Dave O’Grady and Murieann McDermott Long run us through each track on their new EP ‘Yesterdays Wine’. Read our review of the EP here
Yesterday’s Wine
Yesterday’s Wine’ is an electrifying track that cuts through to the listener. A trippy and rockin’ adventure with a nostalgic yet modern sound. Big guitars and even bigger voices create a MASSIVE sound washed in lush harmonies.
This was, I think the most “together” song that we arrived with. We’d been gigging it for awhile before we went into the studio so the song was really in our bones. In the room so we just stood facing each other as if it was a gig and we captured a great version of the song (we think). I (Dave) go through fertile writing spells where I can bang out a tonne of new songs and then go months without being able to pull anything new out of myself. I think it was maybe the first month of lock down that I had Heavy & Low and Yesterday’s Wine come to me in the same day. As if the muse wrote these two songs for us and sent them complete to me to note down and share.
Freak Party
Freak Party is an empowering battle-cry for self-love, acceptance and joy. It’s a playful reminder that we can get caught up in life’s tribulations and lose what’s important; living life for you, being yourself to the fullest and being proud of it. As people, we are complex, and there’s light and shade in everybody but you’ve got to let your light shine and not let anyone dim it on you! Go get on that soul train, find what you want and take it …but don’t take too long..! The recording process itself was tonnes of fun, Sean, Dave and I layered percussion and clap tracks and danced around a mic like pagans at Beataine. This tune was absolute craic to record
Heavy & Low
Heavy & Low a is a riff-tastic Tom Petty inspired journey through self discovery. Through the song we recognise somethings we want to change about ourselves and the way we look things. A huge gospel singalong chorus wrapped in a big guitar sound lathered in tight harmonies.
It was the first song that we tracked on day one in the studio. While Sean was setting up some mics in the room we sat around and sang the songs we want to record for him to get them in his ears. H&L was the first one we belted out and he loved it, its really sang in that room that we were in and set us up for a great few days recording.
Down At The Races
This tune is probably the most dramatic on the record; its sparseness is a stark contrast to the three other tracks, not to mention Melvin’s superb (Pedalsteel) playing really takes you somewhere else. I really love how Sean engineered it too, washy and cavernous. We started by playing it on the guitar and added the Rhodes, but we eventually took the guitar back out and let the keys shine. When writing it, I wasn’t concerned about over engineering the parts, it took shape from an outpouring of emotion and that was where my fingers landed…so I just let it be and as usual Dave came along and made the changes needed ha!
Find out more via the duo’s Website or Facebook
Read our interview with the duo here
