Asylum Road revitalising metal music in Derry.
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00:00I'm Dylan, I play guitar.
00:02Brian, bass.
00:03Darren, vocals.
00:04And I'm Ethan, I play drums.
00:06And the band name is Asylum Road.
00:31You are a metal band.
00:33Can you tell me what kind of metal band you are?
00:35Because I know there's thousands of sub-genres of metal,
00:37and it's just, you know, can you narrow yourself down to something like that?
00:40Like a mash between groove, we've been called groove,
00:43we've been called...
00:44Metalcore.
00:45Metalcore.
00:46I would say we're definitely more metalcore than we like to be,
00:48but with the exception that we don't use as many,
00:51as much clean vocals as metalcore bands.
00:53It's not clean, it's not clean.
00:54But we're definitely in that vein, aren't we?
00:56Aye.
00:57What's the difference between metalcore, say, thrash, or something like that?
01:00Breakdowns.
01:01It's almost like, if you listen to your bands,
01:05like you take a band like Lamb of God, for example,
01:09it's really groove-oriented, but the vocals are all heavy.
01:11Metalcore's sort of similar, but then you'll maybe get this really,
01:14almost poppy sounding chorus.
01:16Aye.
01:17But thankfully we miss out on the poppy sounding choruses,
01:19because this man just refuses to do it.
01:21But we are very much in that metalcore sort of style, I would say.
01:24Aye, definitely.
01:25I lean more towards the groove aspect,
01:27but I'll give his the metalcore.
01:29I'll give his that one.
01:30Thrash is all about speed from start to finish.
01:33Skank beats have a way for you, doesn't it?
01:35It's got some melodic bits to it.
01:37There's a bit of sludge in there too, as well, I would say.
01:39What, with us?
01:40Aye, like a couple of breakdowns, like whenever we half-time them,
01:43they do go into that doom, sludge kind of.
01:45It's a big Nola influence, isn't it?
01:48Oh, come on, come on now.
01:50Yeah, that's for one genre there, I've got to say.
01:52Just to show it.
01:53I mean, it's one, and then the more you think about it,
01:56you don't want to pigeonhole yourself,
01:59because you're sort of limited what you can play.
02:01If you turn and say we play death metal,
02:03then you're only going to play death metal,
02:05and people are going to be like,
02:06well, hang on, that's not death metal.
02:08So if we don't pigeonhole ourselves, we can play what we want.
02:10Aye, just metal.
02:11Just metal.
02:12Once again, I couldn't put them under some genre,
02:16they're just a metal band.
02:18Come and see us live in your own mind.
02:23You fuckers!
02:27I don't belong!
02:33Just leave me alone!
02:45Not in the scene as much, but to me,
02:48metal and dairy isn't a big thing.
02:50What's it like being in a metal band and dairy?
02:53Lonely.
02:55I mean, realistically, I'd say there's two metal bands in dairy currently,
02:59two that you can go out there straight up metaling,
03:02not hard rock or anything,
03:03and this man plays both of them,
03:05and I have played in both of them.
03:07A couple of metal bands.
03:08There is a couple of, like, you've,
03:11like I say, I'm kind of further out.
03:13You have the lads and the lass in crack.
03:19It's sort of like a mix of dairy and Dunning Hall.
03:21Again, you have the Leather Kenny boys,
03:24you have the Expedition boys.
03:25It's great being a metal band in dairy.
03:27If you're from Belfast, they seem to get plenty of gigs.
03:29Oh aye, if you're from Belfast and you want to come to dairy,
03:32there's no shortage there,
03:34but it's kind of sad too,
03:36because we were around whenever the scene was bursting at the seams,
03:40whenever here was missing,
03:43and then you had the Castle Bar,
03:45you had the Bowing for Boston.
03:47There was metal in them at least once a weekend.
03:49I remember one night there was three metal nights on concurrently
03:52in those three bars,
03:53and it was like you literally had the same crowd
03:55go in a triangle between the bands.
03:57They're like, oh, I'll be back over, what time you on at?
03:59Because I'm going to KX Such and Such.
04:01It's not that dairy is not big enough.
04:03No, it's...
04:04We were in Cavan and we were in Templemore and Tipperary,
04:06and there were huge crowds of gigs.
04:08Massive, massive crowds.
04:09I think the scene was just lost,
04:10like you had when you boys were playing in Highbury City
04:12when I was playing in Shanking that back in the day.
04:14You had the bands, like,
04:15you had Ball State Ball.
04:16Those bands were playing regularly,
04:18and then I think it's like...
04:19Libido Switch.
04:20The scene died, though,
04:21because the Bowing for Boston stopped operating as the Bowing for Boston.
04:24Mason's stopped operating as Mason's,
04:26and suddenly there was no scene for it.
04:28Not even no scene.
04:29There was nowhere for these gigs to be held.
04:31No place for the scene to be held.
04:32And then the scene died because of it, you know.
04:34It's about revitalising it now.
04:35In fairness as well,
04:36because you had the two works
04:38that kept the Ecoplex going throughout.
04:41I mean, the scene totally died,
04:43so you had to wait once a month
04:45towards the end of the month
04:46whenever the two lads were putting on Ecoplex,
04:48and they're still doing it to this day.
04:49So, I mean, even through the death of the metal scene here,
04:52them lads were kind of like
04:54keeping the fucking spark alight,
04:55do you know what I mean?
04:56And it was hard to watch,
04:57and you were coming,
04:58and you were seeing all the same people,
05:00and it was just...
05:01I'd love to get back to the peak of it
05:03where the nerves were at.
05:04Oh, absolutely.
05:05I mean, the nerve centre as well.
05:06You know, I remember going there as a teenager,
05:08the Nucleus,
05:09and it was just metal, metal, metal, metal, metal.
05:13And it could still be done, though.
05:14The thing is,
05:15you could still use the nerve centre
05:17as a place to perform.
05:19It's just, are you going to pull the crowd?
05:21They merit the pain,
05:22what you're paying to rent them,
05:23because it's a fantastic space.
05:25It's just...
05:26Pricey.
05:27Taking that risk, you know,
05:29and at this minute in time,
05:31we're probably not ready for that risk.
05:33Such is life.
05:34Talking on a space that you do have at the moment
05:36is the demolition fest.
05:37Can you tell me a wee bit about that?
05:38You know, it's not often we get a fest.
05:40Well, you know...
05:41I think this is now their second year running it.
05:43To be honest, I hadn't played in a band for...
05:47easy ten years,
05:48until I got the call from these boys,
05:50and by the time I joined with them,
05:51it was only a few weeks out from demolition fest last year.
05:55I knew nothing about it.
05:56We were nowhere near ready,
05:57because I was still learning the music
05:58that they had written up until that point.
06:00So when it came around this year,
06:02we were happy to play.
06:03We were asked to play months ago.
06:05And, like, even though a lot of the pull
06:07is bands coming from Belfast and Dublin
06:10and things like that,
06:11it's still great to see that they're putting on this gig.
06:14I'm willing to take that chance,
06:15because there's a big chance that it could go wrong.
06:18They're pulling up bands that,
06:19realistically, aren't going to pull a crowd.
06:22Not because that's anything to do
06:24with the bands and their talent,
06:25but because they're coming from so far away,
06:27it's hard to get a crowd of 50, 60 people
06:29to follow you from Dublin to Derry for a small gig.
06:32So, no, it's good for the lads in the 720,
06:36that they're willing to take the risk
06:37and put this on for a second year
06:39and hopefully it goes well
06:41and keep things going and get a bigger crowd
06:43and pull out some bigger names for next year.
06:46They've got Survivalists playing for them,
06:48and I'm not sure if you're familiar with them,
06:49but they're a big band.
06:50Survivalists have supported some big acts
06:52and put on big gigs themselves,
06:53so it's a real testament to the lads in the 720
06:56and what they're doing.
07:05We know
07:08Just leave me alone
07:21At the festival, what were you playing?
07:23Were you playing your own original stuff
07:25or some covers?
07:26Some original stuff, yeah.
07:30Dave, you used to call it The Fear.
07:31Can you tell me a wee bit about that?
07:33That's all new.
07:35All of us came together
07:37and the way our writing process works
07:40is one, we'll start with a rough basic idea
07:44and then we just build on it and build on it.
07:47These two lads here,
07:49they just bounce riffs between each other,
07:51me and him sit in the background
07:53because he wants that kind of drums here
07:55and while you're doing your thing,
07:58I'm just sitting trying to fit everything into my own head,
08:01but whenever we were sitting writing,
08:02me and Donal were sitting writing,
08:05I had the lyrics there
08:06but I have a wild habit of changing them
08:08because I'm not happy until I'm happy
08:10and then he would read them
08:11and he'd go, we'll stick with that.
08:13So it was kind of me and Hammers
08:15just having a few brews as you do
08:17in his house and he has a spare room set up
08:20where we do all of the music work
08:22and there was a few alcoholic libations flowing.
08:26There was more than a few that night.
08:27And it was just really, really
08:30and we were talking then about our favourite bands
08:33and stuff like that there
08:34and how a lot of them, like Pantera,
08:35would have done a lot of hardcore drinking back in the day.
08:38More than that.
08:39A lot more, do you know what I mean?
08:40And then some,
08:41and we were just sitting thinking,
08:42oh man, I'm not looking forward to tomorrow.
08:44And I kind of built on that
08:46and we were like,
08:47this song kind of has that groove feel.
08:49Let's write something about
08:52just getting totally wasted kind of thing
08:54and then the next day dealing with it.
08:55But the way we looked at it then was like,
08:58let's do the two sides of it.
09:00It's great craic at the time
09:02and then you see the sides.
09:04I worked on the band for Boston
09:05and I used to see some sides,
09:06boys that just can't handle drink.
09:08And then they're out,
09:09boys busting noses,
09:11walking down the street
09:12and you're just like,
09:13imagine a night just ended like that.
09:14Do you know what I mean?
09:15And then you wake up with that fear.
09:16And that's when we did it then
09:17and then it kind of cut something hyper-fixated,
09:19the other song,
09:20which is,
09:21that's whenever you're fixating on your head
09:23going, what did I do last night?
09:24Oh my God.
09:25You see,
09:27I don't know if,
09:28it's a well-known thing
09:29where people just delete their Snapchat the next day
09:31and they're all,
09:32I'm not opening none.
09:33So they cut that short as well,
09:34you didn't fall in love.
09:35Essentially,
09:36do you know what I mean?
09:37But that's where we started
09:38and then we added the other songs
09:39and we just had nothing to do with that.
09:41But it was just,
09:42and it's funny
09:43because The Fear was never supposed to be
09:44the name of the EP.
09:45We'd thrown so many ideas about it
09:46and we were like,
09:47we'll do a video for The Fear
09:48because it's groovy
09:49and it's the first proper track
09:50and it's accessible,
09:51it could get radio play,
09:52things like that.
09:53That was just last minute.
09:54And we were like,
09:55boys,
09:56we need to name this.
09:57We were like,
09:58this is a good name,
09:59that's a good name
10:00and then it was like,
10:01let's just call it The Fear
10:02and it just worked.
10:03How's that?
10:04It's going to be called Chicken Box
10:05and I guess it's good.
10:06Just keep to the dare, yeah?
10:07It's going to be a rolling theme, aye.
10:08Or What's That Smell?
10:09on Cold Street.
10:12Still got to figure out
10:13how to get it off the lines.
10:14Asking the important questions here, I guess.
10:16But aye,
10:17there you go.
10:18I'm going to chill.
10:19One of this is,
10:20how are your vocals?
10:21Like,
10:22what kind of vocal style do you use?
10:23Do you use a lot of vocal styles in metal?
10:27It kind of ranges from like the guttural,
10:29like the really heavy guttural kind of stuff
10:31onto the higher kind of fry,
10:35vocal fries,
10:36like the screamo as they would have said
10:38back in the day.
10:41Like Randy Blythe Esko most of the time?
10:43There's tons of Randy Blythe on there
10:45and then you would get the Fallen Salmos
10:47and then the Kirk Winsteins kind of stuff.
10:51It depends on the actual song as well.
10:54If there's a song hyper-fixated,
10:57it's a lot quicker,
10:58it's a lot faster,
10:59it's a lot more energetic.
11:01Whereas if it's a slower,
11:02kind of stompy anthem,
11:04it's that really low end.
11:07And then again,
11:08it just depends on the lyrics as well.
11:10There's a lot of songs
11:12that I write about mental health.
11:14There's songs I write about
11:15what's going on in the world,
11:17social media in terms of
11:19fake personas to your face
11:21and then behind your back and so forth.
11:23And then the aggressiveness
11:25or lack of,
11:26depending on what it is,
11:27comes out then through the vocal performance.
11:29Like Requiem.
11:30Because it's a deeper song
11:31when you do the chorus
11:32and it's probably about as clean as you get
11:34without actually going clean.
11:36It's a lot grittier.
11:37It's kind of like that clean with grit
11:40kind of stuff.
11:41Not as clean as Corey Taylor kind of stuff.
11:43Maybe a bit heavier,
11:45but it's the emotional aspect of that song
11:47I was writing about
11:48I'd lost my grandmother that year
11:49and then I'd lost my uncle
11:51in the space of six months,
11:53if even.
11:54This song came at the right time
11:56and it came out in the right emotive way.
11:59Like a healthy kind of way,
12:00do you know what I mean?
12:01So it wasn't as over the top aggressive
12:03as what say the other songs would have been.
12:05But that's the way my process works anyway.
12:07These lads will put you on the hen and go
12:09well gee,
12:10maybe make it a bit more of this
12:12sort of flow
12:13and a bit cleaner
12:14but not as clean.
12:16They get the right pitch
12:17and hit the right notes and whatever.
12:19Even though it's me doing the vocals
12:21and then we would have backup vocals and stuff
12:23with the lads recording it live.
12:25It's very much a team effort
12:27even though I'm sitting doing it.
12:29But the boys will be sitting there with me
12:31and go,
12:32that was great,
12:33do it again,
12:34maybe try this.
12:35So it's a lot to go like
12:37but it works well
12:38and it's a good team like.
12:39That's the beauty of our whole process though.
12:41It's not just the lyrics.
12:42And the drums as well.
12:44If he's recording at home
12:45he'll just put a basic groove on top of it
12:47drum wise
12:48and I'll come and go
12:49right in like that.
12:50So we'll do the sit down
12:51and I'll completely rewrite them.
12:52And then even Brian plays bass
12:54but he'll turn it on.
12:55I like this riff,
12:56why don't you try this
12:57or vice versa.
12:58So we don't just all sit down and go
13:00I've written the guitar,
13:01I've written the lyrics,
13:02here's what we're going to do.
13:03We all have a say on each other's instruments
13:05which definitely helps us.
13:09Go and take that riff Brian.
13:10Go and slow it down
13:11maybe
13:12half a beat.
13:13Throw it on a slide.
13:14Throw it on a slide.
13:15The only man for the best slides.
13:16But we would say
13:18do you know what this is like?
13:19A slide.
13:20That man's going to oblige.
13:21You tell him to do a slide.
13:23He would just do three months of slides.
13:26He would.
13:27But it works well.
13:28It's not just vocals.
13:29It's across the whole music spectrum
13:31and where our instruments like.
13:33We would say
13:34when did you do this?
13:37If it works
13:38happy day.
13:39If it doesn't
13:40we'll try something different.
13:41We've scrapped as many riffs
13:42as we've decided to keep.
13:43Probably twice as many.
13:45There's no weakness in it as well
13:46because it's not like
13:47you know darn
13:48it wasn't good
13:49and you don't take it personal.
13:51It's just a dirty game
13:52for a particular one.
13:53Nah, I'm not feeling that rough man.
13:55Let's try something different
13:56and it's not going to be
13:57who do you tell me?
13:59And it works really well
14:00and that's why I think
14:02we've been getting on so well
14:04just across that.
14:06We're having fun
14:07making slides.
14:08We're having fun too as well.
14:09We listen to the songs
14:10and it's a fun song isn't it?
14:23Would you say
14:24that starting a metal band
14:25yours specifically in Derry
14:26is a lot riskier
14:27than say
14:28starting a new indie band
14:29or you know
14:30pop?
14:31Definitely.
14:32If you start an indie band
14:33you can play a San Diego's or Bennington
14:34five nights a week.
14:35I mean it was risky
14:36even ten, twelve years ago
14:37when I first started
14:38because I remember
14:39playing in
14:40like I was playing
14:41in metal bands
14:42that were in the big boom
14:43of the likes of
14:44say Arctic Monkeys.
14:45You couldn't walk around town
14:46without seeing five fellas
14:47that looked like Alex Turner
14:48who were all playing
14:49in an Arctic Monkeys
14:50style indie band
14:51and that's not to say
14:52they weren't good bands
14:53but it's just there was
14:54such a bigger demand for it
14:55because there were so many
14:56more people that were
14:57in that style
14:58and were playing that style
14:59so it definitely was
15:00trickier to get into.
15:01The money side of things
15:02kind of sums it up for me.
15:03If you're going to play
15:04in a mainstream genre now
15:06the idea of playing for free
15:09is almost alien
15:10whereas we get offered
15:11I won't name any specifics
15:12but we got offered
15:13a gig recently
15:14with a lot of travel involved
15:17a short set
15:18and there was no money
15:20even towards fuel expenses
15:22and so if you're playing
15:23in a metal band
15:24you have to put your hand
15:25in your pocket.
15:26You're expected to come
15:27and play a half hour set
15:29for an eight hour round trip
15:30and at the end of the night
15:31it's thanks for that.
15:33See you next time.
15:34Show up ten gigs
15:35and open a band
15:36and supply the back line
15:37but it's not the up on bands
15:39like indie bands
15:40do you know what I mean?
15:41They do what they do
15:42and that is what it is.
15:44It's just more people
15:45are kind of swayed that way
15:47and they're into it
15:48and they would rather
15:50go and see a band
15:52that play songs
15:54that they know
15:55than even original.
15:56I've seen indie gigs
15:58where there's only been
15:59a handful of people
16:00because they're playing
16:01their own stuff.
16:02They do want to hear
16:03that Arctic Monkeys cover
16:04they do want to hear that.
16:05That's more accessible
16:07The average drinker
16:09or the average gig goer
16:11for lack of a better word
16:13is going to walk past here
16:14and they're going to hear
16:15someone doing a cover
16:16of say something
16:17like Brian Storm
16:18by Arctic Monkeys
16:19and you're going to go
16:20that's classy
16:21I know that one
16:22and you're going to come in
16:23you walk past
16:24and you hear someone
16:25doing a cover
16:26playing black metal
16:27they're going to be like
16:28nah I'm okay with that
16:29it's tricky
16:30People hear Oasis
16:31and they're like
16:32straight on
16:33I grew up on Oasis
16:35Do you know what I mean?
16:36But that's it
16:37but at the same time
16:38it is more accessible
16:39But if I heard
16:40Oasis band downstairs
16:42and I heard a black metal band
16:43upstairs
16:44can I go upstairs?
16:45I think the difference is
16:46if you're an indie band
16:48you can play 5 minutes
16:49when you're in Derry
16:50Oh 100%
16:51It's a lot more accessible
16:52it's a lot more open
16:53But for us
16:54we need to have the room
16:55and we need to go to
16:56different venues to play
16:57Where there is a scene
16:58because you can't play Derry
16:59for 5 minutes
17:00and there's a metal band there
17:01But that has it's benefits
17:02because we went to Cavan
17:03which is completely unknown
17:04Oh by the new contacts
17:05we sold some merchandise
17:06so there's going to be people
17:07fronting our band name
17:08in Cavan
17:09and we've been invited back already
17:10The crack's good
17:11The crack's brilliant
17:12do you know what I mean?
17:13The crack was fantastic
17:14down there
17:15And it's always great
17:16to see new faces
17:17I love playing in Derry
17:18do you know what I mean?
17:19It's the home town
17:20you're always going to enjoy it
17:21But it's nice
17:22keeping away as well
17:23leaving Derry on the back burner
17:24for a couple of months
17:25and then people going
17:26Winnie's playing again
17:27we're looking for a night out
17:28and it's nice to hear that
17:29do you know what I mean?
17:30So then you get
17:31right boys
17:32it's another home gig
17:33and it gets that hype
17:34back up again
17:35that you can see people
17:36coming out to the gigs
17:37our last two gigs in Derry
17:38our only
17:39do you know what I mean?
17:40was
17:41they were both sold out
17:42they were both packed
17:43packed
17:44packed us up here
17:45packed down on the 720
17:46for our EP launch
17:47and it was
17:48it was ramped
17:49So there is an audience
17:50for metal in Derry
17:51it's just that
17:52there's not enough
17:53metal in Derry
17:54would you say?
17:55I'd say that's a big part of it
17:56that these days
17:57if you go back
17:5810-12 years ago
17:59had
18:00once again
18:01had they not have
18:02rebranded Masons
18:03in the band for Boston
18:04then maybe
18:05these bands would have kept going
18:06maybe
18:07even if like
18:08High Risk hadn't kept going
18:09you would have
18:10reformed and had another band
18:12you had the likes of
18:13like Make and Monsters
18:14and that
18:15you probably would have played
18:16in Derry more
18:17because there was
18:18venues that wanted
18:19that sort of music
18:20but because there was
18:21no venues for it
18:22all the bands
18:23sort of seemed to dissipate
18:24and a lot of these fellas
18:25you chat to now
18:26that used to play in those bands
18:27back in the day
18:28they still play their instruments
18:29and they're still interested in gigging
18:30but because there was
18:31no local scene for it
18:32it was hard to keep that going
18:34The venues are a big part of it
18:36when we went and played
18:37those small towns
18:38we played some of the best venues
18:39we've ever played
18:40and Derry doesn't have
18:41anywhere near
18:42the same facilities
18:43for putting on
18:44you know
18:45there's some decent bars
18:46with decent set ups
18:47but
18:48there are no dedicated
18:49music venues
18:50other than
18:51It's hard enough
18:52for them to even do
18:53Ebrington
18:54Ebrington's always a nightmare
18:55like do you know what I mean
18:56it's constantly
18:57you're seeing it in the news
18:58and you're like
18:59you know what I mean
19:00so if they're having problems
19:01at the top of
19:02huge gigs
19:03imagine how bad it is here
19:04at the local
19:05local artist level
19:06the thing is
19:07they need somewhere
19:08like
19:09they need that nice
19:10middle ground of venue
19:11where you've even got a capacity
19:12of like
19:13a thousand maybe
19:14fifteen hundred people
19:15like you look at
19:16for example
19:17The Nerve Centre
19:18back in the day
19:19they had
19:20Fightstar
19:21you'd feel them for a friend
19:22multiple times
19:23Sepultura
19:24you had Dave Lombardo
19:25doing classes
19:26you had Trivium
19:27you know
19:28you'd never
19:29have to go to Belfast again
19:30because you have that pull
19:31and have that attraction
19:32and if those bigger bands
19:33are coming in
19:34then they might be
19:35looking for
19:36the usual crack slots
19:37and trying to get in
19:38and you see
19:39big American bands
19:40playing Limerick
19:41yeah
19:42you know
19:43we're
19:44a similar sized town
19:45we just don't have
19:46a venue
19:47of a similar size
19:48that's the main drawback
19:49the usual battle
19:59and
20:20when someone comes
20:21and sees
20:22your band live
20:23maybe
20:24on Saturday
20:25or whenever
20:26what kind of feeling
20:27Leave indefinitely if we don't pop up and follow the Dramal band.
20:32I just want people to leave happy knowing that they'll come back.
20:38I've seen local bands like Whitman, they weren't bad, it was an okay show, but it wasn't really
20:42for me.
20:43I want people to leave going, they're class, next time they play I'm going back.
20:48The only legacy I want is to see even if ten years from now one person turns around on
20:51Spotify and goes, okay that's an exciting route, I'll take that.
20:56That's all I want from gigs is one person.
20:58Someone to leave and go, they were great, I want to go back and see them again.
21:01That's it.
21:02The best feeling though, when playing in a metal band, standing looking out on a stage,
21:06is seeing a proper pit.
21:08That's great.
21:09It's all so surreal, because when you're 17, 18 playing in a band, you don't care what
21:16they think, you just do whatever, but I'm seeing people in the town who I've never met
21:20before, never seen, don't recognise them from gigs, wearing t-shirts of our band.
21:23That's cool.
21:25I've made semi-photos of them in nights out, of them standing outside, if I'm wearing this
21:28side in routine, I don't know who this dude is.
21:30That's such a good feeling, just having people listen to your music enough to go, you know
21:34what, I'm going to support these guys, because they can come to a gig and you can pay a fiver
21:38for doing that because you're going on a night out and you're going to pay to get in anyway
21:40with something on, that's fine.
21:42It's another thing altogether, for someone to come and go, I've got 15 quid, I've got
21:4630 quid, I'm going to buy a t-shirt or hoodie.
21:48That's a level of respect they're giving your band when they realise they don't have to.
21:52They can just come and watch the music and they can leave and go, that was okay, but
21:55knowing that they're willing to promote us and actually come back again, it's just...
21:59That makes a massive difference because it's not cheap getting that stuff.
22:02No, it's not.
22:03And the money goes back into getting more merch or doing more recording and it keeps
22:07the whole thing going.
22:08We're breaking even every time, we're not profiting from this at all, it's just solely
22:12for the love of the music and if we can write music that we love, that other people love
22:15too, perfectly.
22:16It's that thing as well, we're all still living through a cost of living crisis and money's
22:21tight everywhere.
22:22So they see somebody maybe break the bank and go, I'm giving up an extra couple of pints
22:26on their night out because I'm having so much fun, I don't need that other drink because
22:31I'm going to buy this band's top because they're awesome.
22:33That's a bad thing too, I think it was Freddie Mercury said as well, as long as he looks
22:38out and he sees one person enjoying himself, he's done his job.
22:41That's what it's all about.
22:42And that is what it's all about for me, if I see somebody really enjoying themself, the
22:47whole crowd could be sitting there, they could be empty, as long as you see one person
22:51up, headbanging, it's a great feeling.
22:55Ending off with a generic boring question, what's in the future?
23:01Gigs, gigs and more gigs.
23:03We're writing music at the minute, we're no timeline on a release but we're definitely
23:07working towards on it as well.
23:09We've had big discussions, we were going to be like, let's put another album out, or let's
23:14put an album out rather, but then the more we thought about it, we were like, maybe we
23:17could just do an EP.
23:19Realistically, it all depends on the process, since we released The Fear, we've got one
23:23song completely finished and we've got another that's probably about 75% of the way, we've
23:28thrown a few other ideas about, but it's like, it wasn't the main focus.
23:32Now we want writing to be the main focus, it's like, we'll see what happens.
23:36We could go six months from now and have ten tunes we're happy with, and if we do have
23:41six, we'll record them, we'll mash them, whatever, and release it as an album, but if six months
23:45from now we go, you know what boys, we've only got five songs, then we'll just release
23:49another EP and gig those five songs until everybody's bored to death with them and do
23:54it again.
23:55So basically after the summer gigging season being done, we'll get stuck in there recording
23:57all that work.
23:58So it just depends on what we get done and how we get it done, but I don't see any end
24:03in sight anyway.
24:04No.
24:05I don't see it being a summer fling, I think this is us seeing what we can do.
24:10We've got a few more shows to play, we've got obviously Saturday in Derry, we've got
24:13Sligo, that's the next one after that.
24:16Whiplash in Sligo, Whiplash Fest, aye.
24:18I'm too far gone.
24:24I don't belong.
24:29I'm just left by the road.
24:36Come see us on Saturday on the 720 if you're free.
24:38Good line-up of solid bands coming.
24:40This might not even be out by then, but if it is, come see us.
24:43And keep supporting local.
24:45Keep going.
24:46Not just bands.
24:48Everything.
24:49Local businesses.
24:50You name it.
24:51Just local, local, local.
24:52That's us.
24:53Class.
24:54Thank you.