The Goo 1
Interview Words: Adhamh Ó Caoimh POOR CREATURE In
the years I have been writing for the Goo, I have at every opportunity, at least once an issue, tried to mention “my favorite band”. Zealously spreading their gospel every chance I get, speaking in tongues trying to describe live shows and interrupting people mid-sentence to tell them the good news. I may or may not be knocking on doors. This incredible trio, made up of members of Lankum, The Jimmy Cake and Landless, are crafting something truly captivating and unique. Their new album, the magnificent ray of wintersun that is ‘All Smiles Tonight’, is about to be unveiled to the world and I am so, so excited for all of you who get to hear them for the first time. I caught up via Zoom with Ruth and Cormac (from a Le Centre Culturel Irlandais residency, in Paris) and John (at his residence in Dublin) to find out a little more about this beguiling joy of a record. And so, with the same ebullient glee as Daniel Craig introducing The Weeknd: Ladies and gentlemen, Poor Creature. How are you getting on? How’s France? Ruth Clinton: It’s great. Nearly have to come home now. Do we look Frencher, John? since the last time we spoke? John Dermody: You’ve got a windswept Gallic vibe now. Like you’ve just rolled down a hill in Brittany. 8 Congratulations on my favorite album of the year. I got to speak to Spud just a tiny bit about the recording, and I didn’t realize the gestation period was so long. Since the end of the pandemic? Ruth: It’s just slow, isn’t it? Then everyone’s busy schedules. It took a while. Yeah. Cormac Mac Diarmuida: Between the four of us, trying to get a crossover of a time can be tricky. And I imagine when John joined, there were some things to do over. John: We didn’t redo things. [I worked with what we had there]. Some of it was super straightforward, and then some of it wasn’t recorded