Robyn G Shiels has appeared in one guise or another on the Belfast music scene for longer than he maybe cares to admit. Having shared the stage with many big names such as Cat Power, The Good Life, Richard Hawley, Joan As Police Woman, Devendra Banhart and Low & Will Oldham.
RG has himself become something of Belfast folklore; a songwriter’s songwriter, he has the Tom Waits blues with a smoother voice, brooding and bleak yet always with a melody that sometimes betrays yet always entices. He’ll elicit a melancholic nod from the drunk at the bar and applause from the front table. Robyn’s a bit of a dark horse on the stage but exemplifies a bit of craic in person.
Robyn has albums under his belt with cheery titles such as A Lifetime of Midnights, The Great Depression and The Blood of the Innocents which won the NI Music Award in 2014.
With a career spanning over two decades and having played sold out shows all over the country and much further afield Robyn hasn’t let it go to his head (mostly)..he has retained his Kilrea/Belfast sense of humour and seems a somewhat optimistic character for a man with lyrics so bleak.
► For our readers who haven’t heard your music until now, can you explain your sound in a sentence?
Real, cold, warm, true, justified.
► Obviously song-writing is one of the most important aspects of your music; where do you draw inspiration from when you write and do you have a specific process?
Usually when I’m out on the bike, or on a plane, train or automobile. Gazing out the window of life, that kinda thing.
► Would you ever publish a book of lyrics?
We’ve talked about doing something bordering on the pretence yes. I still think lyrics are a personal thing to be fair, ultimately it’s up to the listener to peak between the blinds, so to speak.
► How’d you get started off playing gigs? Did the song-writing come first?
Songwriting first then gigs. A long time ago to be fair, Ithink it was Shep (local promoter/decent fella) that gave me my first acoustic gig in The Duke of York, sometime around ’91. I remember that and then being asked to support The Palace Bros in Queens shortly after and thinking this shit was easy! We learned the hard way after that.
► Where’s your favourite venue to play?
Usually anywhere that keeps the quiet but overall we’ve been lucky enough/invited to play some of the best; Vicar St.Dublin (with Duke Special), Bowery Electric, NYC just for the insanity that followed and Matt Molloy’s Westport were all memory making good craic. Obviously the Sunflower Bar upstairs as we do wee acoustic nights in it and of course The Empire. Not just as we’re playing there for the single launch but also as I’ve had many’s a great night watching/hearing the likes of Gallon Drunk, Sigur Ros, Trail of the Dead, Antony & The Johnsons, Girls Against Boys and the likes rock out in there as well.
► Any experience with the Nashville song-writers crowd?
I have and did yes. It is a lot different to how I would go about writing a tune shall we say. Like having your best Sunday dinner excellently cooked but then you throw in the microwave. Substance will be lacking but it’ll still have the same appearance…just no taste.
► You’ve got a few albums on iTunes and BandCamp, what would be on The Essential RG Shiels album?
Ha, I made a 6 Songs of The Best of The Worst of RG a while back when I went on tour with Death Spells so it’d be:-
1. Underneath the Night of Stars
2. Hello Death…
3. The First to Know..
4. This Deathly Charm
5. Sad is Sometimes as Lonely
6. In a Month of Sundays..or maybe When we Were Bros. just to keep the balance in the number 7.
► Any supporting acts on the night? In a perfect world what local or not so local talent would you have?
Hatchet Field, Junk Drawer and Waldorf & Cannon will be tearing it up on the night,each of equal requirements to rock hard in their own special way of course. Dream line up being myself, Bob Lind then Bjork.
► What can you tell us about the eagerly anticipated new single?
It’s like the follow up to Hello Death but just a tad more depressing. Harmonies are nice mind. And the wine glass solo…
► What’s in store for the crowd going to the launch on the 9th? Trusty acoustic or will you have a bit of company?
The new EP is more of the acoustic variety so we’ll be actually getting up to date with where I’m at right now. In saying that this will be the first full band gig since “the award winning album” launch in the Black Box two years ago so will be good to unleash the musical beast(s) with basically me mates who can hold their own regardless of when we last played. I hope! Ben (McAuley) is back on guitar duties, Heaney’s on bass and banjo, Ellen on bowsaw, b.vocals and accordian, Charlie (McKeegan ) showboating on drums and we got Totty (Andrew) on keys as he’s a decent fella and gets the pints in, of course.
► Rather than taking requests have you got any for the Empire audience who might be reading this?
There was talk of maybe doing Ring of Fire as that’s one of me mother’s faves but we may settle for Dark Throne’s Shadow of the Horns just as easily.
► What does the future hold? Anything happening on the horizon?
Finishing of these 5 new songs to release come the new year…probably February, via local new label Solid Choice Records with a nice 10″ vinyl limited edition. I’ve been asked to tour Europe in March with a couple of American bands/outfits but can’t say anything yet as i’ll probably jinx myself…again.
► Ever consider getting back into the shop-keeping racket if this all goes to hell?
Sure if it all goes to hell it’ll be like a home from home 😉 No, my retail days are done, early morning starts and late evenings made Robyn a very dull boy after a while…was limiting what I first set out to do when i moved up here so all system’s go.
Robyn will be entertaining the masses in The Empire on November 9th at 8:30.
