The Goo 1
GARRY BAYLON Interview Daniel Fitzpatrick’s music
al project, Badhands, released their new album The Wheel earlier this month but before I chatted to him about that and his stellar collabs with the likes of Paddy Hanna, Clara Treacy et.al there is another string to his bow that I was, until recently, unaware of. We caught up on a sunny day in the back of a darkened Dublin hostelry to discuss. I WAS MUCH MORE RELAXED MAKING THIS ALBUM Badhands - The Wheel is out now. You have won what is basically the nature equivalent of the Oscars for your soundtrack to the BBC documentary 'Wild Cuba'. Would you like to tell me a little about that and how it all came about? I suppose it started with a classic bit of nepotism. My brother Jamie works in that industry as an editor/director and was working on a wildlife series. I hadn't done anything like that before and wildlife was something I could never imagine doing, but he was directing a four part series on the seasons in Ireland and asked me if i would like to compose some tracks for it. I was delighted to get the chance and the production company liked what I did and kept asking me back to do more and more, which I did. I was then asked to compose for 'Wild Cuba' which is a two part BBC documentary about Cuban wildlife. My score for the doc won an award at the prestigious Jackson Wild Film Festival in the U.S., as well as winning Best Score at the 2021 Green Screen Wildlife Festival in Germany so I was pretty chuffed. I've done a few since, it makes a nice change from the whole band thing. How do you find the process of composing soundtracks as opposed to making music as Badhands and do you have any influential composers who inspire you? It's a very different process, first of all it's much more uncollaborative in terms of making the music. Composing was always in the back of my mind, something that I would have loved to do, but never really had any idea how I would get into it, so it was a real stroke of luck that Jamie gave me a way in. I really like certain soundtracks, the really obvious composer being Ennio Morricone and I also love 'The Conversation' by David Shire. Unlike your previous albums, 'The Wheel' is a piano led record. Was that a conscious decision? It was definitely dictated by the songs, which were mostly written on the piano. As soon as we started rehearsing I was on the piano and then it kinda happened naturally from there. Guitar or piano, I will lead the rehearsal sessions on that instrument. I think this has a much more live feel than the previous albums and the songs are much more influenced by the band. I wanted to record quickly, I was tired of the previous albums' recording process' and wanted it less labour intensive, less of me obsessing over every detail, trying to control too much. I was much more relaxed making this album. Is there a process that you follow, a proven formula for writing and crafting songs? Not really, it's pretty haphazard. I actually wish I did have more of a process, because I find that I have real bursts and I'm thinking this is great, constantly coming up with ideas, songs and then I have periods where i'm so busy with other things that i'm barely sitting down playing and there's just nothing going on there. The soundtrack stuff is different though, I tend to work to a deadline, specific outlines of what I need to do, it's more regimented and I like that. Who are you currently listening to? Aldous Harding and Cate Le Bon are great, and then there's Radiohead. It's a band I always liked but I really got deep into them during Covid. I really like Johnny Greenwood's soundtracks as well, he did some great ones like 'There Will Be Blood' and 'Phantom Thread'. I love Gilla Band, Daniel Fox is recording some great acts too and doing a fab job. Im a big fan of Paddy Hanna, always was and yes, I’m biased because I work with him but he’s brilliant. PAGE 25 B a d h a n d s