When Chordblossom came into existence, it was always our aim to shine a spotlight on the artists and bands that make up the music scene in Northern Ireland. We’ve been doing it for over ten years now and one of our favourite methods is our Introducing feature.
Put the kettle on, curl up on your sofa and and join us for a quickfire Q&A with some of our favourite new musicians. Who knows, maybe you’ll even discover your new favourite artists.
This iteration of Introducing features the musical talents of Jock who just released their latest single ‘Spoilsport’.
You’ve just released a new single. How did it come about and what does it mean to you?
Out and about in Belfast, Orla kept bumping into boys from her past that she knew to be quite toxic and problematic – particularly of the “rugby boy” variety. It got her thinking about the culture of silence surrounding SA, and how in certain circles if you start any discussion about this topic you are completely shut down and made to feel like a “spoilsport”.
It feels cathartic to write a song like Spoilsport which holds a lot of frustration and anger in the lyrics and it felt right putting a carnal scream in there too! Spoilsport is probably the first proper Jock song that existed. Before Darren joined the band, he filmed a live session for Jock in an old bank building in East Belfast. Going full circle, we then recorded the single version by ourselves in that same bank building.
Have you any more releases or studio time lined up for later in the year?
We have one more song that we will be releasing this year and are currently planning on going into the studio to record our first EP and playing a bunch of live shows across Ireland and the UK.
Tell us about your song writing process.
It’s changed quite a bit lately! I think originally it was a case of Orla writing the songs and then coming to Darren and Mark to flesh them out. Recently it’s become more or a jigsaw like, collaborative process. We all come up with our own ideas separately and then throw them together and hope for something quick and loud. We seem to use the E chord a lot.
Who were your favourite artists/bands growing up? Have your influences changed over time?
Mark: I grew up listening to bands like The Smashing Pumpkins and Nine Inch Nails, along with post-hardcore bands like Thrice. Although all of those bands are still mainstays for me, my tastes and influences have definitely widened over time, at the moment I’m drawing a lot of inspiration from acts like Metz, Pile and Glen Campbell. I love Glen Campbell.
Darren: I was definitely a wee pop-punk/emo boy. I loved Paramore, Death Cab for Cutie, Julien Baker and that sort of thing. I think my taste is a bit more varied now – I’ve been enjoying Fred Again, Wet Leg + boy genius a lot recently. Some things stay the same!
Orla: Major musical influences for me were the bands my older brother listened to: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Gossip, Oasis, Wilco,Portishead, R.E.M, PJ Harvey. Basically music we would listen to whilst playing Sega Mega Drive and Nintendo 64! Now, my major influences are those that translate to live really well. Big ones for me right now are Amyl and the Sniffers, Frank & Beans, Clt Drp, Bully, Pigs x 7, Dream Wife, The Chats. I also draw on the iconic feminist 90s riot grrl bands such as Bikini Kill, Red Aunts, the Breeders!
The 2022 NI Music Prize has just concluded, what’s been your favourite album and single released this year?
Darren: Robocobra Quartet – Living Isn’t easy (that was this year, right?)
Orla: For me it has to be Chalk, with their EP “Conditions”. They are insane live and I haven’t seen a band make a crowd move like that in a long time! I come out SWEATING everytime I see them.
Mark: I agree! “Conditions” by Chalk and for favourite single I’d have to say Letter of Resignation by Problem Patterns.
If you weren’t a musician, what line of work would we find you in?
Darren: We all have jobs outside of music(ish) – I’m a film maker specialising in making music videos and filming live sessions for people which is hugely rewarding! (and difficult).
Orla: I work in community work – right now I am working in an older people’s program. It gets fairly competitive when playing bowls with the oldies; I love it!
Mark: If I wasn’t playing music I would probably be a drum tech. I have always been a bit of a nerd with drums so it would be weird to do a job that doesn’t involve them in some way!
If you could collaborate with one artist or band from NI, who would it be and why?
Orla: There are loads so just gonna list: Fraulein, Problem Patterns, Cherym, TRAMP, ASIWYFA, Lipgloss, Chalk, Frank & Beans.
Mark: If I could bring the band back into existence, my dream collab would definitely be LaFaro!
Darren: I’m gunna say George Houston because I saw him at a Sofar gig recently and he was incredibly captivating to watch. He incorporates humour into his performance while still having these great and meaningful songs. It truly is chefs kiss.
It is intensely difficult to be successful in the music industry. What does NI need to do to invest in/develop to boost your chances?
Darren: It depends on what your definition of success is. Currently we’re creating songs which we love and playing them to people who seem to enjoy them, so I already think that we’re successful!!
If you’re talking about financial sustainability, then incorporating something like basic income for artists would be amazing. I think we need to invest more in encouraging women and non-binary people to take up roles in the music industry too. If you want to find a sound engineer who is not a man here it is genuinely difficult to find someone and that shouldn’t be the case!
What does success look like for you?
Darren: For me it’s a feeling of fulfilment either financially or emotionally. Or if you’re lucky, both! Orla: Success for me is writing songs that have a message and get people moving.
You’re going out on tour and can have anything you want on your rider, what would we find on yours?
UNO cards. Mark has a tattoo of an UNO card on his arm like a good UNO soldier.
Where and when can we next catch you live?
For anyone in Dublin, we’re playing in Whelans on 25th August and then Rich Mix in London on 16th September for Loud Women fest!
If you enjoyed this feature and fancy discovering some more new artists, we suggest you jump on over to our archive of Introducing pieces.
If you are a band or musician based in Northern Ireland interested in taking part in our Introducing feature, we recommend submitting new music to us via our Contact page and if we enjoy it, you’ll no doubt hear from us.