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 Final Thirteen who just released their debut single ‘Why You Sacrifice Me Now’.
What was the inspiration behind your artist name?
J.D. – It’s an in-band joke. Haha. We had too many guitarists come and go, and they were all egotistical maniacs. That was before I stepped up from bass and we decided to remain a trio. There may not have been twelve, but we say, “Fuck the first twelve – Final Thirteen!
You’ve just released a new single. How did it come about and what does it mean to you?
Ax – To be honest, this song came about when I was still working on a lot of PTSD & trauma in my life. It is a song full of push and pull, where I had to push but it was so hard to do, yet I had to do it. In essence, it’s about the heartbreak of retaliation, and it means strength & power. I hope people feel that when they listen to it.
Have you any more releases or studio time lined up for later in the year?
We have a backlog of songs that are due to be recorded in the studio very soon so keep the eyes and ears open for all our new releases and albums.
Tell us about your song writing process.
J.D. – Most of our songs just come together organically in the rehearsal space. It could be Doobes has a drum fill, or I have a riff, or Ax has a melody or lyrics, or maybe we have a theme or a feeling we want to explore. Unlike other past projects, we just seem to have gelled perfectly as a trio, bouncing off each other. We have all formed together perfectly, and yet to have a creative dispute. I think that comes from a positive mindset we all share.
Who were your favourite artists/bands growing up? Have your influences changed over time?
Doobes – I grew up in a house of old skool rock and George Michael but to say the least the main influences on me were Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, Dio, Pink Floyd, Ozzy Osbourne, roger Waters, the doors so as you can see quite a mix of the old rock in my life and i still listen to them quite frequently even now that I’m older. but when i hit the ripe old age of 16 my taste changed slightly to the heavy side of life with Avenged sevenfold being the main band that brought me to the drum scene.
When I first herd the drums of Jimmy “The Rev” O Sullivan I just though WOW these drums are amazing I hadn’t really herd much like it and I was hooked on A7X thus starting my career in the music industry as a drummer trying to play like my idol. Apart from A7X I do enjoy Bring Me The Horizon, Asking Alexandra, Slipknot, Slayer and a vast majority of the heavier side of metal as I’m a sucker for a good fast strong drum beat and tight heavy riffs.
What’s been your favourite local release from the last twelve months?
Ax – It would have to be “Better Off Alone” by Lapse. I’m a huge fan of BumNote AKA Peter Keogh. He is an amazing musician, so anything he touches is gold. I love his bass work for The Pottingers also.
If you weren’t a musician, what line of work would we find you in?
Doobes – I would more than likely be in the current job I’m in which is running a print department for a clothing company were we create prints for clothing and other promotional items such as mugs, pens etc
If you could collaborate with one artist or band from NI, who would it be and why?
Ax – Well this has been a group agreement… it would have to be BICEP. That would be mega. Like Megalodon Mega!
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?
J.D. – I feel the Arts Council could do a lot more, especially for rock musicians. Making public funds more accessible, and making knowledge of public funds & how to access them more visible. We also need to invest in our music venues, creating more outside Belfast City in the other regions of NI more prominent, to encourage touring here as well.
What does success look like for you?
Doobes – Walking out on stage to a field of thousands screaming our name and knowing that they are here solely to hear the music we have created.
You’re going out on tour and can have anything you want on your rider, what would we find on yours?
Ax – Water & Monster. Then we’re all good. Haha. Maybe skittles for Doobes, he loves sweets!
Where and when can we next catch you live?
J.D. – It’ll be rare to catch us over the next while but we’re playing the Union Bar in Belfast on 17 November. We are currently working in the studio, so we’ve purposefully slowed down on the gigging. Our manager is currently working on our UK tour, so big plans coming soon.
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.
