Royseven Interview 25/01/11

                                                            

Royseven recently played in NUIG as part of the SU Sessions.

The guys arrived from Dublin where they were doing interviews ahead of their new album release for “You Say We Say”. Unfortunately two members were delayed in traffic but the others in the band adapted very well to being a four piece and played a really enjoyable gig. The album looks set to be a winner.

After their set, I got a few minutes with Paul Walsh to talk about the band.

Katy: First off, how did you all get involved in Royseven?

Paul Walsh: We were in a band called Jove together and the bass player left. We took on another bass player plus a guitar player, and decided it was time to change the name, change the sound a little bit and that’s how Royseven came to be. How the name came to be is another bloody story!

Katy: Where did the name come from?

Paul: Well we wanted to call the band Roy after the first song we wrote together, but there were four other bands called Roy around the world, so for copyright reasons we couldn’t go there. Then we thought, well there’re six of us in the band, we could call it Roysix but that doesn’t work, doesn’t sound phonetically nice, in any way pleasant. I heard an interview with David Bowie, and he said “a song is never complete until somebody outside the writing process has heard it”, so we thought there’re six in the band plus the listener.  So that’s Royseven.  We think it’s a sweet little idea.

Katy: You’ve had great success, including meteor awards. Does that make it easier for the band?

Paul:  No. Not really. People expect more and then you have hiccups like today and people go “Oh my God, they won what? They shouldn’t have won anything!” So, no, it doesn’t make it any easier, no. I mean it’s probably easier from a PR perspective because it’s something to talk about but that was three or four years ago now, so we don’t really use it you know? We wouldn’t use it.

Katy: After your debut album, “The Art of Insincerity” you went on tour for quite a bit.

Paul: We didn’t intentionally take a break, we changed record companies, and we were waiting for a particular producer. So all in all, with signing the new deal, which took a year to negotiate, and waiting for this producer, which took a year, we starting recording in November ‘09 and finished in July 2010. So time just flies! The main thing is for us we’re happy with the product we have, we’re really happy with the album. The response so far has been really good, and positive from people.

Katy: As your first album was received so well, was it nerve-wracking to go back to the drawing board and start all over again?

Paul: No, because I think we’d learned so many lessons from the first record, so many things we could have done a lot better and we toured Europe with the first record, which is quite difficult because a lot of songs on the first album were quite mid tempo, and with this record we wanted to have songs that we could play live, that would get people moving, and more involved, and maybe more accessible to sing along, maybe not so heavy and introspective. So we kind of geared the album towards that. We were looking forward to a chance to prove ourselves that we could do something slightly different without completely reinventing the wheel you know?

Katy: The first released single from this is “Killer”. What was the inspiration for it?

Paul: Quite honestly, my manager joked with me one day and said. “Why can’t you write a song like the Killers?” and I thought, “Well we’re not the fucking Killers” and then actually, the word ‘killer’ seemed appealing and I liked that, and we’d be touring so I was watching Criminal Minds back to back a LOT. So I thought well I never usually do any narrative lyric, so I thought I’d just write a story about a guy. Yeah, it’s really weird, the way it came about, but it worked out and we like it so.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUvlRWskhVM

Katy: Great. Now a few questions so people can get to know you better!

          Favorite You Tube video right now?

Paul: I was looking at one today from American guys coming back from a bachelor party, and one of the guys is asleep in the passenger seat? So the others in the seven-seater car decide to all scream frantically like they’re about to crash, to wake this guy up. So they have the camera on him, and all you can hear is the guys going “AHHHHH!!”.  So the passenger guy wakes up and automatically starts screaming as well because he’s taken up by this emotion you know? So that’s what I looked at today, that was really funny so I put that on my Facebook page.

Katy: Cat or Dog?

Paul:  You see, traditionally, I’m a cat person but we have a dog at home the last few years and I really love the dog, so the dog’s kind of taken over now. You seem pleased about that. You don’t like cats at all no? Cats don’t give a shit. Cats are smart. I like the independence of a cat, I like that they’re sort of like “fuck you, I’m gonna do this on my own and if you want to throw me out, that’s fine, I’ll be fine!” whereas as a dog would be like, ‘Oh my God! Don’t throw me out!”

Katy: Maltesers of Minstrels?

Paul: Maltesers. It’s the lighter way to enjoy chocolate. I love Maltesers. They’re lovely!

Katy: A line of a song that means something to you.

Paul: “Before you slip into unconsciousness I’d like to have another kiss, another flashing chance at bliss, another kiss, another kiss”. “Crystal Ship” by The Doors. The first line, it’s a beautiful line.

Katy: Finally, what’s up next for Royseven?

Paul: Rehearse! No, what’s up for Royseven next is, we’re off to Germany on Thursday because… But I can’t tell you why we’re off to Germany but there’s a press conference on Friday morning for something that’s happening for the band now, we’re really happy about it*. So then we’re over to Germany again, we’re doing the Ruby Sessions in Dublin next Tuesday, another acoustic thing. I promise it’ll be better than this. Then we’re back to Germany the weekend of the 11^th and 12^th of February to do two shows in Hanover. The album release then and gigs associated with that, so TV shows and all that kind of stuff. Then back to Germany Austria, Switzerland and try to make a go of it. Now if that all goes pear shaped, back to college!

*It was announced on Friday that Royseven are the newcomer for Rock at this year’s VW Sound Foundation. They were chosen over 150 applicants.

For more information on the band check out: http://www.royseven.de/cms/index.php?site=news-2

Royseven’s new album “You Say we Say” is out soon. Buy it!

Windings Interview 13/01/11

I recently had the opportunity to interview Steve Ryan from Irish band Windings.

Great guys, great music, well worth checking out!

Here’s the interview…

Katy: How did you all get involved in Windings?

Steve: When I was way younger I was in a band with Liam (Marley), who is in Windings now. He was the singer and played guitar, and I just played guitar, and there were a couple of other friends from secondary school and we would have been sixteen or seventeen. We were playing really heavy music and then we grew up, and split up, or whatever.

Then I was in another band called Giveamanakick and I was playing really loud music with them and really quiet music with something I just called Windings, cause I liked the sound of the word. Giveamanakick kind of got really busy then so I kept going with that, kept working with that, but I kept doing small Windings gigs.

Then about five years ago, Liam starting playing with me, which was kind of cool, just the two of us. Then about two years ago, Aaron Mulhall, the drummer, joined and then Patrick (O Brien) and Mike (Gavin) made their way in as well. So I think we’re settled on five people now for a while!

Katy: What was the first record you ever bought?

Steve: I think it was Billy Joel “An Innocent Man”. I was always hoping someone would ask me that actually, because I was always thinking and practicing, “What was it?” I thought it was Michael Jackson “Thriller” because that would have been way cooler but it wasn’t cause I definitely got that after Billy Joel “An Innocent Man”. My mom bought it for me. It was on a tape. I still have it. 

Katy: So your parents were into music?

Steve: Yea. On my Mom’s side, all my uncles, they are all traditional players. Anytime there would be a family gathering, all the guitars, and banjos and everything would be pulled out. My Dad was into rock music, and still is I’m sure. I remember growing up, on Saturday mornings he’d have his records on…loudly.

Katy: The video for Windings song “Old Like J” is animated and very different. What made you do a video like that?

Steve: It was actually friends of ours, Shane Real and Greg Burrowes who offered to make the video for the song. We gave them carte blanche really and said do whatever you want and trusted them because this is what they do, make videos. They got in touch with a friend of theirs from Waterford and he did the animation. Basically we had to go to a white room for a day and stand and do all these kind of poses, while they took loads and loads of still photos of us. They put them into the video then, and made us move and did all this animation, crazy. The amount of work that went into it is insane. Really delighted with the way it turned out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZWCbyTY4LA

Katy: Another song from the album “It’s Never Night” is entitled “Brain Fluid”. What was the inspiration behind it?

Steve: Maybe three years ago when the song was written, I got a new twelve string guitar which I really liked the sound of, and I wanted to use that for a start, so that had to be in it. Then, lyrically, I had a day off from something and I decided I’d go into town really early and walk around and it was really lovely and sunny out. I met this guy I used to know a long time ago and I hadn’t seen him for ages. He had been very sick and I didn’t know basically, and it was shocking to hear. I don’t know, it was just such a lovely sunny day, and I hadn’t seen him for a while and he was really sick. He was getting better, but it was just weird the way these things kind of balance out and it just inspired it, I don’t know how, I have no idea how. But I know that it has something to do with the song.

Katy: Any advice for aspiring musicians?

Steve: Play loads of gigs. I think that is sometimes forgotten by bands especially because it is so easy now to record. We started off and it was quite expensive, and not easy at all to record your own music, but now you can do it on your laptop and have it up by the end of the day on the Internet for everybody in the world to hear. While that’s great, and it really is great, you have got to be playing gigs, you want people around to hear you, and see you, as well as just knowing your music from the Internet. So play gigs.

Katy: Next a few questions so people can get to know you a bit better! First, what is your favorite youtube video right now?

Steve: It’s an oldie but it’s a goodie. It’s called kick the burger. Have you ever seen that? It’s amazing. Check it out.

Katy: The next one, cat or dog?

Steve: Oh, dog, jeez.

Katy: Maltesers or Minstrels?

Steve: Minstrels. There’s a really weird taste off Maltesers when you bite them at first, it’s kind of like biting cotton wool. I don’t like that.

Katy: Okay. Give me a line of a song that means something to you.

Steve: …I’m trying to remember it, hold on… I can’t think. It’s a Smiths song. I can’t remember what it’s from. I’m trying to remember what it sounds like…(humming)… A line of a song that means something, there are so many! Is that the last question?

Katy: Second last.

Steve: Okay, move on to the last one, and I’ll come back to that then.

Katy: What’s up next for the Windings?

Steve: We are doing this current tour (The Certain Three Tour), which is great, with the other two bands that we really like (The Ambiance Affair & We Cut Corners). Then we’re going to Canada for Canadian Music Week in March and then when we get back, we intend to have another release ready to put out before the summer. Hopefully we’ll do festivals over the summer and have another release before Christmas. We are going to be busy this year! Have to go back to the line question now don’t I? Ask the question again, maybe that will jog my mind…

Katy: Give me a line of a song that means something to you.

Steve: I’ll go with The Smiths, can’t remember the name of the song but it’s… I’m going to misquote it so I can’t say it! No, I’ll leave the smiths one alone. I don’t know… it’s ridiculous.

He eventually thought of a line from a song: “Don’t look now, the future’s coming”. 

Steve: It’s by a band called Tweak Bird from a song called “The Future”. It’s a pretty loaded lyric. It’s humorous, but depending on your mood it could also fill you with dread.

For more information on Windings, check out: http://www.windingswindings.com/

Their new album “It’s Never Night” is out now. Buy it! 

After reading this book, the effect was so deep that I had to take a few days before I began reading anything else.

Set during World War II, it tells the story of nine-year-old Liesel Meminger, beginning when she arrives in Molching, Germany to live with a foster family.

In an unusual twist, the story is narrated by Death but instead of being a chilling and upsetting read, it is beautifully heartbreaking but in a way, uplifting, making the reader strike a bond with Leisel as you learn her story.

You might even start to like Death.

 - A fantastic book.

Sometimes when I am reading a crime thriller, I find myself getting lost in the technicalities. That was not the case with this book.

From the beginning I was hooked. Larsson effectively mixes political crime with murder, family, love and business. The result? A gripping tale that brings three separate people together, creating a link between them that will last forever.

The first of the Millennium trilogy, I could not put it down. It is definitely my favorite crime thriller to date.

I recently watched Cameron Crowe’s ‘Almost Famous’. A story based on a depiction of his younger self, who gets the chance of a lifetime, writing an article for Rolling Stone magazine on his favorite band, Stillwater. The fourteen-year-old boy, William, gets to travel with the band, becoming friends with groupie, Penny Lane and Russell, the guitarist of the band.

Not a very dark movie, it still has elements of drugs, sex and rock and roll, but also friendship, honor and love. It is the perfect movie for those who wish to revisit the years of Bowie, Dylan, The Who and more, and also for those yet to be introduced to the magic of vinyl. 

You will rediscover your love of music. 

Not to insult any ‘chick – lit’ writers, but it is true to say that romance novels for women can be pretty repetitive. Girl meets boy. Girl gets with boy. Boy does something to upset girl and they break up. Girl eventually forgives boy, as it was all a misunderstanding. Girl and boy get back together, marry and live happily ever after… Then something like One Day comes along.

The book tells the story of two people, Emma and Dex, describing their one-day together every year, for twenty years. Not to spoil it, that is all I’ll tell you. Except that this clever book is way ahead of the game, filled with wit, comedy, friendship, romance, betrayal, and heartbreak, and not necessarily in that order!

A must read for anyone looking for a romance novel that really delivers.

9/10