In this honest conversation with Gareth, we discussed revisiting the songs, the recording experience, and what’s next….<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hi Gareth, how are you?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Doing fine and dandy!\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Your new album,\u00a0‘Live From The House Of I Don\u2019t Know’, is out now, featuring reimagined versions of tracks from ‘Welcome To The House Of I Don\u2019t Know’. What inspired you to revisit these songs and create new renditions?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n When we were making the studio album we spent our evenings together in the Strangford house\u2026 using it as more of a base of operations to chat through album production and how we were going to tackle things in the studio the next day. Most evenings I\u2019d have a guitar in my lap as we sang through ideas and I think the notion of coming back to that house for something was on the cards pretty quickly.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Initially we\u2019d planned to film some live sessions of the album tracks and it kind of spiralled into its own release.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n What was the experience like returning to these tracks, and how did you approach them differently this time around?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n It turned out to be an incredible experience but to be honest I was pretty nervous going into it\u2026 I wasn\u2019t really certain if it would work. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The limitations of recording live in an untreated living room meant we had to approach everything differently. Because of mic bleed – everything had to be played at a pretty low volume which in turn had a massive effect on the arrangements. Everything became an experiment in \u2018less is more\u2019.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Each song was recorded in a single take, live with your band in a house overlooking Strangford Lough in County Down – a space described as having a worn-in charm. How do you feel that secluded environment shaped the album\u2019s overall atmosphere?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s a slower tempo of living in general down there by the coast\u2026very few distractions\u2026 just the sound of the waves.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n The sound of the living room itself kind of dictated how we approached each take. Anything too bombastic or loud and the room almost fought back against us\u2026 I think that, mixed with the remoteness of the house, definitely rubbed off on us all and influenced the project.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n While the goal of the record is to feel raw and stripped-back, did it take time to land on the perfect take for each song?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Most of the time was spent problem solving and just trying out ideas before we went for take. Once we felt like we\u2019d cracked the right approach we generally took 4-5 takes of each song and picked the best one.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n By breaking each track down to its essentials, the emotion and personal lyrics feel even more exposed. Do you think this highlights the album\u2019s core themes of self-reflection, love, and loss?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I think it does\u2026 or at least I hope it does\u2026 Stripping everything right back doesn\u2019t give the lyrics anywhere to hide. The songs feel closer to how to they were written.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n You\u2019re currently on tour with Duke Special across the UK – have there been any standout moments or favourite memories from the road so far?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s been an incredible tour! Duke has some of the nicest fans in the world! Every gig has been so lovely\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Memorable for the wrong reasons would be breaking down on the M6 and getting towed 60 miles in the opposite direction\u2026 we made the gig just in time!<\/p>\n\n\n\n You\u2019re becoming a prominent voice in the Northern Irish music scene, recently earning a nomination for\u00a0Album of the Year\u00a0at the 2024 Northern Irish Music Awards. Which Northern Irish artists are you currently listening to and loving?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019m loving an awesome band called Vera at the minute! Great songs, production and sound! Another local band I\u2019m really loving is Polar Bolero – I got to play a show with them a while back and they blew me away!\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n What main emotion or feeling do you hope listeners take away from\u00a0‘Live From The House Of I Don\u2019t Know’?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n For anyone who\u2019s heard the studio record – I hope they hear this live album and discover the songs again in a new light. That\u2019s how I felt when we were recording it\u2026 I heard things I hadn\u2019t heard before and took some new meanings in the lyrics.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n And finally, looking ahead, what\u2019s next for you after this release?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019ve got some festivals dates coming up throughout the summer and I\u2019m getting ready to hit the road with Crash Test Dummies for a few shows in May! Aside from that I\u2019ve earmarked a couple of weeks in the studio to try out some new songs before we start prepping for the UK tour in November.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n