Irish indie rock band Strand have released their new single, Upside Inside. We asked singer Dara Clancy and bassist Shane Aherne the BIG questions . . .
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Formed in 2018 as Soundstrand, Strand are a five-piece indie-pop outfit from Finglas, North Dublin featuring Dara Clancy on vocals, Shane Aherne on bass, David Solola and JP Roche on guitar and Jude Finn on drums.
The band have played Dublin venues such as The Workmans Club, The Grand Social, Fibber Magees and Whelan's.
Upside Inside is their third single and the second in promotion of their upcoming debut EP, An Ode To Doing Nothing At All.
Tell us three things about yourself . . .
Dara: I’m grade six on the piano, I started to play when I was seven. I studied Music in Maynooth University but dropped it to study History instead. (I was failing). My favourite pub is Fagan’s in Drumcondra.
How would you describe your music?
Dara: Post-punk revivalism with a pop twist. I try to incorporate as much of the theory behind what makes pop music so appealing as I can get away with in a guitar band.
Who are your musical inspirations?
Dara: I look a lot to the post-punk revival of the 2000s but try listen to a lot of new music to keep it fresh. When writing our new EP I was listening to a lot of The Strokes, Been Stellar and Hinds.
What was the first gig you ever went to?
Shane: It was Liam Gallagher at Malahide Castle. I was fifteen and went with a friend. Two standout memories are trying to keep my parka on the whole time despite it being mid-June, and getting caught in the middle of a fight on the DART home.
What was the first record you ever bought?
Shane: They were selling Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band in my local Spar when I was about fourteen, I think it was for the 50th anniversary. I bought it and blared it all summer… Good starting point I reckon.
What’s your favourite song right now?
Dara: I’m all about the new Magdalena Bay album at the moment. Cry For Me is probably my pick from that, but there’s not a skip on there. Cannot get enough of it.
Favourite lyric of all time?
Shane: First to come to mind is My Back Pages by Dylan. "I was so much older then, I'm younger than that now." It's simple, provocative and always relatable. Clever wordplay with some depth. If you asked me tomorrow you could get a different answer though!
If you could only listen to one song for the rest of your life what would it be?
Shane: I suppose I'd have to look at the songs that I've carried with me, even as my taste has changed. One I'll never be sick of is Ceremony by New Order. It fits every mood, great melody, great lyrics and I listen to it almost every day anyway.
Where can people find your music/more information?
@strandtheband on Instagram, TikTok and Twitter. A few songs on all good streaming platforms under STRAND too.
Alan Corr
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