Moscow Metro The story of how Moscow Metro came about is one of those as old as time. Each of Sean Corcoran, Barry Nulty, Dylan Casey and Alan Holmes spent time involved bands with various in their youth. Then, after meeting up two and a half years ago, things just clicked. GoldenPlec caught up with them recently in a busy café in Dublin to talk about their forthcoming debut EP ‘Spirit Of A City’; to be released on 11th of April. The new EP has been on the way since day one. Straying away from the traditional arch of a new band, they never really tackled covers like the majority of groups in their infancy do. Having started writing their own material almost instantly; this is a bad determined to succeed. “’Spirit Of A City’ was pretty much our first attempt at song writing as a group,” they told us. “We were lucky because it just seemed to work for us which was a huge advantage.” The name Moscow Metro instantly begs the question of its origin. With a smile on their face the band tell us about the storage unit they used to practice in. “It was basically a box. We didn’t have any carpets or anything so the sound was horrible. We used to think we were shit,” we are told. “Then when we would play somewhere else we realised that we actually sounded well together. We had some lyrics that referenced the Moscow Metro Station and when we were playing in the storage box there was that much sound resonating that it would sound like a train station. It fit well.” The hope of all four members has been to get their music out to people. The collaborative input from everyone involved leaves them with seeds of thousands of ideas during the writing process. These ideas are largely influenced by what the band members are “listening to or reading at the time”. “If we all feel it works then it works. If it doesn’t we just move on,” they tell us. Their hunger to record was fed by a friend of the band from Nenagh, County Tipperary, who recorded some tracks with them. Adding in some time in the renowned Grouse Lodge and further time in Nenagh the band are left with the body of an EP that they have sculpted into something that deserves to be heard. Having recently recorded a video for the title track from the EP the band are understandably excited. All new bands are faced with comparisons to other artists during their infancy. Some they agree with. Others they find just just borne of laziness. “Of all the bands we’ve been compared to there are very few we agree with. Like recently we were compared to Coldplay. We like Coldplay but where did they get that comparison from? It doesn’t make sense,” they said. “As a band we don’t try to box ourselves in a set of comparisons or genres. When ‘Spirit Of A City’ happened, we weren’t trying to sound like anyone. It just kind of happened naturally.” The lyrics penned by the band are somewhat biographical of the troubles they have seen during their time in Limerick. The opening line of the track Spirit In The City is “No one talks in this city”. The band tell us about the meaning of this. “It is about the gangs in Limerick getting the young people to do their dirty work for them around the city. More and more young people are getting involved now and that will keep that vicious circle going round in the City.” Lyrics as heavy as this might seem difficult to work with on a daily basis, but the band don’t see it this way. “It’s not heavy to us because we’re used to it, but from the outside looking in the lyrics can seem daunting. Uplifting and haunting is a way we have been described previously which probably fits us well.” Sharing the bill at their first international festival with acts like The National, St Vincent and Hozier is a huge occasion for Moscow Metro, so it’s little wonder that the band is eagerly awaiting the start of Maifeld Derby festival in Germany. Once there, the band have an extensive tour lined up which will involve a lot of driving for them. All except for keyboard player Alan Holmes. “Alan doesn’t drive; the lucky bastard. So basically he can get pissed every night and enjoy himself,” they told us. “Festival season is kicking off so we are hoping for a few more dates. We are willing to travel anywhere. Especially Alan.” This is sure to be a huge year for Moscow Metro. With the hope to get signed to a label, the band are planning on working on a new EP. “The plan is to get another one out quick. We have enough material for an album but we want to do another EP and keep playing. We have found our groove recently so we want to keep it going.” With their debut EP set for release on 11th of April the hype around this band is set to build, and deservedly so. You can catch Moscow Metro on the 10th of April at The Academy 2.