Hudson Taylor Interview

Busking Everywhere They Go 

As I made my way up Grafton Street, or the Grafton Quarter

apparently? I was consistently stopping to the buskers that lined the

street. It was these streets that made Hudson Taylor who they are.

From the age of 12 and 14 the Hudson Taylor brothers were making

YouTube videos and starting to gather their audience. 15 years later

Harry and Alfie have sold out the Olympia as well as touring Europe

and America. To get to this point the brother’s dedicated themselves

to braving the streets of Ireland on top of road bollards projecting

their talent to everyone.

 The first time I seen Hudson Taylor about three years ago at the New Year’s Eve concert at the Customs House on the  quays.

I remember being taken back by their harmonies resembling a

contemporary Simon and Garfunkel. Since the First album they have

been releasing multiple singles and EP’s with a substantial amount of

songs. As I looked forward to the interview I was surprised to see how

much material they have produced, from the first YouTube video to

the latest single “What Do You Mean” I watched and listened to hours

worth of music.

I would also like to add that I am moving to Madrid on Saturday for 7

months and have been actively listening to Hudson Taylor and have

not started packing yet. I chose to start the interview with this nugget

of information. I was met with a very energetic high five from Alfie as

Harry was chilling out agreeing with the positive benefits of moving. I

noticed a charming contrast between Harry and Alfie, perhaps it had

something to do with the slight age difference that Harry was cool,

and mellow while Alfie portrayed a high energy of excitement and

buzz. The conversation flew with ease and was easily one of the most

fun interviews I have had.

 I couldn’t resist asking about their first ever busk 15 years

previous. Harry chuckled. 

 Harry: “ We started making YouTube videos around 2008 and it

wasn’t until two years later that we developed enough confidence to

go busk. The first time we ever went out we just brought a massive

keyboard, I knew more covers on the piano so we left the guitar at

home. It took the two of us to carry this thing. It was ridiculously big.

Then when we played, it was on the top of Grafton Street and it was

just embarrassing. It put us off for another six months.

Alfie: “It was shocking seeing your best mates and just going, “please

go away. The only thing was that we made sixty euro that day. We

made our pocket money so six months later when we asked for money

our mam said that we could easily make it on the streets singing. So

we did! We brought the guitar this time so that made the difference.

We started learning more songs and looked up to the other buskers

on the street.”

 Harry: We also met brothers Oisín and Tadhg who ended up being

in our band and still are. We owe a lot to it. Not least of all it really

makes you learn your craft and how you keep people’s attention.

Basically busking is trying your best to entertain people who are just

going about their day and not there to see you.”

Alfie: “It’s like a festival, nobody would be at a festival just to see us,

fair enough there’s our fans who would be front row which is amazing

but the majority of people there are going to see so many different

things and maybe we’re part of it. In that sense it’s quite like busking.

 There is amazing sense of Bravery with Hudson Taylor and even in

the early days they were buying inter rail tickets and travelling Europe

busking

Harry: “Back in 2015 we went on a European tour and we wanted to

sell it out. The gigs themselves were very close to selling out but we

knew it would take one final push. We went out a month before the

gigs and would busk on the streets. That managed to sell out the

tour.”

 Alfie: “ When it started as I said, it was all just covers so we then

slowly started to put in our original songs. It was really vulnerable, 

nobody knew our music so that was a scary moment. It also helpful

because the crowd would be quick to let you know which songs that

are well, crap. Our parents were big into music so they had brought

us up on Simon and Garfunkel and the Everly Brothers so close

harmony from the first song was just the craic like, we never thought

twice about it. Harry was always was on the third or fifth and we’d be

away. Our family were always giving us new music our older sister got

me into Oasis from an early age and an ACDC buzz for a while. Harry

was into piano from an early age and I was Irish Dancing, we have a

mad, mad musical family.”

 Being Irish has clearly been a prudent influence for Harry and Alfie I

was eager to find out if Irish Culture was important for their song

writing.

Harry: “Lyrically there are definitely colloquium, phrases even place

names that find their way through. Obviously there are a lot of

melodies that are in our music that would be very Irish. Not

consciously but you can’t help pick up a mandolin or whistle throw it

into a track and instantly there is a Celtic style making its way

through.”

Alfie: “Yeah, even with the two other brothers we play with. Oisín

plays whistle and keys, Tadgh plays fiddle, it adds a real trad element

to our live set. Even growing up though we would have always been

going to pubs watching trad sets, there is a story telling tradition in

this country that if we had have grown up somewhere else maybe it

would be completely different. We have a way of talking in Ireland it

flows very well.”

In a HotPress pre album review they discussed getting back to the

busking basics and keeping to their trade. Alfie explained that the last

album was made in loads of different spots with lots of people where

as this album was just one producer and then just Harry and Alfie.

 Harry: “This album was made with only one other person and

primarily in Nashville, we also got him to Ireland a few times but the

making of the album was a lot more refined. Whereas Singing for 

Strangers was recorded with a lot more people including bits I had

recorded at home and was done over a really long time. This album

was done in 2 months.

Alfie: “We went to record the second album in Seattle and ended up

being offered tours and gigs everywhere so everything that was

recorded was going out as singles and EP’s so staggered the album

release. By the time it was all out it didn’t feel like we had made an

album so we wanted to get to make an album.”

 The album “Loving Everywhere I Go” is being released on the 28th

of February and is heavily influenced by the early days busking of

Hudson Taylor. I had asked about their first ever busk and then

moved on to the last time they busked.

Alfie: “It was the most beautiful thing ever. It was the Christmas Eve

busk on the top of Grafton Street. There was something very special

about that. Considering our first busk was there and that year I seen

the Christmas Eve busk for the very first time. 11 or 12 years later we

were part of it.”

 Harry: “We also had the pleasure of being invited to it by Glen

Hansard which was very special. Being able to play our Christmas

song with him was very cool.”

As the album release draws closer I was interested to know if we

could expect another street performance from Hudson Taylor.

 Alfie: “Definitely man. I think because we’ll be doing so much

shouting about the album that we would bring it to Grafton Street

again to shout it out.”

A lot of people find their art busking and then move away from it once

they get bigger. Hudson Taylor have always been able to keep street

performing in their circle of making music.

Harry: “As long as we keep it in a close circle we can always jump

into it. We also get the great fans if we tweet about it beforehand that

have been with us since day one. The latest single we released “What

do you mean?” the video for it was a collection of all our videos we’ve 

made on YouTube. The comment section on that was amazing seeing

someone saying “I’ve just realised I grew up with Hudson Taylor” they

were around the same age as us."

It really is something special seeing a community in music grow up

together, these relationships are timeless and also vital to a bands

success. This can also be seen with the likes of U2 having the title of

being the longest running band ever they also have their fans who

grew up alongside them. As well as Hudson Taylor growing up with

their fans, they’ve grown up together as brothers which is notoriously

difficult in the music industry, Gallaghers in Oasis, the Fogarty

brothers in Creedance Clearwater Revival, Kings of Leon, even me and

my brother and we aren’t in a band. How have Hudson Taylor kept the

peace after all these years?

Alfie: “We’ve been able to avoid it I think. Hearing the horror stories

helps definitely. Like okay, the Gallagher brothers didn’t work out but

they also made a thing of it. They used it as press. But we then knew

what we had to avoid to keep going.”

Harry: “Speak for yourself.”

Myself and Alfie started laughing at how blunt Harry had delivered

that.

Alfie: “Imagine if your brother or sister was sitting here right now.

Trying to talk over you. But no it does make things easier for us. I

think at the end of the day when we wake up the next morning we’re

still brothers and that’s something that can never change. Harry?”

 Harry: “We have mediators so could you please tell him I don’t want

to talk to him.”

Again I started laughing at the irony.

Hudson Taylor have a packed schedule over the next few months on

the lead into the festival season. Next month going to Swords in the

Chalk Venue as well as playing a few album release gigs doing Q and

A’s. They are constantly writing and doing so many things it’s hard to

keep up with them! But it makes me incredibly happy to see such a 

beautiful band doing inspirational things. It clearly means a lot to

them to keep going, music is their life and the support that they got

from their audience has kept the fire burning. I am so excited to see

them on the festival circuit this year as well as busking across the

country. 2020 the year of Hudson Taylor.

By Darren McNulty

@darrenmcnultysmh

#creatorsie

#hudsontaylor

David Keenan gig review

David Keenan in

The Olympia

On the 13th of January 2020 just three days after releasing his debut album “A Beginners Guide to Bravery” David Keenan headlined his first show in The Olympia in Dublin. Keenan first appeared on the scene in 2015 being noted for his rendition of El Paso. My first experience with the poet was when he and his band opened for Snow Patrol in Malahide Castle in 2019. I remember being captivated by a performance that was not in anyway comparable to shows I had seen before. Keenan stood brave with an acoustic swinging from his neck that would provide as an outlet for him to beacon his poetic technique. I had seen him twice  after that performance, just last week I attended the intimate gig in Tower Records on the day the album was released. I felt like I could appreciate the acoustic session more so than the Malahide or Electric Picnic due to the fact that everyone who attended was not only there to see David specifically but also to support him. The excitement for The Olympia was prevalent.

David Keenan has an inexplicably tender way of drawing a beautiful crowd. Everywhere I turned there were collectives of adolescent smiling faces awaiting further travel that has come with A Beginners Guide to Bravery. Although I attended the gig alone, I felt part of a community that has been in the works for a long time. There is something about gigs I find a great comfort in being there alone sometimes. You often end up on the phone for days or even weeks out begging for one of your good friends to attend and often if they do, due to the fact there is a lack of desire to be there on there part there can be a sense of spoiling the moment. I know many people would have loved to have been there on that night and I would have loved nothing more than to have them there. But as Keenan would go on to say “The person beside you may not have been your friend on the way in, but they are now.”. Never a truer word spoken and to the man next to me who knew every word, I got home fine if you’re reading this.
Keenan started the gig with just himself and an acoustic guitar before introducing his band who came on to support the rest of the show. From both talking to and watching David perform there is an obvious love for Irish music riddled throughout his veins. It was during one of his own songs I noticed an above board, respectful nod to Irish legends, Horslips with a chorus from Bím Istig ag Ól. A very subtle gesture that proved his worth in my opinion. I was purely captivated to the point of no return. This island is dangerously good at producing beautiful artists. One man I deem the top music producers in the country, Gavin Glass was behind this new record and even played piano on a few songs such as Evidence of Living.

This gig went down as pure, pure ecstasy to the crowd who hung on David’s every word. The Dundalk man managed to bring a few fans from the Oriel down to the big smoke for a night, as sprinkled chants of “C’mon the town” echoed around the theatre, a modest chuckle came from Keenan. As the songs progressed through the night I enjoyed the new and old which were often accompanied with pure honest and brutal performance and a few songs that the chorus could lead to a revolution on pure strength alone. “Occupy the City, with Original Ideas” was being repeatedly chanted for the last song of the night, Subliminal Dublinia. The final straw which lead the entire sold out crowd to throw themselves at David under waves of confetti. The song drew to a close and Gavin Glass raised David’s hand proudly in the air, in my opinion a perfect ending to tribute the meaning of this momentous occasion and as David Keenan drew a tear, so did I.
By Darren McNulty
@darrenmcnultysmh
#creators.ie
📸 @carlmcgrathphotos

The Importance of a Chili Pepper

The Importance of a Chili Pepper

Yesterday seen the biggest news for any Chili Peppers fans out there. The original guitarist, John Frusciante has rejoined the LA group in the past 24 hours. The unfortunate news accompanying this message was that Josh Kilnghoffer has decided to leave the band after a decade of making albums and touring. The Chili’s put an official statement onto social media yesterday and I couldn’t help feel there was a sense of a replacement in the band. If you’re wondering who all these people are let me explain.

John Frusciante:

In 1988 John Frusciante attended a Chili’s gig and became friendly with Flea. In the same year the previous guitarist, Hillel Slovak passed away from an overdose and Flea auditioned Frusciante for the part. Frusciante stayed with the band for only four years. However, in these short four years, Blood Sugar Sex Magik was made and became one of the most influential albums of the decade. Frusciante is the without a doubt one of the greatest musicians the world has to offer. With every truly talented individual comes some kind of fault and the only thing going against Frusciante is his dislike for the bands popularity. This would eventually be the reason he left the band in 92. It would take him six years to rejoin the band. John had a terrible time with addiction but after over coming it he was welcomed back into the band in 98 and recorded Californication in 99. Bare in mind they had released Hot Milk in the interim and it was heavily criticised at the time. John would then go on to record By The Way, basically what I’m trying to say is that every time he touches the band he leaves them with nothing but gold. Is it obvious I’m excited for whatever is coming from them in 2020?

Josh Kilnghoffer:

Josh came into the band at the end of the Stadium Arcadium tour in the late 00’s. Once Frusciante had left the band Kilnghoffer stepped in on the last two Chili’s albums, I’m With You and The Getaway. Two amazing albums in my opinion. I also seen them when they played the 3 Arena in 2017. Josh was playing at the time and he was truly a very talented guitarist and a strong ability to play the same sound notorious to the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Another interesting anecdote regarding both Kilnghoffer and Frusciante is the fact they actually collaborated on an album together in 2004 called A Sphere in The Heart of Silence.

I am ecstatic to see that John is back with the band but can’t help feeling that Josh may have been pushed out so I will be awaiting another announcement or interview to see what happened. 

The Art Of Rockin Podcast

Not so Happy Mondays

Happy Mondays of a Thursday

As Christmas creeps closer I find myself in town at more and more gigs. Tonight I have managed to attend a Happy Mondays gig in Vicar Street. I know what you're thinking, who the hell are the Happy Mondays. The Happy Mondays are an English band who formed in 1980. I'm not going to lie to you guys, I didn't know they were still alive yet alone touring, yet here I am on behalf of you.

As I sat waiting for the band to hurry up, I found myself pondering britpop yet again. Do they count in Britpop? I suppose they do in a way. One of the first big Manchester bands, they can also be noted as the beginning of Madchester (it's exactly what you think it is, bucket hats, parkas etc) and perhaps we wouldn't have bands like the 1975 without them.

I did not appreciate the heart throbbing house music that raved it's way through the room for an hour and a half before the gig commenced. I couldn't imagine that the 100 middle ages crowd enjoyed it too much either however I sat and hoped that by engaging with the audience reliving their youth I might get to live some of mine. I awaited further encouragement.

When they eventually walked out I was hesitant on how much they resembled my father’s generation aka the ultimate dad band. But when it came to actually performing I was taken back by their ability to actually play music. If you do know who The Happy Mondays are fronted by Shaun Ryder while a man by the name Bez frolicks around the stage drawing attention towards himself. Is this to hide the fact that the front man was not able to act like the traditional front men. In other words, Bez dances on stage to distract the audience. Maybe it's because I am from a different generation but I couldn't get behind the gig.

Things began to get awkward however when Bez was “flirting” with Rowetta Idah the backing vocalist when she clearly had no interest. It left a poor aftertaste on the bands performance. I will be staying away from the Happy Mondays. 

Negative Creeps Interview

Negative Creeps

Interview

The Spirit Store is no stranger to the tribute band scene and the latest band to return to the scene is Nirvana tribute band “Negative Creeps”. On Saturday night I sat down with the mighty three piece to talk all things Nirvana and the music industry.

The conversation started by discussing the venue.

 “I think we’ve played this venue seven times? It’s a great venue size-wise for us, it’s one of our favourite places to play. Actually I was in the Button Factory last week to see Helmet. If it wasn’t for the Helmet we wouldn’t see bands like Korn. We started a band in the early 00’s and the core of it was basically these types of bands. We also had a love for bands like Alice In Chains it was great to see them in Belfast during the summer. Did you know Sean Kinney’s (Alice In Chains drummer) chair went on fire live on stage? He just kept playing.”

Tribute bands have a responsibility to carry on the sound and vibes of their predecessors. Negative Creeps do this by taking inspiration not only from the obvious Nirvana, but also the other bands that made the grunge scene in the 80/90’s. One of the things that made Nirvana a cut above the rest was their knowledge of the music world. There was a certain common thread between Negative Creeps and Nirvana in that sense, being able to admit the quality of the competition at the time is admirable.

“That reminds me of the time you broke my ribs Sean”  Things turned very Nirvana, “I was standing beside the pool table in a bar and Sean tackled me above the waist while someone got my legs, broke two ribs and insisted I play a gig the next day” Sean added “That reflects badly on you though because I’m small and you’re quite tall so” The image spiralled me into laughter.

 Del, Paddy and Sean are full time workers from Newry and only have time for gigging at the weekends, an impressive feat considering they play all over the country coming from Galway last week. It takes a lot of preparation to become the band and Negative Creeps have really worked hard to recreate the magic. They have also gotten very rock and roll in doing so, other than breaking ribs, there was also an incident regarding an acoustic to the head while watching a Nirvana gig.

Negative Creeps have been touring all across Ireland attracting an audience to keep on coming to live the authentic Nirvana experience.

         “We’ve been seeing the same faces come back to us at the same venues, places like the Empire keep bringing back the same people. See people here in Dundalk as well, they are mental, it feels like our home gig, they love getting up on stage with us” Sean also added, “Bouncers hate us cause we keep inviting people on stage. I remember this fella came up to me in The Button Factory after the entire crowd joined me on stage, a very large foreign bouncer told me off as he towered over me. It’s a Nirvana gig! You’re there to enjoy yourself and be violent, not to be quiet family friendly.”

 Today Nirvana are appreciated for being classic rock but that was hard for Negative Creeps to adjust to. “I met a guy in Tullamore, came up to me and said he loved classic rock, I laughed and then went, oh, I’m pushing forty so maybe Nirvana are classic rock these days, this lad was eighteen. When I was growing up classic rock was Led Zeppelin.” Negative Creeps were fortunate to grow up in an era with the greats such as, Nirvana, Red Hot Chili Peppers and many others, it can be hard to find an equivalent band to listen to after that. “Modern rock is terrible. There aren’t any rock bands really these days. Young people are going to discos and less and less to gigs because it’s cheaper, they’re also easier to run for a club.” A common thread in modern rock bands that the young generation are losing themselves in nightclubs rather than revolting in true rock music, myself and seven other rock and roll fans present may have disagreed, but I did understand their point.

         The audience at a Negative Creeps gig is a healthy mixture of young and old reminiscing in what was. The community pride themselves on being die hard fans which is what brings them together. From tattoos to tears Nirvana have brought people to all extents to show their love for the grunge band. Negative Creeps have had their fair share of love shown from their fans. “There was this guy in a wheelchair who hadn’t been to many gigs and we were his first gig. He was a massive Nirvana fan, he actually got a tattoo with Negative Creeps and the date we played. There was also a guy from Limerick who got onto stage and proposed to his wife.”

Negative Creeps have been playing for a decade now and are showing no signs of slowing down. Anyone who can attract a regular and devout audience, has to be doing something right. Is it the sound? Is it because they are sound? You better go find out.

The Wha Interview Electric Picnic

The Wha Interview

 Day three of Electric Picnic, walking from the Charlie Chaplin campsite like something from Apocalypse Now, feeling like someone who had just done 10 rounds with Conor McGregor. I was in desperate need of some serious music to get my spirits back in the swing of things. The Wha were not shy to wake up their eager audience from the get go with a heavy set of strong quality tunes. Even with a slight technical issue in the last song  The Wha lived up to be The Cosby Tents best set of the weekend. I was eager to congratulate the band and do a quick interview with them after their set.

          In the media tent I met Sam, Finn, Marek and Abe and sat down to talk everything Electric Picnic and The Wha. The Wha are a four piece band from Kilkenny in their teens finding quick fame due to their unique sound. I couldn’t find a lot in relation to their biography so in true Art Of Rockin style, I started from the start by asking where it all began. Sam helped me out,

“Myself and Finn met when we were 4 in primary school, we just started playing in bands here and there just doing a load of covers and we met Abe in secondary school. We actually just picked up Marek on the street.” Marek stepped up and said that they actually formed him out of a bottle of pure energy. I added that this was evident on stage. Finn then added that “We’ve been playing for three years playing gigs in Kilkenny mainly pubs and a few different places in Dublin.”

The crowd at their gig was quite diverse with a crowd of young people at the front but a healthy mix of an older generation that were invested in this refreshing sound. This made me ponder how their audience and fan base was collected.

          “There’s two groups to be honest. There’s the younger crowd, and then the older people who are keen to give us advice.” Finn also added “It took us a while definitely but the Kilkenny crowd did get behind us, that meant playing a lot of the same pubs and getting our friends to like the band.”

The Wha released Innocents on Wednesday before Electric Picnic and has gotten 1.2 thousand plays in one week. I then asked where they would love to hear their music being played. Marek was quick saying “In a hot boxed RV somewhere in the middle of nowhere.” Finn argued and said “In a gaff party with strobe lights, with Innocents on repeat for 8 hours.”

Sam began to talk about recording in Dublin and how well it’s going which naturally brought around the question of which the band preferred to do, recording or live gigs. Finn said he was in favour of doing live gigs, “I much prefer doing it live, it’s what it’s all about, the most important thing, if you record all your life and don’t do any gigs then what’s the point?” Sam disagreed and pointed out how fun recording can be. “With recording we done a song called 40 odd years, by the time we were finished with it there was a lot more on it, the songs change with the recording and they change for the better. I still get a lot of anxiety performing live about breaking strings and guitars cutting out.” Finn added “Yeah sorry about that by the way”.

          For a young band finding quick succession I was interested to see if they thought the music industry in Ireland was competitive and difficult to get into.  Sam mentioned he isn’t sure if they are at the point to say whether or not it is easy to get into. “We haven’t really met many contemporaries of ours, like, there is nobody else in Kilkenny, there’s one other band that are all 18 and starting to do gigs” Finn pointed out that it is a very exclusive scene. “It’s very exclusive with only one or two people on top, everybody else that’s in the scene are just the band that is not the biggest band. It’s nobody’s fault but still.”  Sam also mentioned that the Dublin grunge sound is very similar and seems to be the only sound on top at the moment. When you think of Dublin grunge you can find yourself thinking about bands like The  Murder Capital and Fontaines DC. These are very divisive bands with everyone having their own opinions of them, this lead me to  asking the Wha what they thought of their rivals. Finn was quick to respond.

“I think the Fontaines have good songs but I don’t think Murder Capital have anything, I’ve heard they’re good live but I don’t know.” Sam mentioned he thinks that that the Fontaines are good. “They have a really high energy and really good lyrics, it kind of stems from GirlBand.” I then asked Finn about Irish culture in music. “We’re Irish, there is Irish culture in our music but we don’t write about it too much other than a few colloquialisms.”

          As the interview came to a close I asked if there were any bands they recommended seeing over the weekend. Johnny Marr, TPM, Courtney Barnette, King Kong Company and The Claak. Finn discussed a few inspirations, “Johnny Marr is a real inspiration and The Strokes it’s amazing to see them here.”

The Wha are a band you cannot afford to miss, Hot Press named them the act not to miss for the weekend, if you don’t believe in all I say you can’t take away from Hot Press. Innocents is on Spotify and is curing my post festival blues and will no doubt cure your FOMO of the Picnic. I would like to thank the guys for taking the time to talk to me and wish  them best of luck with everything in the future.