back to you and holding flashlights up and some people crying and stuff like that. It was a really surreal experience.”

Bradley Marshall has been honing his songwriting skills to create tunes that are earnest and irresistible and ‘Make Believe’ is the perfect example of this. It’s a well crafted musical gem filled with beautiful melodies, heart rushing emotion and moving vocals. There are plenty of exciting times ahead for this budding artist and Marshall intends to work hard to ensure he has diverse and enjoyable tunes ready for listeners to indulge in for the coming months. 

“I’m just gonna put my head down and keep writing songs. I have a few already that we’re planning to release maybe one song in June or something around that time and it’s going to be a different song to ‘Make Believe’, but I really love the song that we’re going to bring out. So yeah, I’m just going to keep working hard, keep writing, keep getting in with people and keep socializing and all that stuff. “

Stream ‘Make Believe’ Below


Author: Danu

A Chat With, Indie, Interviews, New Music

A Chat With: Mick D’Arcy Of Corner Boy

Photo Credit: Padraig Grant

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

A Chat With, Indie, Interviews, New Music, Singer/Songwriter

A Chat With: AJ Wander

London singer/songwriter AJ Wander has released his new single ‘When You Say I Love You’. I caught up with him to discuss the new single, what we can expect from his upcoming EP as well as the anxiety that comes with releasing new music.

“I don’t think I do. There’s a little bit of nervous excitement, I’d say, more of a relief to finally get them out in the world because I’ve heard them so many times. By the time they get released it’s a relief to finally not be the only one that’s listening to them. Because I have to listen to them so much in the process of creating them and getting them to the point where I feel I’m happy for them to be released and shown to the world that I’m mildly sick of them by the time they come out. So it’s definitely a bit of selfish relief, in that sense. But I mean, in terms of nervousness, in terms of how they’re going to be received, it’s so hard to put yourself in other people’s minds and work out what other people are gonna like.So I just find what’s right for myself and if it clicks with people, great if it doesn’t, then Que Será, Será, I’ll move on to the next one [song] .”

‘When You Say I Love You’ is an honest song with a heartfelt melody at it’s core. Wander explained to me how he crafted the song and what sparked him to write it.

“It was witnessing a friend’s relationship and them confiding in me about what’s going on in their situation that his girlfriend had fallen for him too fast. He’s like, Oh, shit, what’s going on? I didn’t quite expect things to move so quickly. He’d been pretending to sort of have the same level of feelings towards her as she did to him and that went on for a little while. Ultimately, he realized it wasn’t healthy. So then its him realizing that he has to be honest about his reservations and wanting to slow things down and speculating about how things are gonna go when he does actually tell her that he in fact, isn’t in love with her yet, but just wants to put the brakes on a little bit.”

At times the lyrics of the song are quite harsh “I could try to pretend but it hurts me to use you/ I’m having a ball and your having a blast I didn’t expect you to fall”. Wander’s warm vocal delivery shelters the listener from the full impact of these lyrics, perfectly highlighting the confusion and oftentimes panic that can occur when someone is honest in how they feel. I wondered if he found it difficult to decide how he would deliver this message in order to be respectful and tender lyrically.

“I didn’t really consider it to be honest. I guess it is a bit harsh. I wrote it pretty late at night and we were just sort of selfish about my friend’s perspective and not considering how she might have actually felt about fessing up that he’d been sort of pretending to feel something when he hadn’t, which obviously, it’s not a very good thing to do. So it wasn’t a conscious consideration, but I’m relieved to hear that you don’t think it’s too harsh. I think it’s a cliche, but the truth hurts sometimes, and I guess sometimes you just got to rip the band-aid off and say it. That’s the whole sentiment of the song, that even though it’s hard for you personally, you can’t just hide the truth from someone because you selfishly are going to find the conversation hard to have. So the song wears its heart on its sleeve and it doesn’t want to hide what it’s trying to say behind anything, that’s the whole point of the song is finally being completely transparent and honest.”

The song is one of several tracks recorded in London and Barcelona with producer Brad Mair (Dean Lewis, Jamie Cullum, Kygo). Mair is such a diverse producer and seems to bring out the best in the artists he works with and Wander explained to me how important working with a producer is for an artist.

“100% and it goes the same with writing as well. It’s always good to have outside influence. It jogs your mind into thinking in a different way or looking at things with a different perspective. I think it’s very much a collaborative process and we bounce off of each other to be honest in the room, and we also had Gethin [Williams] the guy that I wrote it with, sort of weighed in on the prod as well. So it was a three-way creative process. We will bounce off of each other and add our own little flavours to the track.”

Wander released a live video of him performing his previous single ‘Take It All’ in an old paper mill in Wembley. It’s a passionate performance that highlights the range and warmth of Wander’s voice while also giving a glimpse into the live full-band style of Wander.

“It’s great fun. There are lots of creepy mannequins dotted around, a few of them had some pretty tasty looking outfits, to be fair, I was a bit jealous. It was like walking through a horror-themed vintage store. It was great fun. It’s was just a quick sort of in and out. Those days go so quickly, filming days are just pretty relentless. People prodding you and seeing if your hair looks the least crap it could be. The band were great. I was very lucky to work with a bunch of great friends that happen to be great musicians. Yeah, it’s all good fun. I just recorded a live stripped version for ‘When You Say I Love You’ and there’s more video graphic content being made as well for some upcoming singles which is very exciting and I feel very lucky to be able to do because it’s expensive. It is crazy how much money you can spend on lights and stuff and smoke machines”

‘When You Say I Love You’ is a taster of Wander’s first EP due in late 2022 and the singer told me what we can expect from the upcoming EP.

“That is a very good question. If I was to sum up the lyrical topics of the EP it’s ‘intoxicated love’. Not necessarily all self-reflective but yeah, that seems to be the theme and it’s definitely a stepping stone from the sound that I have now into what’s coming next. I mean, the EP, beyond the next EP that’s coming out is already ready to go. So it definitely feels like a stepping stone towards where I’m headed sonically as an artist.”

Wander has an ability to write songs about other people’s life experiences giving him more scope to venture into themes and topics that are not necessarily about him and his life. This limitless songwriting inspiration gives Wander’s writing more diversity and relatability.

“Yeah, well, the thing is, my life is just a bit too boring to only write about my own life. I wish it wasn’t. I ran out of things to write about my own life when I was about 22. So I’ve been forced to improvise since then sort of seeking out other people’s drama. I’ve just been a massive gossip. Basically. I just hang out in hair salons, reading OK Magazine, Hello. OK, you know, all the classics, just seeking out song topics.”

Wander has been back performing live shows and we discussed how thrilling it feels to perform on stage. I also asked if there is the potential for a show in Ireland.

“It feels bloody good. I just wish I was doing more. I really want to go on the road that’s why I do it I think. I just want to be out in front of people, connecting with strangers through the songs I’ve written and seeing how people react in real-time. Touring the world, not even the world just touring the UK, touring London, touring even just my street. Just pop into my neighbour’s houses would suffice, but yeah, just to get on the road of some description would be great.

“There aren’t yet, there are conversations happening is what I’ll say. I’ve had Irish sort of touring slash Irish trips, planned a few times over the past few years, and they’ve all been cancelled because of COVID. So I’m really hoping to get over there as soon as possible. Fingers crossed it happens before the years out. That’s my aim.”

AJ Wander is an artist who is developing and refining his sound beautifully and his new single ‘When You Say I Love You’ is a delight to the ears. His piano anchored sound is flourishing as he adds catchy pop elements and cinematic undertones into the mix to create a compelling and moving listening experience. Each of his releases have been vibrant earworms and his knack for sweet melodies make his tracks dangerously addictive. If his velvety tone and earnest songwriting alone doesn’t pique your interest then his rich musicianship and irresistible melodies will get you for sure. 

Stream ‘When You Say I Love You’ below 


Author: Danu

A Chat With, Indie, Indie Pop, Interviews, New Music

A Chat With: David Whelan of Wild Youth

Following the recent hit ‘Champagne Butterflies’, Wild Youth are back with their new single, ‘Seventeen’. I caught up with vocalist David Whelan to chat about the new single, the band’s upcoming EP and what they have planned for the upcoming months.

‘Seventeen’ is a cinematic tune that instantly rushes with passionate musicianship. Delicate keys flutter through suspenseful drums while supple guitar chimes throughout as the band perfectly capture the adrenaline of youth through expressive instrumentation and wistful lyrics.

“ I think the lyrics sort of facilitated the whole song. We had so much time over covid to think about our childhoods and our easier, fun days where there were no worries, you know what I mean? Your biggest worry was whether you were going to beat your mate at FIFA on PlayStation that night, it was so easy. So, all the lyrics flowed very naturally. The lyrics really honed in I feel, on the energy and the drive of the song, and then it just felt right to just stick to it and make it an anthem. So yeah, it was more lyric drawn. “

The song was co-written with JC Stewart. Whelan explained to me how that collaboration came about. 

“We know JC very well. We’re good pals with JC. We actually met JC when we were supporting Kodaline on the European tour. JC was opening the whole show and he was on his own. It was just him and his acoustic guitar and he was travelling around on buses and planes and all that sort of stuff on his own. So we just took him into our group and he’d come into our changing room backstage before we play gigs. We got really close and we stayed in touch ever since. We’ve wrote loads of songs with him. One of the lads in the band actually lived with him for a while in London. So me and Connor were in the studio in London with JC and that’s when Seventeen was born that day. We just started talking lets write a song about when we were younger and life was easy, and we weren’t always stressed and thats how it happened”

Co-writing allows for a fresh perspective on an artist’s music. We discussed the importance of collaborating with other songwriters, to bring diversity to an artist’s writing style or sound.

“Yeah, for sure. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with it at all. I think you hit the nail on the head with what you said it does bring a different perspective. It’s very refreshing to sit down in a room and have a chat with someone and see what they do and see their thought process and there’s no right or wrong answer to any of this, it’s creation. You’re just throwing stuff at a wall and seeing if it sticks and if it feels good and it resonates and everybody has a different view on life. It’s so crazy actually when I say that out loud. Everyone has a different view and everybody has a lot of similarities. The human species, we can relate to each other very well. But you’ve lived a different life to me. I’ve lived a different life to you, but we can find that little thing that brings us together. So it’s cool. Yeah, it actually is really cool when you collaborate with somebody. You’re bringing two different views of a story together. It’s just fun as well. It’s fun being in a room with somebody and just bounce ideas and having the craic, music is good,  it brings joy. So to share that with somebody in a creation process is cool”

‘Seventeen’ is the first single to be taken from Wild Youth’s upcoming EP. The song gives fans a sense of what the rest of the EP will sound like.

“I think it gives a little bit of a teaser to what’s to come yeah. We are actually in the studio now recording the next single, and it’s like Seventeen on steroids. It’s a beast so yeah, theres more like that to come.”

‘Seventeen’ showcases a different side to Wild Youth’s sound. I wondered was this the product of trying to capture the atmosphere the lyrics allude to or was it the band experimenting with their sound.

“ I think, it’s a bit of both. There’s definitely been a natural progression into that as well. Our first song we ever released All or Nothing that’s more indie, like electric guitar-heavy. We kind of went back towards that a bit, naturally, but also we wanted to. We definitely wanted to. The song had to be like that, Seventeen, that’s the way it had to be heard and we love that sound. So yeah, it’s a bit of both a bit of a natural progression and our own choice”

The pandemic affected everyone in the music industry in different ways and Whelan explained how it affected the band with writing and recording this next collection of songs.

“Yeah, it did in a way. A lot of studios shut down during covid. Connor’s in London, we’re here. So I was going back and forth. But then sometimes it was hard to because sometimes I couldn’t actually go over. So it did slow down the process a small bit. We found ourselves doing a lot of these zooms, which we all love. Yeah, it was different. It was definitely a change that we had to get used to. But we’re back now. So it’s all fun. We were in the studio yesterday with people and yeah, we’re back doing it like it should be done.”

Wild Youth’s Sold Out Spring Tour saw them take in venues across Ireland and the UK including The Academy in Dublin and Omera in London. They will also play support to Lewis Capaldi for his three sold-out Irish shows as well as support Westlife at their hugely anticipated show in Cork’s Pairc Ui Chaoimh as well as making headline appearances at Electric Picnic, Indiependence, Boat Yard Festival and more. 

“It was sick. We just finished our own tour. It was pretty beautiful to be honest. I got into this because I love performing. That’s the main reason why I wanted to be in a band I wanted to tour. I can’t sit still for too long. So being on the road is the perfect thing for me. I get itchy feet if I’m just not doing that. So yeah, it was absolutely phenomenal. Covid was crazy, for artists in general and a lot of people that work in the arts. We had crew affected by it. It was crazy for us because there was a few times in my mind during it where I was like, oh wow will we ever get to do this again. You know? That was a scary thought because I’ve never not done something like this. I’ve always done gigs or been in bands and, obviously, Wild Youth is my life. So this tour was just the most emotional, beautiful tour I’ve ever been on. It’s probably the best I’ve ever done. Personally, the most one I’ve ever enjoyed. I’ll never take any of this for granted ever again because I know how quick it was taken away by covid for that period of time and it was a shock to the system. I don’t want to ever feel that again. So it [the tour] was absolutely phenomenal”

Live shows can be overwhelming. The energy when performing is unlike anything else and performing can be an intense experience on the body and mind. Whelan explained what it was like for him to return to the stage.

“Yeah big time. I don’t know if you’ve ever seen us play, but we go crazy up there we are very energetic. It’s like playing 18 football matches in a space of an hour and fifteen minutes. I’m not even joking. It’s very strenuous on the body. But we got ready for it. We were ready to go again whenever it was going to be allowed. So yeah, we were pretty ready. But that adrenaline feeling, that boost of adrenaline. I’ve never felt that anywhere in my life apart from there. That was crazy the first time I felt it again after the two and a half years. We played our first show and it was sold out and the crowd literally went crazy for the songs and I mean crazy. I was like, it was an overload, it was like a bunny overload, I thought I was going to have a heart attack or something, I didn’t know what to do. So yeah, that was something that I needed to readjust to again, being able to absorb all that energy that’s coming at you and not pass out”

Wild Youth have a big year ahead with an EP in the works and a lot of gigs to delight fans.

 “We’re back in the studio. The next single is being done up right now. So new music will be coming and we’ve loads of gigs. Festival season is back so we are playing a lot of festivals. There’s a lot of gigging and a lot of new music. The fact that gigs are back now we just want to play all the time. So you’ll see us everywhere hopefully playing gigs and new music”

Wild Youth are constantly refining their songwriting and sound. ‘Seventeen’ is a sublime display of their ability to create engaging, energetic and heartfelt tunes filled with irresistible indie-pop. The band always delivers on a solid anthem and if ‘Seventeen’ is anything to go by the upcoming EP is set to be glorious. 

Stream ‘Seventeen’ below 


Author: Danu

A Chat With, Album Release, Album Review, Indie, Interviews, New Music

A Chat With: Dirty Dreamer

Ambient electronic trio Dirty Dreamer have released their glorious debut album ‘The Everyday in Bloom’. I caught up with two-thirds of the band Daithí O’Connor and Louise Gaffney to chat about the album, creating music with their improv style and their upcoming show in The Workman’s Cellar.

Filled with ambient soundscapes and lush textures ‘The Everyday in Bloom’ was four years in the making mirroring the band’s relaxed pace in meticulously creating each song. 

Daithí:  “Yeah, just taking our time. There was no rush on it really, we were just having fun and obviously the pandemic happened and all that. But even before, we were just having fun and really had no timeline. I think that was something lovely about this. There was no timeline as such or any pressure at all because we’ve been in a situation before that we set aside that time to write and that time to record all that kind of stuff. This was all a little bit more natural, laid back, I suppose.”

The band were part of the choice-nominated electro-folk outfit Come On Live Long. Dirty Dreamer showcases a different side of the trio. I wondered if it was exciting and liberating exploring this new sound.

Louise: “Whether it was a premeditated change or not I’m not sure. When we started this project, we didn’t even really call it a band for the first little while. We sort of went away and we were playing together and improvising around different sounds and a key part of it was we all changed our instrumentation a little. We were all trying different instruments a little bit as well. So it was really slow figuring out what we liked and what we wanted to pursue. That happened before we even put a name on it as a project. When we started realising it had a sound of its own, and it seemed that we had been crafting that, that was when we were like okay, this project now needs a name and it needs, a look and feel as well as maybe a goal, not necessarily deadline but definitely a goal and we started recording basically everything we did from that point, once we had that sound. We just pressed record on every rehearsal session and started gathering a huge archive of recordings.”

The songs on the album at times appear to refer to the beauty of the world around us, and the importance of taking in the small moments of serenity between the chaos of modern life. However, Daithí and Louise explained to me the album isn’t intentionally a concept album.

Daithí: “ I would say no, I don’t think it’s a concept album. there are threads through it. We would write and rehearse all after a day’s work. We come in here in the evenings so all the highs and lows of the day just anyone’s day, kind of informs everything else. So maybe you could tie content onto that, I suppose.”

Louise: “I don’t think there is, the songs all have their own micro themes within them. Some of them maybe link and some of them maybe don’t. But if there’s a concept in there it was the way of writing actually. So all of the origins of each song just come out of hours of improvisation. So just literally free. Someone might do something someone responds to it, and then someone adds a thing and all of a sudden it starts to build into a song or starts to approach something with a bit of structure. Because we recorded everything that happened in the room, for every rehearsal session we had or writing session we had, we’d have a couple of hours that we would go and listen throughout the week. We would take the sounds, everyone would listen and then highlight little parts that we thought we loved or thought we could work on again and revisit. So as a process that was really new. Having, individual time to listen and decide what was working and what maybe wasn’t and then to come back next week and go again.”

The band created a lot of material over the four years. We discussed how overwhelming the task of filtering through all that material was. 

Daithí: “ Yeah we have hours and hours of stuff. So what would happen is, we play and jam away here. Then Ken [McCabe], who’s not here at the moment, he was like the archivist and he’d be the filter as well. He would listen back and say, I think this is good, I think this is good. Then he would send it on to us two. Very often there was loads of that and there was weeks where you would just constantly be doing new stuff. You’d have to go back and say hold on, let’s just put the brakes on now because we have folders and folders of so much stuff and we’re just gonna keep writing new music. We need to stop. So for maybe a month, say, one in four months, we would put the brakes on and develop those ideas a little bit more. Then when we got tired of doing that, we would come in and say okay let’s work on that song we were doing two months ago. But then what we always do is we start off playing and then we would just play for the rest of the evening. We wouldn’t actually come back to that. So we had to be a little bit strict on ourselves to say okay, let’s stop improvising and playing and let’s put a bit of structure on it. “

‘The Everyday in Bloom’ is an ambient album filled with soft instrumentation, hazy synths and ethereal soundscapes. ‘Caddy’ is a fine example of this. The track revolves around a wonderful vocal melody accompanied by subtle guitar, earthy elements and electronics. Though the song is filled with intricate instrumentation the trio manage to maintain a sparse and light atmosphere throughout.

Louise: “That one’s an interesting one because it could be the oldest one on it. That would have been a really old archived recording that Ken had written just the guitar part for. It was resurrected when we were in the middle of maybe…. we’d maybe done a few of the other tracks and I remember it in an email thread and I pulled it up and was like this was really cool. We should maybe try to work this… when we brought it back, we just played it a lot in the room and just tried to see where the melody is going to come from, where all the other instrumentation is gonna sit, how it will layer up to make it more interesting. So it could have just been guitar and vocals and nothing else but it has a lot of ambient stuff going on in it.”

Daithí: “ That recording is recorded live in this room and I didn’t know it all that well. So I’m looking at Ken constantly to see what he’s doing on the guitar and I’m following him. Which is something that we’ve never done. Usually, when you go into studio, you know every note that you’re going to play. It’s premeditated, you know what to do. But for this one it was kind of just very reactive. I was definitely reacting to what Ken was doing. I had to look at his hand constantly to see what he was going to do next. But it worked. That’s the recording that you hear on the album”

Louise: “I think in terms of a song where you’re using words to create meaning somehow, that’s the one that I always go back to as maybe one of the more coherent songs because it does have a really strong theme and it’s about something and it’s a story told over time, in a way that maybe some of our others aren’t maybe as explicit. So I always liked listening to that one myself and quite pleased with the writing side of it”

‘Downhill’ is another special moment within the album. The distorted intro is a bit of a shock when you first hear it, especially after the peaceful and soothing nature of the previous track ‘Caddy’. It beautifully shows the experimental nature of the band’s music as they momentarily break away from the tranquilising wall of sound of previous tracks to inject a dash of edge into the album. 

Daithí: “Again, that comes back to what Louise has mentioned before, a kind of stepping outside your comfort zone and find a new territory. That sound is just off a piece of equipment that we use all the time in this room. We knew we wanted to incorporate that because it’s the sound of the room. It’s the sound that we make in the room so we knew it had to be recorded. I suppose it might be difficult for the listener, maybe at the start because it’s quite a juxtaposition sound, quite… harsh ..to start and then the guitar comes and that’s what was nice about all of this. Before we would have second-guessed that and said oh they’re two really clashy sounds and for somewhere else, it might not have worked but where we are now is in a huge rehearsal space.There are loads of bands playing all the time. So when you’re walking down the corridor, you’re hearing the sound of loads of bands inside a room. So the soundscape going down to the kitchen for cup of tea is massive. So that definitely fed into it. “

Dirty Dreamer have masterfully created an album that captures the free expressive nature of their sound. The ability to capture this element of their art in a piece of music let alone for an entire album is sometimes a difficult task for artists. However, Dirty Dreamer have pulled it off spectacularly. 

Daithí: “Yeah, That’s it. That’s the mission accomplished for saying that yeah “

Louise: “Yeah it’s a really interesting thing. I only happened across it recently in a podcast and it got me thinking but that’s exactly what we did there. There was this psychologist she was talking about how you have to use a very childlike free state of mind to create something original. Then you need to use a very different mindset to edit it.So if you’re already using your edit brain when you’re trying to create, you’re not going to get very far down the road or you won’t get somewhere interesting. So it reminded me [ of us ] – the improv its the child brain, we don’t actually police ourselves and we just do whatever. Then there were those months where we would act different in the room and it was all business we’d all be sitting at the table and that struck me, that is the process that we use, you know, we didn’t try to edit in the moment or try to think about the outcome. Because it didn’t matter. It was like we were generating so much, the outcome, we couldn’t even think about it in the moment.”

Daithí: “It’s striking the balance between that I suppose”

Considering the trio were working on these songs for over four years, I wondered if all the songs had evolved and taken new directions since their first inception.

Daithí: “Good question. I would say some have,  some definitely haven’t. The likes of Caddy again. That sounds like when we played it in the room. We played it a couple of times, but it really didn’t change all that much.“

Louise :“Yeah. ‘Did You Think I Would Forget’, that longer ambient one. That changed quite a lot over time because the initial idea was a different type of track. It wasn’t a song structure as much as it was a soundscape and so it had to evolve over time to get somewhere interesting. We were working with a small little nugget of something that needed quite a bit added to it. So that was quite different.”

The track ‘Anywhere’ was the one that sparked my previous question. It is a beautiful song with balmy guitar and soft dance-like beats. The track’s soft layering and melodic progressions made me think the song had been meticulously crafted and could have originated as a different concept altogether from what we hear on the album.

Louise: “That is a good question. That song was kind of like that”

Daithí: “yeah, that I suppose went through a couple of iterations. The thing that got us with that was the arrangement. The sound was always there, but it’s just the arrangement as to what goes where. That was recorded quite a lot.“

Dirty Dreamer are set to perform live on Thursday 2nd June at The Workman’s Cellar. We discussed what fans can expect from the show

Daithí: “So the idea for the live show is to recreate what we do in this room. But put it on a stage. Now, obviously not like the constant tea breaks and stuff like that but to have it quite fluid, like it is in here and try and represent that as best we can in the live environment which is what we’re trying to do at the minute and it’s loads of fun.”

The live show promises to deliver the same experimental and free approach the trio took to create the album resulting in slightly changed versions of the songs.

Daithí: “Yeah, exactly changed versions of the songs and then trying to see how we can link songs together without a break. 

Louise: “Yeah even allowing space for us to actually improvise a little bit where there’s longer pauses that we can noodle around and find that same improv that we would have used to create the songs somewhere in the live set, in between the more structured pieces.”

The band experimented and learned a lot about themselves and their music during this process. I asked Daithí and Louise from their experience so far, what advice would they give to a budding young artist.

Louise : “ I can only speak to maybe the lessons I’ve learned as opposed to solid advice. I think that big one of not worrying about the outcome too much comes back to me constantly because that just scuppers you so much and it’s the one thing you want to do when you’re trying to start. It’s like I want to make an album or I want to make an EP and that’s really to be thought about later. You got to go in and create a load of stuff first before you start aiming for that and know what you’re about and what you want to sound like. You have to play a lot and play with other people, involve other people that’s a huge thing. Find your people that you want to make music with because it’s lonely on your own.”

Daithí: “ Find people on the same wavelength and spend time playing – just play and don’t worry all that kind of stuff. That’ll come and if the music is good that will all fit together. Yeah, don’t worry too much about the outcome because if you’re into music, you’re into music, that’s the bottom line. It’s not about all the other stuff, if that happens, that happens it doesn’t really make a difference, you’re still going to be in a sweaty rehearsal room jamming away”

Dirty Dreamer have a unique and experimental sound that is raw and melodically rich. They don’t shy away from allowing their artistic unconscious write the music. This lucid way of creating is what makes ‘The Everyday In Bloom’ such a compelling album. It’s a wonderful listening experience filled with expressive soundscapes, hazy atmospheres and refined musicianship.

Stream ‘The Everyday In Bloom’ below 


Author: Danu

A Chat With, Album Release, Album Review, Indie, Interviews, New Music, Singer/Songwriter

A Chat With: Badhands

Photo Credit: Jamie Fitzpatrick

Award-winning composer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Daniel Fitzpatrick, aka Badhands, is set to release his second album ‘Far Away’ on Friday, 1st April 2022. I caught up with Fitzpatrick to talk about the album, writing during the pandemic and plans for his upcoming full-band album launch in Whelan’s main room on Saturday, 9th April 2022.

“It’s not really a concept album, most of the songs were written a few years ago. So I guess if there’s any consistent themes, it’s just from the nature of whatever was going on at the time, but no there’s definitely no real kind of overarching concepts to it.”

‘Far Away’ is a sublime easy listening experience as Fitzpatrick ventures between classic rock and indie with some pop sensibilities. ‘Quiet and Still’ is a fine example of this. Oozing elements of classic rock, country and an irresistible melody, the track pivots around an ominous beat while twinkling guitar flickers throughout.

“That song, it’s so long since I’ve written it. I wrote that about four or five years ago. This is the thing with this album, I was supposed to have it done and out really before covid hit. Then it was a nightmare trying to finish it off during covid. So, there was a couple of songs that I rewrote, like ‘Wasted’ which I would have written the lyrics for during Covid. So there’s, a couple like that, that I kind of feel [ are ] a little more current to me. Funny, a couple of songs on it now, I wrote them so long ago I can barely remember much about them, which is very strange. It’s a very strange thing to just be releasing it now, you know”

“When I was trying to finish off the album early in covid I got quite disillusioned with it. I was listening to it and I [ was ] just like these songs don’t really mean anything to me now. It was such a strange time I was like, what’s the point of any of this? I just took a break from it. I ended up doing a different project, a concept piece about the oceans, which was a five-track EP and I got really into that then, recorded and released it after about a year. Then when I came back to the album, it did have more of a freshness and I was into it again, and I finished it. It was around this time last year, [ I ] probably finished it and it did seem a bit more fresh to me again. Then we did a gig last year and playing the song live with the band again, you know, gave it a new lease a life. So thankfully, I did fall back in love with it after a period of really just being disinterested, kind of disinterested in anything I was working on at the time, it was a strange spell.”

“It was weird, funnily enough at the start of it, I was really productive. I was writing a lot. I was working on stuff and I really thought it was having quite a positive effect on my work and productivity so for a while that seemed like a benefit. Then there was spells, like this time last year, January, February, March last year, I just found it impossible to work. I couldn’t do any of those I was just absolutely lethargic and drained so it was just a real funny up and down experience. unlike anything, I’ve ever experienced. Well, unlike anything any of us have experienced before, I guess.”

The album was recorded chiefly at Ailfionn Studios, with musicians Chris Barry, Tom Cosgrave, Aoife Ruth, Ken Mooney, and David Tapley. We discussed how these talented musicians bolstered Fitzpatrick and helped him with any difficulties he went through.

“I’ve been really lucky, it’s pretty much that core band now, Chris, Tom, Aoife and Ken and then there is also David Tapley from the band Tandem Phoenix so he’s been pretty much full time in playing as well. They’re all just amazing musicians and they bring their own unique elements to the party. I’ll go in with a song and then – take that song ‘Quiet and Still’, for example, really just hinges around this delayed bass thing, you know, which Tom came up with so as soon as we went in, he just started doing that and then suddenly the song was just built around that because it’s like a heartbeat, you know, it just suited it perfectly and that was just something he came up with in the rehearsal room. I love that, it’s great when somebody else adds something and suddenly it changes you know. The song is suddenly a completely different beast when that happens”

Each song exudes warm melodies that are soothing to the ears. But there is a dark, ominous undertone that broods throughout the album.

“I think, especially with lyrics, I find a lot of the lyrics I write seem to come from maybe a place of anxiety or something like that. I think when people write often, for whatever reason, different aspects of their personality come out. So a lot of the time whatever you’re writing doesn’t necessarily define you or sum you up as a person. I guess the darkness in the song probably has something to do with, being anxious or self-conscious about things. So even something that I’m writing that might be a love song or something, always seems to have an undercurrent of just tension or anxiety in it. I guess that’s where that comes from. I tried to balance that with the music because say a song like, ‘Wasted’ would be one where the lyrics are extremely downbeat, but the music contrasts with it. It’s pretty upbeat. So, yeah, it’s always trying to blend that so it’s not just depressing or just miserable. I’m generally a fairly cheery person, but I think if you listen to the lyrics on my music, you probably wouldn’t think that”

The piano is a prominent instrument on the album and Fitzpatrick manages to convey many emotions and textures with just the piano alone. Fitzpatrick explained how he wrote some of the songs on piano.

“I used to write mainly on guitar. I think, for the most part, I tend to write everything on piano. Well, it’s a mix. I might start writing something on the piano and then I’m sitting down with a guitar and coming up with bits on that. But yeah, I think now for the most part it’s usually on piano and especially now we are just close to finishing a third album. We went in with the band in January. It was actually just after I’d watched the, The Beatles Get Back and I loved it so much. I got onto the band and they’d all just watched it as well and everybody was just really keen to get in and do something. So I just booked the studio even though I hadn’t fully finished the songs and really knuckled down and tried to get the thing finished. Then we went in and I did this one really piano-based. I was playing just a grand piano and we did it all live in the room and it was great. So the new album is especially piano-led on a lot of the songs”.

There are plenty of memorable moments on the album filled with passionate, evocative musicianship and poignant songwriting. However, the dark and theatrical elements are intriguing aspects in Fitzpatrick’s songs and a theme we continued to return to when talking about the album. ‘Atlas’ is a perfect example of this. It has a Tom Waits ‘Little Drop Of Poison mixed with Nick Cave Red Right Hand Vibe’. Fitzpatrick expresses this wonderfully through ominous piano and intoxicating soundscapes. 

“ Yeah, I’m a big Tom Waits fan. Actually, ‘Atlas’ was one that I did right at the start. In fact, I have quite a vivid memory of writing that. It was, I’d say maybe a week into the covid hitting and lockdown. So I can really remember that specifically, I was just in my room all the time with the piano. I remember writing that song at that stage. So I guess it was a bit of an ominous time. It was a mix of things going on that probably inspired that one”

Lyrically the tracks are deep, well thought out and profoundly expressive. Fitzpatrick explained to me he strives to express genuine deep thoughts through his music.

“Yeah, I never really set out to write any particular lyrics. A lot of the time I wish I could write about certain things or certain types of songs but anytime I tried to do that …it just never works. I think you can hear that in music when you hear a song from an artist or something. You can just tell maybe it doesn’t seem totally from the heart or genuine and that’s what I’ve felt anytime I’ve set out to write a specific type of song. So I just stuck with whatever comes really and that’s why that I feel sometimes you know the lyrics I’m writing, I find sometimes this is a bit repetitive or this is a bit depressing or something but it’s just…I find with the lyrics, anything that I write, that hasn’t come natural tends to be pretty, pretty bad for the most part.”

‘So Alive’ is quite different to the other tracks on the album. It’s more experimental and psychedelic and the track sits snugly between ‘Atlas’ and ‘They Know You Better’. On hearing the album each song holds its own and warrants its place while blending superbly into the album’s aesthetic. Fitzpatrick explained how he struggled to decide on the tracklist order.

“It was in some respects. Yeah, there was a couple of tracks I found hard to place like ‘So Alive’, ‘Quiet and Still’ the last song [Take Me Far Away] which were I guess just a little bit more understated well not so understated its got strings on it. It felt more understated than some of the other tracks and I tend to find them harder to place, I guess than the ones that have a lot of you know, gusto or something in them. But I always had it in mind for ‘Atlas’ to flow into it. So in that respect, I at least knew that those two songs would go one after the other. So that was at least some help. For a couple of the guys in the band that would have been one of their favourites. That would have been one I wrote on guitar just with that picky riff or whatever. Initially, it was quite a stripped-down piece, which I had toyed with but then you know, as is often the case, less is more but then you just keep adding more. Then suddenly it’s like, throw a lot of strings on there and you’ve got this big, psychedelic orchestral thing but I was happy with how it turned out”

Fitzpatrick has a launch for ‘Far Away’ with a full band show in Whelan’s main room on Saturday, 9th of April and he told me what fans can expect from the show.

“Well, probably a lot off the upcoming album for sure. I’d say that will be the dominant one. I think we will try and do one or two off the one [album] that we just recorded and then a couple of hits off the first album. Now we are playing with the six-piece band for the bigger gigs, it’s great. Aoife who plays in the band she does keys and violin and she’s really great. When she switches over to violin she has a lot of weird effects and stuff. She’s a bit like Warren Ellis, [Nick Cave and] The Bad Seeds. So that’s always a nice aspect. But yeah, I’m really looking forward to it. I look forward to actually arranging some rehearsals and getting everyone in because it’d be rare that the six of us all play together. That would be a thing for, you know, a show like this or whatever. But you know, for the most part of doing other gigs it’d be a four or five-piece set up so it’s great. It’s great to get to play with a full complement, but it’s rare enough.”

‘Far Away’ is a musically rich and deeply immersive album. Each track is a joy to listen to and highlights the expressive sound, refined musicianship and eloquent songwriting of Badhands.

‘Far Away’ is set for release on Friday 1st of April. For more, you can follow Badhands on Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/wearebadhands/


Author: Danu