For all Ireland’s undeniably rich musical heritage, there are a few genres that have – generally speaking – remained elusive, even through the genre-varied modern era. Reggae, arguably, is the antithesis of what the vast majority of the Irish music scene – currently riddled with synth-pop and indie rock – is all about.
The Barley Mob, however, have made it work: Caribbean sunshine music with obvious skill and emotion, performed with an accent that’s part Irish, part faux-Jamaican and topped off with a sentiment and lyrical direction that’s as ‘One Love’ as any of their counterparts.
With their self-titled debut album less than a month old, there’s already a chequered history to be unpicked. The first attempt at an album – ten tracks recorded and then discarded back in 2010 – was an indication of the professionalism and perfectionist live outlook that was soon to find the Kildare act lapping up live kudos, as keyboard player and vocalist Conor Byrne tells us: “Being in the studio was such a great experience for us but we had contrasting outcomes over 2 attempts to record the album. We initially set out in 2011 to get 10 tracks down but were unhappy with the overall outcome. On the second attempt we asked producer Stephen Shannon to come on board and we had a much clearer idea of what we wanted to achieve. We cleared our gig diary for 6 months to rehearse and record the entire album in the manner we thought it deserved. It was of utmost importance to get the album down in the studio after what seemed like a long time gigging most of the songs. We have built a strong and loyal following through our live shows and the missing link was knowing that those who attended could go home with something tangible from the gig.”
The gigs, up until now, are where The Barley Mob have made their name. There’s no doubt the reggae is an attention grabber, as the band themselves admit, but while genre’s a selling point, you get nowhere without quality. Byrne does see benefits in being a bit of an Irish outsider artist, though, and is quick to point to the less Caribbean influences, too: “We love being outside of the genre norms. It gives us a unique selling point, albeit not deliberately, and I think most people who wouldn’t normally gravitate towards reggae as a genre tend to really like what we do because of the styles we fuse. Musically, it’s very liberating to be coming from a different direction. Rehearsals and song writing is far more interesting when you know anything goes and people don’t expect us to conform to a strictly reggae genre. We haven’t had many difficult experiences to note but on occasion I’m sure people may have turned up to a gig expecting something quite different. But they still end up leaving with a wide smile.”
That cultural fusion, though, is always going to stand out: good or bad, you won’t be forgotten in a hurry. One obvious area is in the accent: Irish mixed with a twang that at times sounds like a Jamaican imitation (inevitable, perhaps, given the band’s style) is unique to say the least, and sometimes jarring. (Conor sees the positives: “There have been instances where the Irish twang has drawn so many people to the authenticity of what we do”). The themes also lend a lot of their concepts to the obvious Bob Marley reference in the name – “The message certainly leans a lot more toward a “one love” dynamic. Politics and policies are ever changing and we just try to connect with people on a more positive and constant message of hope and love.”
There’s nothing like a personal story when it comes to spreading hope, and in The Barley Mob’s signature tune, the slow-burn, simple yet infectious melody of ‘You Can Never Be Lost If You’ve Got Music’, singer Adam Daly deals with the most personal of issues: his brother’s death. “It means so much mainly because of the back story which was a conversation Adam had with his brother before he passed away from cancer at a young age. The message was to do what you love most in life and you will never be far from where you are supposed to be. This resonates with almost every person we have met since the band began and has almost become a mantra for how we should all endeavour to live.” As for the one love ethos, that’s given the ‘practise what you preach’ treatment with some committed charity work: “We’ve always had a strong connection with the “Musical Youth Foundation” which is a charity that seeks to provide kids in Ireland with a musical education and make instruments accessible to those who may not be privileged enough to be able to afford them. This came about through our connection with Chris Maher of the Dublin City Soul Festival and their “Rising Stars” competition which we won after only 3 months being together.”
Not ones to rest on some already impressive acheivements, though, The Barley Mob are already glancing at a more expansive future, one in which they hope to bring reggae just a little more into Ireland’s cultural mainstream. “In the short term we have an EP planned for next year as the demos keep mounting up and we would like to get back to the UK for some festivals and maybe even as far as the mainland Europe and the US if it’s possible. Beyond that we would love to spread our music as far and wide as possible and grow as songwriters and performers. [The support], so far has been overwhelming.”
Listen to their debut album here.
Picture 1: Dara Munnis
Picture 2: Abe Tarrush