Slow Motion Heroes go Not Pop!
The following was published in today’s edition of Downtown in the Cork Evening Echo.
Hands up – what is the opposite of pop? Head-shrinking doom metal? Nope. A recording of seven koalas munching biscuits and squabbling over Scrabble? Possibly. How about simply…Not Pop which just so happens to be the boldly blunt title of the latest Slow Motion Heroes EP, recorded over the Summer with Lawrence White and Noel Lynch, and is set to receive a good honest launching in Mr. Bradley’s (which has become quite a haven for cosy, Autumnal gigs) on October 8th.
The Cork band’s previous EP was fittingly named Pop. Vocalist Barry McAuliffe explains the idea behind the whole Pop/Not Pop idea :
“We had found in the band room that some songs were pop and others were not pop so we decided to bracket them and release them that way. It’s a good way for us to put out our music as it means we can constantly record our songs and keep putting (records) out. It’s a cost thing as well to be honest. If someone pays us to put out our music we will album it all the way!”
A major strength of the band is that it is packed full of vocalists. It must be difficult deciding who sings what?
“We all sing really so as to whose voice will be on the song will be the voice we think is best. We mess around but to be honest everybody’s voice is on each song at one point or another. The thing about being in a band is that it’s a band and you are not solo; It’s a democracy. Sometimes it can be funny with…”I think your voice suits more”….”Ah no way boy yours is better”. On this EP we even got Kirstie (Lawrence’s wife) to sing main vocal on the song “Soon”! We were always saying it would be nice to hear a girl’s voice doing backing but on hearing her in the studio she got a promotion to full-on vocals! It’s about the band not any one individual.”
The group certainly set the bar high with the standard of tracks, such as the deliriously infectious ‘Tick Tock’ and ‘Why Do We Have To Get Along’, on Pop so what can we expect from Not Pop :
“This EP is an awful lot darker, and raw. It was about giving the music space – less is more whereas ‘Pop’ was trying to put the bounce on it. ‘Not Pop’ has been about raw emotion. Lyrically it is about looking at your life and other people’s lives. There is no doubt about it that it is dark and some songs when I hear them back are maybe reminders of not the nicest times in our lives but there is somewhat of a relief when I hear them. It’s like looking down a long tunnel but far, far in the distance you can see a little shimmering light!”
– Slow Motion Heroes play Mr. Bradley’s of Barrack Street on Saturday, Oct. 8th
– To hear Pop, Not Pop (which will not be available until after the gig) and more visit http://slowmotionheroes.bandcamp.com
