Q & A

» Is there anything specific that made you take an interest in your field? my mother has always listened to a lot of american rhythm and blues and soul music. she has records by the likes of big maybelle, junior kimbrough, bo diddley, muddy waters, and so i have a lot of early memories tied into hearing that music around the house. my mother also plays the piano, so that was another musical element i grew up around. music through her was my first source of comfort, relief, entertainment, and joy. i think what specifically pushed me into being a musician, though, was seeing musicians playing live in skerries, where i grew up, and in dublin, which was never too far away. it just struck me, what it means to actually be a musician, like it wasn’t just a recording, it was a performance, and if it were any good, it was because the people performing loved what they were doing. so that always stuck with me. » Do you prefer being in the studio or performing live? Why? performing live, because as much as i like to figure out the music for myself, the studio recording process can be really frustrating. not that performing live is never frustrating, but when you make a mistake live, you deal with it and you move on. when you make a mistake in the studio, you have to go over it again, and then again, and still again, so you get it just right and more than once so you can figure out which one actually works best. and the interaction you get with the people giving you feedback is very different. the feeling of a crowd is generally more casual, less analytical, it’s the feelings and the experience. » What is your favorite thing about what you do? Least favorite? seeing new places and meeting new people is my favourite. i love being on the stage, so what’s better than being able to be on stage consistently over several months? being able to see a different city each night to do it, and seeing a completely different crowd every night. it’s such a blessing. getting the feeling like you never have enough time would have to be my least favourite part of all this. i can never explore each city as much as i’d really like, and my interactions with most people is pretty brief. it’s like experiencing things too quickly. » Who would be involved in your dream collaboration? might as well go with someone alive, so i think it would be simply incredible to work on something with eva luton/the theory of. i’ve been a big fan of hers since lungs, and i always thought that even just being on stage near her would be an honour. » How does your family take to your public persona? ehm, my mother’s happy to hear me swearing a lot less. otherwise, i think they’re mostly just amused. it’s not like my public persona is radically different from how i am on a regular basis, but i think it’s just so odd for them that i’m in the public eye at all now that they can’t help but have a giggle over it. » What is your greatest weakness? my stubbornness. i don’t let go of grudges easily. when i get set on a plan, i don’t like anyone interfering or trying to change it. if i’m on the outs with someone, i’m a lot less flexible with them. so it can make for some nasty conflicts, even with people closest to me. » What is the weirdest thing you find attractive in a person? ehm, probably chin dimples? a cute chin dimple goes a long way, and i think they’re so under-appreciated for men and women alike. » What one thing would you be most disappointed if you never got to experience it? seeing as much of the world as possible and actually taking the time to experience different places. now that i tour, i travel more than i ever previously did - i had never been outside of ireland and the uk until more recently. but i usually don’t spend too much time in the cities i go to. i’d like to be able to take the time to travel and actually spend more than a day in one place, walk around for more than a few hours (when i’m lucky), take my time. plus, my touring isn’t taking me to places like brazil, india, kenya, thailand, and maybe one day it will or maybe it won’t. either way, i want to see more of the world outside of ireland and the uk, and i want to see it in more than brief visits, so i would be most disappointed if i never really got to do that.