GoldenPlec like talking to people. Whether it is the latest huge supergroup or the freshest emerging talent (or even your mate’s band who play down the local every weekend) there's few things we like more than a sit down and a chat with musicians.
2015 has been a really enjoyable year for interviews. We discussed greatest fears, nudity, life-saving ukuleles, and got more dodgy festival stories than we could legally publish. In case you missed any of this, we've complied some of the highlights below.
“You take the anger from the experiences and take the time to process it so when you put it back out, it’s full of love and openness.”
In issue two of our print magazine, Conor O’Brien opens up to Anna job about writing about homophobia on the Choice nominated Villagers album, ‘Darling Aritmatic’.
“They’d be like, ‘Are you from Cavan town? Oh yeah, I know your uncle. He’s a bollocks”
The Strypes let Ian Martin know what happens when they get recognised by Irish fans.
“I was chased by a mob, found shelter in a hotel, and was interrogated by soldiers of the rebel OPM army who were deciding whether to kidnap or kill me….”
Greg Jarvis of the Flowers of Hell tells Justin McDaid about the time a ukulele saved his life in West Papua (no, seriously).
“So many frickin band accounts are so obviously run by their label… it’s ridiculous. But then they’ll say that they write it, and you’re like ‘no they don’t, cos nobody talks like that!’”
SOAK complains about inauthentic social media accounts to Bernard O’Rourke.
“[David Bowie] was trying out different images at that time, you ended up with this kick-arse, almost metal album, but he’s sat on a chaise lounge with a dress on the cover.”
Woody Woodmansey, in conversation with Stephen Byrne, on why ‘The Man Who Sold the World’ was just a little bit too weird, even for Bowie fans.
“I don’t think you want your first acting job to be with Brendan Gleeson in the room.”
Lisa Hannigan tells Ben Allen about starring in Song of the Sea, in issue three of our magazine.
“We took the piss, sang, rapped, danced and I wore a full body green morphsuit”
Ben "Bix" McKenna of Meltybrains? recalls the group’s first ever show in the Twisted Pepper to Tara Joshi.
“There’s no way I’d pay that much for this asshole’s record!”
Isaac Brock of Modest Mouse tells James Hendicott about trying to track down early MM rarities that even he doesn’t own a copy of anymore.
“[Manic 2000] kept Westlife off the top for seven consecutive [weeks], which really pissed off Louis Walsh.”
Mark McCabe recalls his greatest achievement to Eva Short.
“Sometimes it’s casual clothes, sometimes I dress them for dinner.”
Duke Special tells Bernard O’Rourke how he likes to dress his songs in different clothes each time he plays.
“He's only been here less than a day and he's naked”.
Otherkin share a Knockanstockan memory with Ros Madigan.
“We woke up hungover and in a band…"
Sunset Sons explain their origins to Maria Buckley.
“I’m not an angry person. Moody bastard describes me better.”
The Prodigy’s Liam Howlett in conversation with James Hendicott.
“Spiders are aliens that disguise themselves as an acceptable part of society.”
Red Enemy open up to Aisling Finn about their deepest fears.
“He kind of wakes up with ideas… a lot of the weird noises come from his head.”
Glass Animals drummer Joe Seaward describes writing with bandmate Dave Bayley to Anna Job.
“These three children are running up the road like something’s chasing them, and then a baby pig runs across in front of the video… it wasn't exactly the television debut we were hoping for but fuck me, man, I nearly fell off the stage.”
King King Company tell Justin McDaid how they inadvertently went viral on YouTube when a pig got loose at one of their gigs.
“You fall into your natural roles as youngest, middle and oldest. I suppose that would make me the fucked up one”.
Camilla Staveley-Taylor of the Staves tells Ian Martin what it’s like to be in a band with your sisters.
“I love the charm of tapes' natural warm compression and limited EQ range… It's a much prettier form of ‘lo-fi’ than an MP3.”
Robert Prisco of Beach Moon/Peach Moon describes the enduring appeal of the cassette tape to Tara Joshi.
“And then there’s a moment when you have to teabag Adam in his sleep.”
Girl Band’s Dara Kiely tells Eva Short about the rigours of touring.
"Dancing naked entranced in river dance on top of my family's coffee table... My justification is I was about three years old."
Christian Collins tells Kenneth Fox about his earliest musical memories.
“Kanye is the most pioneering artist at the moment…”
Everything Everything’s Jeremy Pritchard talks Kanye with Fionnuala Nic Sheoin.
“Truly a deity of Irish averageness.”
Danny Carroll of Shrug Life tells Frank Hughes why they wrote a song about Kevin Kilbane.
“I was wearing a bunny costume and in the middle of the deepest fear of my existence.”
HamsandwicH’s Podge recounts an Electric Picnic memory to Gavin O’Leary in issue two of our magazine.
“Nobody wants to hear a rockstar complain about awards shows."
Pete Wentz of Fall Out Boy on the MTV VMAs, in conversation with Fionnuala Nic Sheoin.
“The pickups would pick up every taxi company in the Stillorgan area for a ten-mile radius.”
Gavin Glass talks guitars with Aaron Corr.
“I don’t really care what critics say… If it’s negative I will kind of read it and just laugh out loud to myself because I think sometimes people say really stupid shit.”
Bethany Cosentino of Best Coast tells Ben Allen when she thinks of reviews.
And finally Jape shares this invaluable piece of wisdom that no musician should ignore (from a recent chat with Stephen Byrne):
"If you're gonna be in this long-term, [you gotta accept] that you know nothing and try to learn something every day.”