We recently sat down with O.R.B (formerly The Original Rudeboys) in the plush environs of The Central Hotel’s Library Bar to discuss how they’re coping with the success, and their hopes for upcoming sophomore album, ‘All We Are’.
O.R.B rocketed onto the scene with their hit Stars In My Eyes, and have since carved out their own particular style of rap-inflected acoustic pop which has seen their fan-base expand. They straddle a space in between genres and their CV so far reflects this, having performed opening duties for acoustic, rock and rap heavyweights.
The three lads, Walshy, Neddy and Rob, are sitting around having a laugh, still in flying form following a morning full of interviews and rehearsals. Speaking with them, it is clear they are eager for the new album to drop, though that’s not all they have to be upbeat about – as they were wrapping up recording the new record, it’s lead single won the Meteor Song of the Year and their début album went platinum. Things seem to be only looking up for these three young Dubs, so, to begin, Goldenplec congratulates them on their recent Meteor win for Never Gonna Walk Away.
Congratulations on the Meteor win.
Walshy: It’s a nice notch on the belt because it was the fans voting for it. It wasn’t critics or a panel of judges saying this is the best song you could ever listen to, it was all down to the fans and the fact that two years on from where we started the fans are that much behind us to get us an award and push the album, it was kind of surreal.
Neddy: It was a nice indication for the album to come as well. It has to say something good about what’s to come if the first single off it gets song of the year.
The lead single (Never Gonna Walk Away) dropped early. Have you been sitting on the new album for a while?
W: Yeah, we finished recording it in January, but that was only one song, we properly finished recording prior to that.
N: The album was pretty much wrapped up and we went back to do Feel It In Your Soul.
Rob: We’ve been sitting on the album since about the end of November. Fix this a bit, fix that a little. Twiddling knobs.
Judging by the lead single, would it be right to say that ‘All We Are’ will feature bigger production?
N: Definitely got a bigger sound. Relating it to the first album. It’s still got the lyrics people picked up on us originally for, the hard-hitting reality songs, but with the sound there’s been a progression, a bigger sound, more instruments and overall a big progression for the band.
Not just guitar and ukulele anymore so?
R: Ukulele does make appearances, it does feature again. It’s taken a back seat but it’s definitely still there.
Were there any expectations to repeat the first album?
W: No, we have free reign over where we want it to go, obviously labels have a say in what singles are released but it’s still us going in and making the music we want.
N: We could have put out an album that replicated the first album and probably would achieve the same success but that’s not what we’re about. We want to constantly push forward. I think this album does that and hopefully still has the ingredients to be as successful as the first.
How does it feel on the eve of the second record’s release compared to the first time around?
N: We’ve been talking about this amongst ourselves, the nerves are there but it is smoother this time around. There was a lot of pressure with the first album, we had ten days to do ten tracks and those ten tracks, regardless, were going on the album because record labels aren’t going to invest an awful lot of money at the start. It’s just get it done and we’ll see what happens with it. So we did that in ten days and it was super stressful. But because of the success of that we’ve had a bit of time to sit around and let these songs come together and in that sense making this album has been more stress-free and hopefully that will come across on the songs
With such distinct roles within the band, how do the songs come together?
N: One of the lads might write a song and bring it to the table and we’ll all take it apart and make it what it is. Other times we might just suit around like this, few guitars, few beers, and we’ll just come out with gold – or at least what we perceive as gold! (laughs) Could be shite the next day when we’re sober! But it just comes quite naturally like that. The first album we all had our parts to play but on the new one we’re mixing it up a bit.
R: This time around there’s a lot more versatility, we’re stepping up to a lot of different instruments. The thing is if you’re playing a number of different instruments, you might write a song on guitar and then you sit down at a piano a few hours later, you’re going to write a completely different song. It’s different mind-set with different instruments, and that’s something we’ve taken from making this album.
W: We’ve been much more involved in the production this time around; instrumentation and arrangement, where things needed to go.
R: We had some pre-conceived ideas before going in about how the songs would sound and while there was an element of that on the first album, on this new one it is much more focused.
N: No songs on there are trying to touch on us as a band, they’re more like stories.
W: There are social aspects reflective of recent times, though. Last of a Nation is about immigration.
N: There’s a song called Stereotypes about when people ask where your from or see you on TV and then they automatically have a judgement about who you are.
No back-of-the-tour-bus songs so?
N: God no!
W: That’s for the book!
Given that so much of the music references social themes often particular to Ireland, do you worry that you might find yourselves confined to Ireland?
N: Definitely not. The internet shows us that people from all over are listening to our music all the time. They’re always asking us to come to the Netherlands.
W: There is interest out there, definitely. But you can’t just pack a van, you got to get promoted and make sure that fans can see you and then head out and buy your album the next day, so there’s a lot of waiting around for that to come into play. It’s just as much luck as just making it happen. But we’re not just sitting around. Any chance to get out there and make it happen, we’re jumping at it.
Are you hoping to tour further afield with ‘All We Are’?
W: We’re trying to go as far as possible. At the moment everything’s all TBC. Not confirmed yet, all under wraps with management. It should all be announced soon, closer to the album.
N: We’re playing some warm-up shows at the moment. It’s pretty cool to get back to some smaller venues. Instead of eighteen thousand people it might be just three-hundred and fifty. And you just go out and play your tunes. It’s more intimate.
R: It’s more of a jam session. We did our first launch in The Grand Social, so it’s nice to go back. It was a great night last time so should be good another time around.
N: The summer should be good. Your own headline shows are going to be the best, but the festival shows are always great.
R: It’s just good craic, that festival buzz, sun shining. It’s glorious.
N: Free beer too!
Catch O.R.B. for the album launch of ‘All We Are’ at The Grand Social on 3rd May.