Post by Captain Crieff on Dec 6, 2013 15:59:29 GMT
Music-News Italy (MN) managed to catch up with the amiable Vinny May (V), drummer in that talented group from Dublin known as Kodaline before their Belfast show. The band, Steve Garrigan (vox,guitar,keyboards), Mark Prendergast (guitar,vox), Jason Boland (bass,vox) and the aforementioned Vinny, had just finished a prolonged sound check trying out new songs.
“It’s the only real chance we get to try out stuff whilst on tour and we sometimes get so involved that it can go on a while!” Kodaline earlier this year released their debut album ‘In a Perfect World’ to critical and public acclaim and have just started a European tour.
MN: Can you start or finish this sentence, ‘In a Perfect World’…….
V: Hahaha; ‘In a Perfect World, I’ll still be playing with the guys in 20 years time’! ‘Perfect world’ is a song that was on our first EP and even if it isn’t on the album, it has such resonance for us as a symbol of the band’s beginnings and hopefully ongoing life. We all really believe in ourselves and in a bright future for the band, maybe even making the world around us just a bit better.
MN: The songs have a lot of depth to the music, much sensitivity and plenty of soul; a startling maturity unusual for a debut where impulse and fervor usually take precedence.
V: The album is a long time coming. We grew up together in Dublin; Steve and Mark have known each other since 8 years of age and I’ve known them since 12; we have been playing together for ages, gigging and writing, so the album has all that weight and presence behind it.
MN: Is it easier to be friends first and band members second?
V: We can be perfectly honest with each other, with our music and keep each other and so the band in focus.
MN: The vocal hooks and melodies are spot on, able to turn a good song into a great one: I know you all sing, but do the vocal arrangements come easy or do you work hard on them?
V: We were all in choirs, being from Dublin, from an early age, so choral harmonies and such is familiar to us all. We treat the voice as another instrument so a lot of care and attention to blend it into the song is taken.
MN: the drumming is very subtle, almost a percussion style.
V: I started to play drums from 9 years of age, starting with jazz and blues, later on leaning towards rock. So I feel I’m adaptable to whatever the song in question needs and it’s always the song that dictates what and how I will play.
MN: What’s your stance on downloading, vinyl, Spotify?
V: I grew up buying records and cd’s, still do by the way, so it’s not natural for me to download. We had to record our album in various spells over last year as we were constantly on the road and so it wasn’t until xmas that we finished it; but it wasn’t released till June this year and so though we had it on our iPhones, it still didn’t feel like it was out there till we had cradled the vinyl album and cd. We had written out the lyrics ourselves and all the liner notes and sat there reading them aloud to each other. It was a huge buzz even though this ritual, which we would do with albums from our favourite bands of our youth, feels like a lost art nowadays. Downloads, illicit or not, and Spotify mean that the music is easily accessible. It may not be great for the artist but it can’t just come down to the money, so at the end of the day if someone new likes the band and comes to our gig to hear us play, well that’s great . Meanwhile you’ll find me in record shops and second hand vinyl stores.
MN: Italy and Ireland are in a similar dire situation economically, it being especially hard for their youth. What responsibility as artists do you have to address this situation at live shows.
V: For us, as we feel our music is full of hope and optimism, even though ,for example the job situation in Ireland is very difficult, we try and ask folks to leave their coat at the door at our gigs as if coming inside a home and try, through the music, to share an honest experience together.
MN: Just a couple of hours before tonight’s gig?
V: Yeah! We usually go out, band, road crew and girlfriends for something to eat, glass of wine or a beer just to relax and set ourselves up for the gig. As you usually get to the venue in the afternoon, then have to set up all the gear, do a good sound check; what remains is chill out time for me anyway.
MN: Vinny; just a few quick questions to finish with ok?
V: Sure thing.
MN: Phil Lynott or Bono?
V: Phil Lynott
MN: Guinness or Murphy’s?
V: Guinness
MN: Rugby or Football?
V: Rugby
MN: Festival gig or club gig?
V: Oh that’s a hard one! Today I’ll say club show.
MN: Best gig you’ve been to?
V: Daft Punk at Oxegen a few years back. Of late, Foo Fighters.
MN: Song of the moment Vinny?
V: ‘Call Me In The afternoon’ by Half Moon Run.
MN: Have a great show tonight Vinny; looking forward to the Milan gig come Saturday December 7.
V:So are we! Cheers.
“It’s the only real chance we get to try out stuff whilst on tour and we sometimes get so involved that it can go on a while!” Kodaline earlier this year released their debut album ‘In a Perfect World’ to critical and public acclaim and have just started a European tour.
MN: Can you start or finish this sentence, ‘In a Perfect World’…….
V: Hahaha; ‘In a Perfect World, I’ll still be playing with the guys in 20 years time’! ‘Perfect world’ is a song that was on our first EP and even if it isn’t on the album, it has such resonance for us as a symbol of the band’s beginnings and hopefully ongoing life. We all really believe in ourselves and in a bright future for the band, maybe even making the world around us just a bit better.
MN: The songs have a lot of depth to the music, much sensitivity and plenty of soul; a startling maturity unusual for a debut where impulse and fervor usually take precedence.
V: The album is a long time coming. We grew up together in Dublin; Steve and Mark have known each other since 8 years of age and I’ve known them since 12; we have been playing together for ages, gigging and writing, so the album has all that weight and presence behind it.
MN: Is it easier to be friends first and band members second?
V: We can be perfectly honest with each other, with our music and keep each other and so the band in focus.
MN: The vocal hooks and melodies are spot on, able to turn a good song into a great one: I know you all sing, but do the vocal arrangements come easy or do you work hard on them?
V: We were all in choirs, being from Dublin, from an early age, so choral harmonies and such is familiar to us all. We treat the voice as another instrument so a lot of care and attention to blend it into the song is taken.
MN: the drumming is very subtle, almost a percussion style.
V: I started to play drums from 9 years of age, starting with jazz and blues, later on leaning towards rock. So I feel I’m adaptable to whatever the song in question needs and it’s always the song that dictates what and how I will play.
MN: What’s your stance on downloading, vinyl, Spotify?
V: I grew up buying records and cd’s, still do by the way, so it’s not natural for me to download. We had to record our album in various spells over last year as we were constantly on the road and so it wasn’t until xmas that we finished it; but it wasn’t released till June this year and so though we had it on our iPhones, it still didn’t feel like it was out there till we had cradled the vinyl album and cd. We had written out the lyrics ourselves and all the liner notes and sat there reading them aloud to each other. It was a huge buzz even though this ritual, which we would do with albums from our favourite bands of our youth, feels like a lost art nowadays. Downloads, illicit or not, and Spotify mean that the music is easily accessible. It may not be great for the artist but it can’t just come down to the money, so at the end of the day if someone new likes the band and comes to our gig to hear us play, well that’s great . Meanwhile you’ll find me in record shops and second hand vinyl stores.
MN: Italy and Ireland are in a similar dire situation economically, it being especially hard for their youth. What responsibility as artists do you have to address this situation at live shows.
V: For us, as we feel our music is full of hope and optimism, even though ,for example the job situation in Ireland is very difficult, we try and ask folks to leave their coat at the door at our gigs as if coming inside a home and try, through the music, to share an honest experience together.
MN: Just a couple of hours before tonight’s gig?
V: Yeah! We usually go out, band, road crew and girlfriends for something to eat, glass of wine or a beer just to relax and set ourselves up for the gig. As you usually get to the venue in the afternoon, then have to set up all the gear, do a good sound check; what remains is chill out time for me anyway.
MN: Vinny; just a few quick questions to finish with ok?
V: Sure thing.
MN: Phil Lynott or Bono?
V: Phil Lynott
MN: Guinness or Murphy’s?
V: Guinness
MN: Rugby or Football?
V: Rugby
MN: Festival gig or club gig?
V: Oh that’s a hard one! Today I’ll say club show.
MN: Best gig you’ve been to?
V: Daft Punk at Oxegen a few years back. Of late, Foo Fighters.
MN: Song of the moment Vinny?
V: ‘Call Me In The afternoon’ by Half Moon Run.
MN: Have a great show tonight Vinny; looking forward to the Milan gig come Saturday December 7.
V:So are we! Cheers.
