Tag Archives: Mick D'Arcy

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

A Chat With: Mick D’Arcy of Corner Boy

Photo Credit : Padraig Grant

Corner Boy have released their highly anticipated self-titled debut album. I spoke to Mick D’Arcy about the album, the band’s upcoming shows and how the tracks on this album span 10 years of the band’s creativity.

“We’ve been together as a band for 10 years. So I think the best thing about this process was that a lot of the songs we were able to revisit. We would have written some of the songs as far back as maybe 2013 and 2014. So there is a lot of newer material on the album but this was a great opportunity to revisit songs and take the songs as they were presented from us from a younger age, and with all of the years of experience, of being on the road, playing live shows and, other recent releases take all of that knowledge and breathe new life into these older songs as well. So it’s been an incredibly interesting and exciting process for us.”

“A lot of them would have been early demos that we would have released and kind of bootleg CDs that we would have taken on various tours with us but a lot of the songs haven’t been released formally. Many people who come to our shows and friends would say to us regarding a couple of the songs “Why haven’t you released that? you know, as a studio album version. That’s my favourite song. You should really release that”. So I guess with the album, we did take that into account with a few of those songs and we’re delighted to properly present it to the world now”

The band have found the perfect blend of folk, rock, traditional, bluegrass and alternative within this album to create a unique and rich sound that showcases each member’s individual musical prowess.

“I guess the sound of the band has evolved over the years. We’ve dabbled in heavier, more loud, harsher sounds, the quieter singer-songwriter side, bluegrass, traditional Irish music, so I guess this album in essence is the exploration of all of that and it’s us arriving at this point where we are comfortable and have clearly defined our sound. So that’s the concept, our journey through the years to arrive at this signature sound that we’ve been trying to establish for such a long time and we really feel we’ve gotten this with this collection of 10 songs, they really represent the band, what we were and what we’ve become along the way.”

Throughout the album, the songs are bright, hopeful and a joy to listeners’ ears. ‘Morning Morning’ is a glorious example. It’s uplifting with each instrument adding a bright twinkle throughout while lush vocal harmonies and banjo elements add a hearty sing-along aspect. This wholesome soundscape cushions the listeners from the melancholic lyrical content. 

“That song I guess we were going through a period of writing sombre down tempo songs. The song itself, it’s a really energetic and positive-sounding song. But lyrically it’s really about a person who’s struggling to get out of bed in the morning. They’re struggling to see a lot of positivity in the world. So we decided to take this concept, a sad theme and write it with the backing of really hopeful and entertaining music. So we’re constantly challenging ourselves and giving ourselves these little projects, there’s another song in the album called ‘The Sea’ and that was another example of us just giving ourselves something ambitious to look for. We wanted to create the loudest most impactful song that we’ve ever written and we felt we achieved that with that as well. Sometimes a lot of the songs and particularly with ‘Morning Morning’, it really starts from this simple idea of taking a subject matter or context and then playing with it and hopefully finding some positive results in the writing process.”

‘The Sea’ follows the darker lyrical theme of ‘Morning Morning’ however with this song the band allow the music to reflect the sombre songwriting. With a thumping beat, thudding guitars and jangly banjo the band manage to create a sense of turmoil through expressive instrumentation. D’Arcy sings “I know That pain, Seen it before, it’s taking my heart, taking it whole” over evocative instrumentation that highlights the band’s ability for creating cinematic soundscapes.

“I guess, ‘Morning Morning’ is interesting because that song is more of an affirmation for somebody who may be in a position of struggling in certain aspects of their life. I guess that’s one way of approaching the songs. With regards to ‘The Sea’, that was more trying to incorporate the notion of painting in a landscape and characters and feelings into the song that reflects those landscapes. So unfortunately, there’s a very high rate of suicide in Wexford town and at the time when we were writing the song it almost felt like every weekend that we woke up, we found out a friend of ours or somebody that we know, had passed away, we wanted to write a response to that. At the time we wanted to explore the notion of there are ups and downs, life is choppy waters at times and we wanted to write something that was a response to what was going on around us. So, again a different way of looking at a challenge and writing songs but something that we felt we were able to reflect that energy, that particularly stormy time in Wexford town where we’re all from, it wasn’t great, but we felt like we needed to respond and we needed to create something as a response to that. “

The album ends with ‘I Dream Of Boston Town’ a tender ballad delicately presented through soft instrumentation and Celtic tones. It’s a beautiful and heartbreaking way to end the whirlwind journey of this album. 

“That’s a song that we had on the back burner for a long time. We weren’t even sure that we were going to include it because it’s seven or eight minutes long, but then we just said we really do need to include it. When we play it live, we typically have the room singing back to us that chorus chant at the end. We felt that was a song that felt like a short story but it needed to tell the story of the heartbreak, the connection or disconnection between two people, the breaking down of something, the original building of something and then watching it subsequently break down. So it is a long song, but it’s different from any kind of single that you might release to radio. This song was really a short story and we felt that it just offered something very different from your standard three to four minutes single. So yeah, we just thought it showed a different dynamic to the band, or a different ability within us to write a different kind of song.“

‘River Born’ is perhaps my favourite song on the album. The vivid storytelling mixed with warm instrumentation creates this almost anthemic and comforting sound that is irresistible. With a sweet string refrain woven between driving rhythms and bright guitars, it’s a glorious tune full of emotion. D’Arcy explained to me which songs on the album he is most proud of.

“That’s a really good question. I think the most recent song we finished before doing pre-production for the album was a song called ‘Blackstairs Winter Snow’, which is the first track on the album. So I guess there’s probably an element of recency bias there but that was a moment where we felt as a band we really arrived at a collective sound that for us felt so distinctive, it felt so unique and different. So it felt that we had gotten to this point where all of that learning over the years, trying to understand how we would use guitar sounds effectively within our songwriting, how we would use our exploration of synthetic music as well. It felt like we found a real safe comfort zone to be able to amalgamate all of those things and yeah, for me, it would probably be a song like ‘Blackstairs Winter Snow’. We have six members of the band, each one would probably tell you that they have a favourite different song and hopefully that’s a testament to the strength of the collection of the 10 songs on the album that they all have different dynamics, different stories, different viewpoints. So hopefully, when people are listening to it, it’s a case that each individual person might see something that’s reflective of them, they might have their own individual favourite in that way.”

Fans can catch Corner Boy live on Friday 2nd December in Whelans and Saturday 10th December in National Opera House, Wexford. These songs are going to be epic live. D’Arcy explained to me what fans can expect from the shows.

“Yeah, that’s the plan. We’ve spent the last six weeks building our live show, rehearsing every week for it. So just trying to make it better and better and refine it as much as we can. So we’re really really excited. Our hometown album launch show in the National Opera House is sold out and we have limited tickets left for Whelan’s now on December 2, so we’re really really itching to get up on stage. We played the Ruby Sessions in Dublin and that went incredibly well. So that’s gotten us match fit as well. So itching to get going. We’re building and can’t wait to play the shows. Hopefully, we’ll be getting out on the road to tour them as well next year. So really, really exciting times for us after a long time waiting”

Showcasing poetic lyrics and dynamic instrumentation Corner Boy’s self-titled album is a fine display of the band’s poignant musicianship. Each track leaves you craving to hear more. The album is a truly special and immersive listening experience. 

Stream the album below 


Author: Danu

A Chat With, Indie, Interviews, New Music

A Chat With: Mick D’Arcy of Corner Boy

Corner Boy have released their new single ‘Kingdom Come and Go’. I spoke with singer Mick D’Arcy about the new single, upcoming gigs and their fantastic video filmed in Johnstown Castle.

‘Kingdom Come and Go’ is a spirited tune laced with the band’s passionate musicianship and irresistible melodies. With a foot-tapping rhythm and vibrant instrumentation, this song is a musical gem sure to delight listener’s ears.

“This was a song that we had worked on a couple of years ago. Sometimes, you might work on a song and it might not click at that moment, but we were in a rehearsal room about two years ago and we were playing through the song and yeah, it just came back to life. Sometimes it happens with songs that when you play it, just new ideas will come to it and I guess the story of the song as well, it’s an exploration of a connection between two people, the highs and the lows. So we started working on the song with the new energy we had brought. We were able to finish it then lyrically as well. That new energy like I said, it just breathed life back into it. So it was a song that we had on the backburner for a long time and we just thought it’d be a great single to release”

There is a lively atmosphere in the song enhanced by fiddle and banjo elements. Corner Boy pivot the track around the fiddle/banjo embellishments and driving guitar to create a folk/ indie fusion that is a joy to listen to.

” I guess our sound will be considered to be folk and from a young age, we would have been raised in the folk tradition with aspects of traditional Irish music as well. That’s always really important for us to retain what got us into music, folk and traditional Irish music. It’s really important as a band to try to find the balance with contemporary sounds as well. You’re brought up in traditional music from a young age but then, you know, you leave home, you see a bit of the world on your own two feet, you take new sounds and you begin to allow yourself to be influenced by newer ideas, new sounds and contemporary themes, music structures and songwriting. So combining that with what we knew from a folk sense, all of a sudden for us as a band, we arrived in this place of writing songs that sounded really fresh and exciting to us and something worth developing. So I guess it’s kind of exploring the potential of that feeling. That’s where we are as a band, taking a bit of old, taking a bit of new and then finding something that’s fresh and exciting in between too.”

‘Kingdom Come and Go’ is awash with lush instrumentation and driving rhythms. The song is brimming with emotive sounds yet each element within the track has its place allowing the expressive soundscape to flourish without becoming overpowering.

“We’ve had a lot of years to refine that process and what it feels like to us. It’s a delicate enough thing. When the band first started out, we released our first EP. It was very roots orientated. It was folk it was traditional Irish influenced, then we would have released another EP that was a bit more Indie influenced and another one that was a bit more rock influenced. So we finally feel that, you know, we’re in a position this year where we’re releasing our debut album that we’ve kind of taken all of that learning, that journey over the last 9/10 years as a band and I guess two years ago, when we decided to finally sit down and record the album we felt that we were in this comfortable position where we really knew the essence of what we were trying to do. We had gone through all of the different stages to get to this point and we feel that’s fairly self evident in the music. We’ve gone through this whole cycle of different genres and exploring them and we’ve emerged with this original sound that’s very much representative of ourselves. “

“I think a lot of artists put a lot of pressure on themselves to be this new all encompassing, fresh and exciting sound. Our band started in fairly humble, modest surroundings. One of the main things we wanted to do was just play a gig outside of Wexford and to write three or four original songs and then all of a sudden, we just had this massive creative burst from early on in the band. We started getting invited to play festivals and we had to start building a set and it was a really, really exciting time for us. When you put yourself under that kind of pressure, a lot of things can get rushed. So we said we’re going to try to take the pressure out of that scenario at all costs and slowly develop our sound, not rush it and make sure that the music is something that’s representative of all of us. It was trying to make sure that we had this collective sound that represented us all equally. That can be a really difficult thing to do. Sometimes that takes time and it certainly took time. My one piece of advice is; try if at all possible to take the pressure out of the situation as much as you can and allow the space and time that you need to evolve naturally. We feel collectively as a band now that we’ve certainly arrived at that place.“

Corner Boy’s songs are filled with vivid imagery, and ‘Kingdom Come and Go’ is no exception. Lines such as “Your careless and free, A Lark on the breeze “ are simple yet wonderfully evocative and add a poetic aspect to the band’s music. 

“Some songs take a long time to write, some songs take you know only five minutes. This was one of those songs that we had originally written the music of but lyrically it’s something that came really quickly. Some people think that’s a really good thing, some people think not so much but for us we were happy this song emerged naturally and finished itself really quickly with regards to the lyrics. This song is about the discussion of connection between two people. It’s almost like a back-and-forth conversation at times, you know, talking about the idea of connection, and what it would mean to one another. So describing these things and bringing in aspects of narrative and storytelling that’s really important to us – painting that vivid imagery within the song and allowing it to match up with the energy of the music as well is key. So, yeah, these different musical ideas within the song that are kind of soaring, really powerful and energetic the music, just trying to match that. So I guess we felt that we had done that really well with the single in particular, then as a result, we decided to have this as a great representation of us, where we are now musically, sonically, lyrically.”

The vocals in this song are quite powerful. It’s not one for a timid vocalist and D’Arcy delivers a goosebump-inducing performance. We discussed his vocal talents and if he was always a confident singer.

“No, I certainly wasn’t a confident singer. I remember in primary school, there was 36 people in my class and 33 of them got picked for the school choir, I was one of the three that didn’t. I always had my own style, but I guess this is something that would have come out from us playing around at different sessions being around other musicians. For me, it was always important, playing with other musicians to have a voice that really had an impact to it and was able to be quiet when it was needed in certain parts of songs, but you know, really show the power of what you’re trying to connect with in the lyrics when it’s needed and I guess, it arrived with this song.The song is incredibly vibrant, energetic and impactful. The vocal melody really needed to match that at certain points. So we’re quite lucky with the band as well that we have five different vocalists as well, five individual strong singers. Yeah we were blessed when it came to laying down backing vocals and stuff like that as well. It was a nice challenge for us to be able to match the intensity of certain parts of the songs.”

The band have released the music video for ‘Kingdom Come and Go’. Shot in Johnstown Castle the band discuss the theme of the song through wonderful visuals.

“We wanted something that embodied [ the ] story. We shoot all of our own music videos, we storyboard it all together, we direct everything. So everything is very much self-contained within the band, all the visuals all of the artwork, it’s done by the band. So the story was that the castle in essence you know, somebody’s been stuck really in their own mind and trying to wander around and figure out what exactly they wanted from a relationship or a conversation and that’s what we’re exploring lyrically in the song.The castle is something that’s very much representative of that, you’re stuck in this place, and you’re trying to figure your way out. The conversations that you have with yourself and the actions that you go through to find your way out of it. So it’s something we wanted to to get across. We all [the band] live within 10 minutes from each other in County Wexford and the one thing in that area is this place called Johnston Castle. It’s right in the middle where all of us live. For a long time, we would have all driven by this huge place and thought wouldn’t it be amazing to shoot a video there one day and luckily enough they were like absolutely. They gave us the keys to the place and we’re able to create the story that we wanted that would match lyrically with the song and for the video to be dynamic and interesting. We feel we achieved that anyway, with the video. We’re really happy with it.”

Corner Boy’s debut album is due for release in October 2022 and D’Arcy told me what gigs the band have planned to celebrate the release.

“Yeah, so I guess our next show will be I think we’re okay to announce that we’re playing Electric Picnic at the start of September so that will be one of the first airings of the song which we’re really, really excited about. Then after that we have dates that are going to be launched soon for shows in our hometown in Wexford, then in Dublin and Whelan’s in October when we’re releasing the album as well. Information on that is going to be coming out in the next week or two. So we’re really excited to start gigging again and be able to air the album in full in the live setting. That’s really, really important to us. Playing live is the thing that’s always been central to the band. So we’re looking forward to getting back on the road from September onwards.”

Corner Boy package their exciting and kinetic sound in one fiery heartfelt tune and the result is a song that boasts glorious melodies, rich instrumentation and heartfelt emotion. Featuring surging brass sections, gripping fiddle outbursts and an anthemic sing-along chorus, ‘Kingdom Come and Go’ is a fine example of Corner Boy’s immense talent.

Watch the video for ‘Kingdom Come and Go’ below 


Author: Danu