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like snowdrops. They just come, and you have to c
apture them really quick,’ and this melody just came and the words just happened: When the world was young, and I wrote these words. “I love the idea of innocence and not knowing, when you’re 15 and 16, and just jumping and going and going and not knowing what the fuck you’re doing, and we didn’t. And you go, ‘Wow! Fifty years later, and we’re sort of still doing that.’ So, I wanted to write about that, and I went, ‘This is not just about me reflecting on when the world was young for a young Gavin Friday, Guggi, or Bono, but that’s what 15/16-year-olds have to do, today.’” There was a notable sabbatical between Ecce Homo and Gavin’s previous record, Catholic, which was released in 2011. Explaining the gap, Gavin says, “Obviously, I was doing other work. Numerous stuff, soundtrack stuff, work with Gavin Bryars in the Shakespeare Company. A big, personal project I did was this tribute to Roger Casement, a sound design piece, in 2016, to honour him in the centenary of the uprising. And I’ve been working with other musicians and writing other stuff. So, I tend to file things on the shelves.” Produced by Soft Cell’s Dave Ball, the making of Ecce Homo was marred by a lot of deadlocks, including personnel availability, late rewrites, new material, and a global pandemic, eventually expanding its production timeline to nearly half a decade. But it was worth it, as, upon release, the album was lauded by both the musical press and mainstream outlets nationwide and abroad. When we asked the famed iconoclast if he cared about this approval, Gavin responded, “Well, of course you care. I mean, what I find difficult is it looks like journalism has been hijacked. I got a review and I was like, ‘It’s five lines!’ And I go, ‘OK, it’s a positive review.’ “I’m really relieved it’s out and relieved that it’s distributed properly, but most people listen on their phones, so God knows. But I am excited it’s out, and I want to play live, which I’ll be doing next year, but I just don’t know. To me, it looks like journalism is dead. It’s almost like you write a press release and you’re repeating it for the next two fuckin’ months! You go, ‘Jesus! Can we have different interviews, coming from different aspects?’ But everybody’s on an algorithm.” Gavin has a roadmap for his future plans but he admits that will be subject to change based on interest. He concludes,“It’s not going to be thirteen years before I make a new album, Aaron, because I’ll be fuckin’ 78! [Laughs] I won’t be able to walk! So, I have a plan where I want to bring out one in a year or two, and I want to tour more, but I’m very singular. I don’t go by the straightand-narrow of the way other artists do it. But that’s because if something more interests me than making another album or whatever. But I’m not doing butter ads just yet! So, let’s wait and see!” Gavin Friday’s latest album, Ecce Homo, is out now. Gavin will perform at the Spirit Store, Dundalk on April 8th and Vicar Street, Dublin on April 10th. You can purchase his music and tickets at gavinfriday.com. “It’s almost like you write a press release and you’re repeating it for the next two fuckin’ months! ” 18