Page 6 - Black Velvet Issue 84

BV84 pg4,5,6,7:BV84 pg06 20/03/2015 11:10 Page 3

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feeling than realizing… excuse my French… ‘we music for a living as renegades,” he says. “In In ‘I Am What I Am’ Cormac sings ‘I don’t care
fucked this up’. It’s a live or die situation and it general, I see really anybody who decides to what you think of me, I don’t care what you see’.
can come down to whether a member has a take a double take on the tried and tested path The singer says, “That song was actually in-
hangover, whether the producer’s in bad form, that your life is meant to take... people who don’t spired by a particular article that was written
whether we just somehow can’t find the right necessarily conform to ‘go to school, get a job’ about the band. Kinda cut us to pieces a little bit,
tempo for a song. There are a lot of pitfalls along or ‘go to school, go to college, get a job and y’know. And kind of undermined a lot of what we
the way that you have to avoid in the studio, so that’s you for the rest of your days’. I like talking work hard to achieve. That was kind of the feed
avoiding those pitfalls is the most consistent to people who have taken a few chances and for that song but then it grew into more of a gen-
challenge that you have during the course of a kind of follow their dreams a little bit.” eral statement of identity and being proud to do
record. There were four or five on there that Renegades that have inspired him include what we do. Because you know, again, in the
weren’t even entirely finished going into the stu- AC/DC. “I suppose a lot of big bands that we’ve business that we’re in, we’re constantly being
dio so we had to do a certain amount of writing played with in the past like AC/DC spring to judged. Our albums are being judged every
while on the spot in there. And that’s when you mind,” he says. “But then there’s a lot of friends night we get on stage, we’re being judged by
really do just have to trust your instincts and just I have around Belfast and Northern Ireland whoever comes down to the show and that’s fine
get a good vibe and go on it and those particular artists and musicians; people who have just kind but you do have to kind of take a step back and
songs came together really well. It’s particularly of trusted in their own talents and their own make sure you’re making music and we’re doing
rewarding hearing a song back this for ourselves, first and
that hadn’t even been com- foremost, and that we don’t get
pleted before… Getting the mix bogged down by the thou-
back and going, “Oh yeah, sands of opinions that get
Jesus, I nearly forgot about that thrown around.”
section because it’s so brand
new”. So yeah, the whole vibe side from all the regu-
and the atmosphere in the stu- Alar tours, headline and
dio was maintained.” support, and festival shows,
‘Aristocrat’ was one of the the band also played Rock
songs that the band had to fin- Against Racism last June.
ish in the studio. “We hadn’t re- Black Velvet asks if Cormac
ally got the chorus for has witnessed much racism.
‘Aristocrat’. All we really had “Not really, thankfully,” he
was a good feeling about it. So replies. “Obviously coming
myself and Will the producer from Northern Ireland you wit-
had to really spend an evening ness your fair share of bigotry
making sure we had a chorus and prejudice, that’s just unfor-
to really do the rest of the song tunately part of the fabric of our
justice. ‘Whiplash’ was another society over here. I mean, it is
one. ‘Strange Kinda’ Nothing’ thankfully a very small minority
was about 2 ½ minutes long who do still live in the dark
when we went to Spain and ages but it’s there for all to see.
then when we came home it On any given day, there’s flags
was 5 minutes long… which on the lampposts and curb
sometimes is a bad thing but in stones painted, but I’m defi-
this case it works!” Cormac nitely no stranger to that. And
laughs. “‘Raise A Little Hell’ we the reason we did the Rock
didn’t even record in Spain. We Against Racism gig was prob-
came home, decided we were ably in the absence of wide
going to call the record ‘Raise spread sectarianism… there
A Little Hell’ and then thought, were a couple of instances on
‘Well, if we’re going to call the the news of families getting
album ‘Raise A Little Hell’ we abuse on account of their na-
should probably do a bit of tionality or the colour of their
work on the song ‘Raise A Little skin and that’s just not on. This
Hell’ so we brought Will to Ire- country’s fucked up enough
land to do that one.” without adding to the list of
Cormac says you need a flaws, y’know. It’s a very small
little bit of madness thrown in to number of assholes who make
really bring out the passion and trouble for the masses but
to delivery quality rock ‘n’ roll Rock Against Racism was a
music. “We do very much try great event organized in the
and fight against the whole writ- greatest spirit of Northern Ire-
ing process getting too regimented and too dreams and gone for it. Some are doing well and land and it really showed off what’s great about
much like a dayjob… turn up to the studio 11 in some are doing ok but everybody in my mind Northern Ireland. It’s a fantastic country with fan-
the morning, write until 7 and then go home. has good, happy, full lives as they’re doing what tastic people who’ve gone through a lot of shit
There are days like that when you’re just feeling they were put on this planet to do.” and come out the other side and are very
it and you get in there and do it but you need to Despite being a band for 15 years, the guys strong-minded and strong-willed and forward-
shake things up, you have to crack out the beer do still have the odd day where they doubt them- thinking because of that. You don’t want that
and the wine at a certain time, you need to con- selves or wonder if they’re on the right path. Cor- sentiment to be devalued by the assholes.”
stantly keep your eyes and ears open when mac says, “You do doubt yourself from time to With Cormac singing about finding a future
you’re on tour for any crazy characters that you time and you do ask yourself these deep ques- in ‘Gone Too Long’, we end by asking what he
meet or any mad experiences and situations tions about why you do what you do and if it’s wants in his future. “I want lots of hit records and
that you find yourself in and you need to clock worth it. Especially again, five records in, we’ve lots of money!” he laughs. “No, I just want to be
all that down and use that as your muse when- spent a decent chunk of our lives doing this, y’- able to continue to make music for the rest of my
ever you get back in the studio and start writing know – so from time to time you do need to in- life. If I can do that and keep my wife and child
songs.” ject that vigour and that self-confidence that got provided for and give them a happy life then I’ll
you to this point in the first place. It’s down to regard that as a right old result.”
here’s a song on the album called ‘Long self-confidence issues I suppose and your self- We wish Cormac and his family, and the
TLive The Renegades’ – which was in- confidence ebbs and flows like everybody else’s band, the best. Visit www.theanswer.ie for more
spired by numerous characters that the band when you’re a touring musician I think.” info and buy ‘Raise A Little Hell’, out now.
have run into on tour. Cormac sees musicians As musicians they have to put up with being
as renegades. “I see people who choose to play criticized by magazines and fans – or non-fans. Words By Shari Black Velvet
THE ANSWER