The Goo 1
JUNE-JULY 2022 Brían: When we had chosen the song
s and tunes we wanted to record and the world those songs lived in was a bit clearer, that was when we asked Kate Ellis, Caimin Gilmore and Ryan Hargadon to join us. We knew they were the right people to help us create the oceanic soundscape that the songs belonged to. Kate and Caimin’s fluttering, textural strings and Ryan’s subtle touch on electronics, piano and sax don’t ever get in the way or become overbearing. They’re very sensitive musicians. Apart from their wizard-like musical abilities, we’ve played and worked enough with all of them, including Spud and Cormac Begley, for us to have a well-developed musical language and understanding between us all. As a result, at every stage in the making of this album we just had absolute trust in everyone’s ideas and input. We feel so lucky and privileged to have such a great bunch of people on this record. The All Boats Rise tour was a brilliantly novel concept and one that kept people entertained over lockdown. Can you tell our readers how it came about and how the whole experience impacted on you as musicians and as people? Brían: That was a pipe dream we’d had as a follow on from the tour of the islands we did a few years ago. I had a pint with a friend after a gig in Cork in late 2019 and he brought up the question and the idea, which we chatted about at length, and then when lockdown struck in 2020 we started thinking about it more seriously and went for Arts Council funding for the project. It was the best thing we’ve ever done, easily. Moving along the waterways feels like slipping through the cracks of modern society. We went under the motorway a few times. Moving that slowly, and being so physically involved in moving around is transformative to your whole way of thinking and being too. The boat moves at 4mph. One thing we took away from it was that the tour was absolutely not about destinations, but was only about the journey and the feeling of making our way around. The whole experience felt DIY in a very adventurous way. We had to do absolutely everything ourselves and we loved that. We like being able to curate the environment we play in if possible. We’d love to do it again, but we’ve got other ideas to pursue first. We wouldn’t want to repeat ourselves too quickly, and it would be hard to live up to that magic month we had last year anyway. You’re back touring on terra firma now. How are the U.K dates going? Diarmuid: It’s been a mix of excitement and fatigue. The thing we really loved about the barge tour was how immersive it was and how much control we had. Throughout that tour we felt embodied the whole time. Regular touring is not what nature intended for the human body. The motorways, long days in a seated position, petrol station food. The best things are always the grounding experiences in between. Getting to see an old friend or visit some family. Today we have a day off in Brighton and we’re spending it on the beach with a buddy who lives here. Funnily enough the merch table has been a really valuable part of this tour, not for the monetary transactions (although that’s much appreciated too) but because it’s been really important for us to meet people. The shows have been really nice but feels like both we and the audience are out of the practice of being in this relationship toward each other. That awkward giddiness can be hilarious but can also take more energy to navigate. Nine Waves River Lea label (Rough Trade Records offshoot) out now! MOVING ALONG THE WATERWAYS FEELS LIKE SLIPPING THROUGH THE CRACKS OF MODERN SOCIETY PAGE 31