What was the main inspiration behind this album, and how did it evolve throughout the writing and recording process?
Life, love, relationships, friendships, songs about writing songs, self improvement – I think they’re the main themes lyrically. The band worked on some of my rough demos in a studio in Dublin just before going to London to record and that’s really where the songs came to life. We wanted the songs to stand up on their own live without any bells and whistles. Recording in Eastcote Studios in London was amazing, with longtime producer/collaborator George Murphy, who is just amazing at what he does and knows how to get the best out of us.
Are there any particular themes or concepts that run throughout the album? How did you want listeners to connect with these themes?
The themes are mentioned above. A lot of the lyrics were written in Dingle, Co Kerry, a beautifully remote part of Ireland in the Southwest. It’s my safe creative space. I always find the more honest and personal I am with my lyrics, the more people actually relate and connect to them.
Can you share a bit about the creative process for this album? Were there any new techniques or approaches you experimented with?
I co-wrote a bit with our live guitar player Lar Kaye. He’s a whizz with soundscapes and ambiance and I kept asking him to send me unfinished loops and “scenes” just to get me started. That was a new technique that helped me get moving. Most of the songs were written as crap low fi demos on my laptop before I brought them to the band and they became Coronas songs then.
Which track on the album are you most excited for fans to hear, and why?
I love the closing track, Hearts For Eyes, it’s a very simple love song that has just vocal and piano for the first half of the song before turning into a jazz big band lounge waltz. When it came together in studio we thought it was cool so we’re proud of that one.
How does this album differ from your previous work, both in terms of sound and personal expression?
I think we’ve evolved sonically and thematically. Sonically we used more live organic instruments than the last couple of records. Instead of filling things out with a synthesiser we would use real strings or trumpets and saxophones, we wanted it all to feel live. I think musically we’ve evolved into more of a man band, we’re not trying to write three minute pop radio hits anymore, but songs that just interest us.
Were there any particular challenges or breakthroughs during the recording process that had a significant impact on the final product?
I think my vocal delivery was something I paid a little bit more attention to. I realised over the last couple of albums that I often get into the vocal booth and sing as loudly and passionately as possible, it’s all fifth gear. With this album we realised sometimes the best vocal take might be first thing in the morning, no warm up, lying on the ground, half out of tune, but it might fit the song better than trying to sing it perfectly.
How did your experiences or changes in your personal life influence the music or lyrics on this album?
I’m an honest writer so changes in my life always have a huge effect on the songs.
Did you collaborate with any other artists or producers on this album? If so, how did their input shape the final sound?
We had a couple of amazing guest collaborators on this album – Singer-songwriter Gabrielle Aplin sang lead with me on That’s Exactly What Love Is. She is so talented and lovely. I wrote the song as a conversation between two people and from the earliest demo, I had her in mind for the female part. Her delivery is perfect. We also had piano virtuoso Jamie Duffy play on Confirmation. Jamie’s neoclassical piano playing has gone viral over the past couple of years and I just slid into his DM’s on Instagram and asked him would he play on the song. He is so great and so easy to work with
What do you hope listeners take away from this album, both emotionally and intellectually?
I think that if they enjoy listening to it, half as much as we enjoyed making it, we’ll be doing ok
Are there any upcoming live performances or tours that will feature material from this album? How are you preparing for these shows?
Yes, loads! A stupid amount of promotion for the next two weeks for the release. Then a mini launch tour of Ireland, then the US then Australian dates, some big shows at Christmas back home, Europe in Feb/March, UK in May, back to US in the summer, a whirlwind! And yes hopefully lots of the new album will feature. How are we preparing? Rehearsing and trying to eat healthily and take our vitamins!
